It's always been an appealing genre -- that of Distopias (even Utopian settings have their negatives).They're usually appealing from the standpoint of philosophical debate. As novels, I usually find them fairly insipid.

Timothy, do you know about www.paperbackswap.com? you can swap books there for free. it's free to join. i read lots fo book thru that. you just need to post books you are ready to get rid of. great solution when you can't spend money on books. Palamas

i'm surprised by the 1st post in here.i actually read and studied this book for undergraduate studies in France back in 1983!my surprise is the post mentions leaving the religion, not a country, and focusses all on religion. it seems Orwell did not criticizes a religion in this book but a political totalitarian system. in a religion, if it IS really a religion, and not a sect or sectarian movement, you are by definition free, innerly and outwardly. i practise my religion in a faithful way, and i'm really free. nothing to do with daily life under a totalitarian regime. Palamas