Being prompted by the Russian state's official description of the conflict in Ukraine and a policy which forbids referring to the conflict as a war-and insisting that the 'Special Military Operations' are being carried out in 'the name of peace,' many Russians abroad have begun describing Russian society as Orwellian by citing the three slogans of the party, 'War is peace, Freedom is Slavery and Ignorance is Strength,' as mirroring the propaganda of the Russian state. Since its publication in 1949, George Orwell's novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four” has remained a hot chestnut. However, there is a danger that by focusing too much on the political aspects we can easily lose sight that of the notion that the work represents a brilliant polished gem of storytelling! The recent boost in sales seemed to have been inspired by the recent conflict in Ukraine and a new law which strictly forbids referring to the Special Military Operations as a war as well as a controversial interpretation of the novel by a leading Russian diplomat. At one bookshop in Moscow, 'Reading City,' you can come across four different published versions in English alone. George Orwell's novel about a dystopian dictatorship, “1984,” is currently selling like hotcakes in Russia. A review of “Nineteen Eighty Four,” by George Orwell, republished by Vintage Classics Library, Dublin, 2021
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