Earlier in the year I re-read 1984, along with Cyberkitten, and when I spotted this full-cast adaptation of the classic dystopia on Audible. I knew I had to try it, if only to hear Tom Hardy’s Big Brother. The adaptation follows the story of 1984, and uses its dialogue, but doesn’t have Orwell’s narrative voice, and some parts that wouldn’t adapt well (like the readings from Goldstein’s book) are omitted or reworked. In addition to large vocal cast, there are audio effects and a score. We hear floorboards squeak, prisoners screaming profanity in the background, and so on. This is used to good effect, immersing the reader more into the story, but given the content it can also be disturbing — especially the screaming in pain and desperate thought criminals pleading for their lives, speaking through tears. The music also adds to the experience, though sometimes the choices are curious: I rather like synthwave, but it was unexpected, especially after the very passionate rebellious-sex-in-a-field scene. Boy, was I glad I wasn’t going through a drive-through while listening to that one.
I commented in my February review that every time I read 1984, or in this case ‘experience’ it, something new leaps out at me. In this case, the voice acting spotlit how degraded the denizens of Airstrip One truly are by the Party. They’re pathetic, wretched — parroting slogans they don’t believe in, policing their thoughts, spitting venom at those they’re instructed to. Hearing horrible children berate their parents — who were terrified of being accused of thoughtcrime by the little brainwashed brutes — was outright grating. This made the scenes where Winston was among proles far more salient, because the proles act like human beings, not free-range prisoners. They sound normal, not cringy, and it’s a relief to be around them. The torture scenes, though, were not pleasant going between the crying, screaming, bones cracking, and the mercurial voice of O’Brien, who could be seductive one second and turn authoritarian in the blink of an eye. An all-around interesting experience: I’d say it’s a plusgood way to spend three hours, but not doubleplusgood.
Reading Freely 
I loved this dramatisation, Stephen. I was riveted. The acting by Andrew Garfield and Cynthia Erivo was brilliant, as was the rest of the cast.
It was definitely a memorable way to experience the story. What did you think of O’Brien’s voice actor? For me he was disturbing because he was SO malleable. One minute he’s the helpful friend, one minute the hateful antagonist, and then sometimes he’s the affable enigma.
Yes, I agree. That was Andrew Scott. He gave a brilliant performance.
Interesting….. I still haven’t watched the 1954 movie adaptation on BBC iPlayer. It’s available for another 5 months so I don’t feel super rushed to watch it just yet! Not sure if you can freely access it from there but here’s the link:
Nineteen Eighty-Four – BBC iPlayer
You might want to hold off for a while and read something about rainbows and puppies before you take the plunge!
So I should put off my “Voices from Chernobyl: An Oral History”? 😉
I do hope that you have some FUN reading scheduled SOON… [lol]
I finished Shelli: Murder Mind, which was a nice SF action thriller. Maybe post review of it today. Plugging away at Provoked review, but it’s depressing –especially with another damned war about to break out between the jugheads in Tel-Aviv and Tehran.
Maybe, just maybe, there would be something approaching peace in the Middle East if the Israelis stopped *attacking* people…. Just saying….. [shakes head]
I’m told the man who played Winston in that played the villain in V for Vendetta, which makes 1984’s plot even more disturbing.
John Hurt did indeed play Winston Smith in the 1984 movie version of ‘1984’ (not the BBC 1954 version) and he also played the dictator Adam Sutler in ‘V for Vendetta’. I’m presuming that wasn’t accidental casting [grin]. Winston was, interestingly, played by Peter Cushing in the 1954 BBC play.