The Ministry of Truth

English actor Andrew Wincott narrates the compelling story of George Orwell's masterwork, 1984. Wincott's ability to emulate Orwell's "windowpane prose" and to shift almost effortlessly into the voices of other writers makes his narration stand out. His subtle performance brings the listener inside the complex fate of the dystopian novel and interprets its meanings. Both writer and book have been co-opted by politicians on the left and right. Lynskey looks at the author's experiences during the Spanish Civil War as causal to the book's creation. He gives fine accounts of H.G. Wells and Aldous Huxley, among others. The most lasting impact on the novel on this 70th anniversary of its publication may be how adeptly the author provides context for the rise of contemporary authoritarianism. A.D.M. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine