1984: George Orwell, Graphic Novel by Fido Nesti

​Everyone probably has that one classic movie or book they just never got around to. Maybe more than one. For me that glaring omission has long been 1984. Why? No real reason. I love dystopian fiction. I appreciate classics. I know all the pop culture references from the book.
And still the novel remains elusive until I came across a graphic novel adaptation of it at the library. That’s when I knew the time has come.
And so, now I have read it. And I’m happy to report, it is as good as everyone says and very much a classic in the real meaning of the word – timeless.
What I didn’t expect as how terrifying it was. Positively horrific, and I’m a longtime genre connoisseur so I say that with conviction. For my money, 1984 of the grandest works of psychological terror.
It’s also very well-written, engaging, and emotionally devastating.  And very, very smart. Viciously clever. Still strikingly relevant all these decades after publication in its estimation of the world and people in it, social order, authoritarian regimes, and power delineation.
The graphic adaptation featured art very well suited to the story, with almost cartoonish faces but really heavy scenery, reinforcing the tone, the ambiance, and the message of the novel.
Overall, a powerhouse and a masterwork of dystopian fiction. Of fiction in general, really. It really ought to be required reading. There’s more sociopolitical education here that in several college courses put together. The sheer breadth of ideas here…The way it explains and anticipates the world. This novel is likely to remain a cautionary tale for a long time to come. Recommended.