I could rehash the usual shpeel about Orwell's 1984: it paints a grim perspective of the future, it is chilling in its foresight, we should watch for propaganda, etc, etc. However, I think that this would be a great disservice to a great novel. After all, there are others who wrote about dystopias before Orwell, and many have written dystopias since Orwell. Why, then, is 1984 different?

First of all, it has remarkably interesting things to say on the subject of language. How much of our thought is dictated by what we know how to say? To what extent is a government capable of "erasing" our capacity for language? Although Orwell's conclusion - that the very thoughts of people are easily manipulated by diluting their language - has perhaps been refuted by studies of languages and grammar, his questions are nonetheless pertinent, and he makes his arguments sharply and effectively throughout the novel.

Second of all, 1984 is beautifully written. Orwell is a master of writing tautly, so that the reader can't help but be drawn in. This is a book that is, believe it or not, a GOOD read, and not in a high-brow literature way. The reader feels completely immersed in the world of 1984, and the twists and turns the novel takes are gripping.

So read it. You won't regret it. In fact, your life will probably be much better for doing so.