1984

May 24, 2021
Orwell’s classic dystopian nightmare is lent new life in this atmospheric graphic adaptation by Brazilian artist Nesti. In Orwell’s bleak totalitarian world engaged in perpetual war, Big Brother is always watching (ever-present in the comic’s setting via ubiquitous ominous signs posted), and Thought Police stand guard to mete out brutal justice for thoughtcrimes. Hero Winston Smith, drawn as a drab everyman, is both gifted and cursed with pre-dictatorship memories, and reflects that “even the outline of your own life lost its sharpness.” When he enters into a forbidden love affair with Julia, a fellow apostate, together they join a secret revolutionary group called The Brotherhood. While this adaption is rather text-heavy—perhaps necessarily so to fully impart Orwell’s complex ideas—Nesti’s accessible gray and orange drawings provide balance and light, giving Orwell’s oppressive vision a lyrical touch. His artistic style also lends a Depression-era vibe, one that would have read as retro even in 1949, when the novel was originally published. This artful reinterpretation reminds how Orwell’s warnings of the dangers of authoritarianism have remained frighteningly timeless. Agent: Bill Hamilton, A.M. Heath.

Starred review from June 1, 2021

In 1984, Great Britain has been renamed Airstrip One, a small province in one of three perpetually warring totalitarian super-states that rule the entire world. Mass surveillance is the norm for denizens of Airstrip One, as is the terror of being accused of disloyalty to the ruling party and its enigmatic leader, Big Brother. Nevertheless, after acquiring a small diary, Winston Smith begins recording his memories, thoughts, and feelings--including his displeasure at working for the Ministry of Truth, where he's responsible for revising historical records to suit Big Brother's needs--and observations about how the Party encourages ignorance and isolation. When a woman named Jane unexpectedly pledges her love for him, she and Winston begin a passionate affair--despite the Party's ban against sex for any purpose other than reproduction. Soon, the pair are drawn into contact with an underground resistance movement; following a shocking betrayal, their love is tested as they face interrogation within the windowless confines of the Ministry of Love. VERDICT Brazilian illustrator Fido Nesti employs a muted color palette and a tight nine-panel layout to stress the gloomy, hopelessly claustrophobic existence of those pinned under Big Brother's thumb. An excellent adaptation of the novel.

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2021
Nesti gives the graphic-novel treatment to Orwell's sf classic of a totalitarian government in a dystopian future. Winston is a low-level worker for the Party in London, where he is responsible for changing documents to fit the Party's version of history. However, feeling oppressed by the constant monitoring by Big Brother and the limitations put on citizens, Winston begins to look beyond them for some meager satisfaction in his life. The text of this graphic novel is Orwell's original, though careful readers may note that some of the descriptions are edited out and put in the illustrations. Nesti's art is bleak, matching the tone of the text; the color palette is mostly shades of gray and black, with some muted blue and more shocking splashes of red. Illustrations evoke the vibe of the original text's mid-twentieth-century era, with limited defined character features reminiscent of the art in The Adventures of Tintin or Little Orphan Annie. Hand this to readers who are new to 1984 or hesitant to take up a classic.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.