When George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 was first published in 1949, no doubt readers of the time thought it distinctly possible our lives would indeed head in that direction by then. Our free will would be compromised, liberty curtailed, and leaders would lie to favour their own ends. While some of that is true to a greater or lesser degree, at least the only ‘Big Brother’ we’ve had to endure is a reality TV show. 

Reading or listening to 1984 in the year 2024 is a very different proposition to those who first grasped Orwell’s novel in their hands. The eponymous year has come and gone and although surveillance cameras have indeed been installed, the ‘Thought Police’ are nowhere to be seen. Orwell’s vision of the future, although magnified for narrative effect, was dark and troubling. And despite losing some of the descriptive nuance and political edge, this new ‘immersive listening experience’ most certainly captures that. 

There are fewer words (this version comes in at three hours 27 minutes, whereas a straightforward reading takes just over 12 hours) but a good deal more drama, thanks to an epic, sweeping score, lavish sound effects and a stellar cast. Andrew Garfield takes on the central role of Winston Smith, a civil service-type employee at the ‘Ministry Of Truth’, who sees Big Brother’s lies for all they are. Andrew Scott (legally obliged to appear in everything at the moment) is the mysterious high-up Party member O’Brien, Tom Hardy plays a booming Big Brother, and Cynthia Erivo is a suitably strong Julia. With the likes of Romesh Ranganathan popping up in supporting roles, it’s a dream team of strong performers. 

Joe White’s script may have carved away huge swathes of Orwell’s original, but he’s focused on the parts that really lend themselves to audio. The confessional nature of Winston’s diary entries feel whispered, hurried and dangerous. So too his rebellious thoughts about the manipulative diktats of The Party. Garfield executes these perfectly, leaning into the microphone for breathy moments of personal disclosure, then moving away with a cheery disposition for fake interactions with colleagues. Incarceration and death stalk Winston, and Garfield embodies his fear of being ‘deleted’ as acutely as he expresses his passionate love for Julia.

The dramatisation comes with a ‘listener discretion advised’ warning, and it’s true that this isn’t for the fainthearted. It’s chilling to hear parents call their children away from a playpark to watch a public hanging (and even more disturbing to hear glee in the children’s voices). The torture scenes in the infamous Room 101 are replete with screams of agony and fear, and listening to somebody’s will being slowly dismantled isn’t easy to hear. That said, stick your headphones on for maximum dread. 

1984 is available now on Audible.