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Julia
- Narrated by: Louise Brearley
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
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Julia
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Summary
London, chief city of Airstrip One, the third most populous province of Oceania. It's 1984 and Julia Worthing works as a mechanic fixing the novel-writing machines in the Fiction Department at the Ministry of Truth. Under the ideology of IngSoc and the rule of the Party and its leader Big Brother, Julia is a model citizen - cheerfully cynical, believing in nothing and caring not at all about politics. She routinely breaks the rules but also collaborates with the regime whenever necessary. Everyone likes Julia. A diligent member of the Junior Anti-Sex League (though she is secretly promiscuous) she knows how to survive in a world of constant surveillance, Thought Police, Newspeak, Doublethink, child spies and the black markets of the prole neighbourhoods. She's very good at staying alive.
But Julia becomes intrigued by a colleague from the Records Department - a mid-level worker of the Outer Party called Winston Smith - when she sees him locking eyes with a superior from the Inner Party at the Two Minutes Hate. And when one day, finding herself walking toward Winston, she impulsively hands him a note - a potentially suicidal gesture - she comes to realise that she's losing her grip and can no longer safely navigate her world.
Seventy-five years after Orwell finished writing his iconic novel, Sandra Newman has tackled the world of Big Brother in a truly convincing way, offering a dramatically different, feminist narrative that is true to and stands alongside the original. For the millions of readers who have been brought up with Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, here, finally, is a provocative, vital and utterly satisfying companion novel.
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What listeners say about Julia
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- carnie fingers
- 05-01-24
Reaches bleaker depths than 1984 but instills hope
Absolutley brilliant. Gives lots of nuance and clarity on living in Airstrip 1 as a woman, plus Julia's backstory. A magnificent ending which puts so much into focus and holds a mirror up to the obscene overindulgence of the rich and powerful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Irene
- 23-03-24
Satisfyingly familiar yet totally original
Seeing the same story from Julia’s point of view adds extra dimensions and nuance, making for an even more chilling telling of the classic 1984. A rare feat well accomplished and read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alastair Davidson
- 15-12-23
An outstanding story
Written fully in the first person this is an outstanding story. I listened to the book and the narrator is first class.
Now for the radical comment; allowing that the background history is taken from the original 1984 this is a better story.
Sandra Newman has produced a masterpiece.
Very well done, thank you.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jane Guy
- 06-12-23
Powerful and fascinating
Excellent parallel to an iconic book, I heard Sandra Newman discussing Julia recently which inspired me to listen, I was not disappointed, I hear the criticism of feminist literature but I wonder what Orwell would have written on the double speak, fake news and duplicity of our times, oh for essayists of his calibre today. Now off to re-read 1984.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- B. Whelan
- 23-10-23
Cracking story but could ruin 1984
Really good story and extended the world quite a bit. Harsh on Winston and has potential to annoy you if you love 1984
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- TP
- 30-10-23
Didn’t expect this to measure up but I was wrong
I didn’t expect to like this but had to see how anyone could try to extend 1984 without ruining it. I loved it! Showing Julia’s world within the original story enhanced it, the extension moved seamlessly and was totally believable. As someone that is very picky about the narration, I was impressed with that too.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 08-01-24
Great retelling of 1984 from Julia’s perspective
Thought provoking and a different way to view the world of Big Brother from Julia’s perspective
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mel
- 29-11-23
Brilliant retelling
Captivating and harrowing. This book is a retelling of 1984 from the perspective of Julia.
I found it interesting, ironic and incredibly challenging. I highly recommended reading this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- conrad
- 12-11-23
Loved it.
I really enjoyed everything about this book. I'm a fan of dark dystopian books, and this did not fail to please.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- N Douglas
- 19-12-23
As dark and memorable as the original
This story fit perfectly into the original. The tone, language, storyline, all felt very true to 1984. Even though I knew what was coming, it kept me hopeful. Brilliant retelling.
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