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Since The Handmaid's Tale set the bar for forewarning about misogynist patriarchies, it's hard not to see the parallels here. Told from a woman's perspective, the oppressive governmental focus on fertility and childbirth is evident in a way that fits in completely with the world Orwell built, yet was barely covered in the original. The government of Oceania may hold up Big Brother as its figurehead instead of religious figures, but the oppression and dehumanization of the populace is just as dramatic. And a society founded by a self-centered, narcissistic demagogue who motivates and subdues the masses by stoking and focusing their hate on minorities and foreigners is as powerful and relevant today as it was when written. This is a masterful reweaving and extension of the original.
If you've read 1984, then Julia is a must-read. If not, then read them both. They say, "he who forgets history is doomed to repeat it." They who don't read 1984 and Julia are at peril of living through them.
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Copyright © 2024 Andrew Oliver