BookBrowse Reviews Julia by Sandra Newman

BookBrowse:

A richly imagined feminist retelling of George Orwell's dystopian classic, 1984.

Upon its publication in 1949, George Orwell's 1984 became an instant classic. The terms he coined—Big Brother, thought police and newspeak, to name a few—are still in use today. Even the author's name has become an adjective; most equate the word "Orwellian" with constant surveillance under an autocratic system of government. So it was with a bit of skepticism that I approached Sandra Newman's novel Julia, a retelling of 1984 from the viewpoint of the protagonist's lover and partner in thoughtcrime. I doubted the author could bring anything new to such a literary masterpiece. I am pleased to report, however, that she succeeds completely in reimagining this well-known novel, bringing new depth to the world Orwell created.

In Newman's retelling, Julia is a mechanic responsible for keeping the equipment running at the Records Department of the Ministry of Truth. She thrives in this environment while never fully accepting the Party's propaganda; if anything, she ignores politics, participating in Party activities as required but never really giving the subject much thought. Although she largely abides by her society's rules, she still enjoys skirting them when she can, trading with proles for contraband and seducing men when possible. She becomes interested in Winston Smith, a writer at the Records Department, as another potential conquest, and she arranges to meet him for sex—an act that seals their respective fates.

Those familiar with 1984 will find many similarities in Julia—its bones are identical, right down to the dialogue. Newman's purpose differs from Orwell's, however; 1984 is a cautionary tale, a warning against the rise of totalitarianism, and as such it offers a stark portrait of a dystopian future. Julia relays a similar message, but sets it against a much richer backdrop, focusing less on the aspects of her society that most of us would find abhorrent and more on how one endures under such constraints. Moreover, the author shows us what women's lives are like in this world—a viewpoint completely omitted by Orwell. In Newman's imagining, for example, abortion is a crime, and one of the highest honors in Oceania is to bear children who will then be given to the state to raise (similar to Hitler's Lebensborn program).

The two books read quite differently; I tend to think of 1984 in black-and-white, while Julia's world is much more colorful and nuanced. Julia also lacks 1984's shock value—partly because the heroine is more accepting of her society's strictures than Orwell's hero is, and partly because the most disturbing scenes are right out of 1984, so we've encountered them before. This lack of sensationalism is consistent with Newman's intimate, more character-driven approach. It's a different take on Orwell's world, but just as fascinating—and frightening.

Those who've never read 1984 might want to peruse a copy of that novel first, as Newman makes assumptions about her audience's familiarity with it. She doesn't delve much into the underlying political situation or define many of the Orwellian terms she references, potentially frustrating readers unfamiliar with the original. If you have an even basic recollection of 1984, though, it will be adequate to understand Julia's world—no need to reread 1984 ahead of time to fully appreciate Newman's novel.

I'm not sure Julia would work as a stand-alone novel; it depends so much on Orwell's creation that Julia likely wouldn't make sense without that source material. As is, though, it's a remarkable take on a classic—one that I personally enjoyed more than the original. And, like 1984, Julia will haunt one's thoughts for a long time after the last page is turned. I highly recommend this eminently readable novel to adult and mature teen audiences who enjoy dystopian fiction. Julia's selection as a recent BookBrowse Book Club choice demonstrated that it's an excellent novel for discussion as well.

This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in January 2024, and has been updated for the October 2024 edition. Click here to go to this issue.