#TheMinistryOfTruth is a book for our times. The full title is The Ministry of Truth: The Biography of George Orwell’s 1984 by Dorian Lynskey

Shortly after the Trump administration told us their lies were just alternative facts, I decided I needed to re-read 1984. I don’t think George Orwell ever talked about alternative facts, but it seemed to me it was just a step or 2 from “alternative facts” about crowd size to “alternative facts” about bigger issues.

TheMinistryOfTruth by Dorian Lynskey is a guide to greater understanding of George Orwell’s masterpiece 1984. The author discusses how it fits in with his experiences, his earlier works, other dystopias and utopias, and more.

I enjoyed the book but much of it was just skimmed since I was not that familiar with some of Orwell’s earlier work and many of the other works referenced. However the author seemed to have a good command of all of those and I felt the discussion would be much more enlightening if I had a better background.

In summary I think Orwell is an important writer. It is amazing how relevant I find him many decades after 1984 was published. If you have not read 1984 since high school (which seems to be when most of read it), it is definitely worth a re-read in light of current events.

If you find yourself interested in both Orwell and this book, Lynskey’s The Ministry of Truth is a good place to pick-up a deeper understanding of both George Orwell and his writings.