Review: 1984: The Graphic Novel

1984: The Graphic Novel by Fido Nesti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's the 75th year of Independence for the world's largest democracy 'Happy Independence Day'; and Ironically I'm reading the graphical adaptation of 1984. The titular year has come and gone, and the world is moving towards more freedoms & progress. But in some ways you could say we have less freedom & progress. We are seemingly headed towards an amalgamation of 1984 7 Aldous Huxley's Brave New World; with some Fahrenheit 451 added to the mix.

Then again the ccp & the North Korean regime are still a thing, perfectly embodying the Orwellian themes of doublespeak, doublethink and 'Big Brother is always watching'. Which comprises of a fifth of the world populace under some totalitarian regime, so I suppose there is still ways for us to go.

Few others works have had such a profound effect on the collective psyche of mankind; and painted a plausible future, which is equal parts realistic and horrifying.

Even in this information age, or perhaps especially in the information age, Mass surveillance, invasion of privacy, indoctrination of the populace, information suppression, directing the national party, and absolute loyalty to the party are terms which are being thrown around in increased frequency. Sadly not just due to media hype, and because there is a kernel of truth behind them.

The only consolation we have is that, unlike INGSOC, the totalitarian regimes of today, still have to skulk in the shadows and at least pretend to present a veneer of legitimacy, lest they be condemned by the majority. Still sucks for their own populace as well as the ethnic & political minorities which they have oppressed. But, be grateful for small favors I suppose.


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Onto the book itself; 1984 is written to be dreary, depressing and mind numbing read, by design. Life under the watchful eyes of Big Brother is not a pleasant thing. It's a world of war, scarcity, lies, deceit where every aspect of life of controlled. Even the few scant inches of space inside your noggin is not free from interference from the man.



Your life is worthless, forfeit, crushed. You are the dead; and the only future you can look forwards to is the underside of das boot, forever crushing down on your head.

But hope springs anew, even in the most barren land. Even if your existence is written of, you can hold hope; for the future generations. Who, in time might develop enough ideological and emotional critical mass to break the shackles of tyranny and establish a better world.

And at the end of the day, hope is all that you are entitled to possess; everything else, belongs to the party.


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About this edition:

Fido Nesti has faithfully adapted the oppressive, hopeless feeling which was generated by the Book. The visuals are simple, but hauntingly beautiful, possessing a rustic, psychedelic quality, and giving you the ever pervading feeling of the walls closing in on you.

There is a stunning use of blacks, greys & red, with lot of pastel like soot & dust particles sprinkled around, to give the feeling of broken down dilapidation & decay. Having spent a good portion of the book inside Winston's mind we are treated to all manner of dreamscapes and torture induced hallucinagenic visions, all of which all to the depressive hopelessness of the character's predicament.





They also communicate on point, the ever pervasive mass surveillance and mass indoctrination which makes Big Brother & INGSOC such a terror to be beholden to. I happened to see a physical copy at a bookstore near me; the price tag is steep, but I'm considering buying it. Great work Mr. Nesti.

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