1984 climbs the bestseller list — almost 70 years after it was published


Doublethink. Newspeak. Hate Week. Thought Police. All are phrases that don't sound too terribly out of context in a world of "alternative facts" and Days of Patriotism. The terms, though, originated nearly 70 years ago in George Orwell's dystopian novel, 1984, which is eerily finding traction and resonance again today:
It's not the first time in recent memory that 1984 has appeared on the charts. In 2013, the book also blipped onto the bestseller list — likely because the NSA surveillance scandal at the time sounded frighteningly reminiscent of Big Brother.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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