The best books, he perceived, are those that tell you what you know already.
It's been a few years since I read Animal Farm, but it would be a lie to say I have forgotten how great George Orwell is at condensing and depicting the horrors of totalitarian, communist states. Still, 1984 managed to surprise me anyway. It's so freaking impressive how accurate he is. If I didn't know better, I would say he must have lived under such a state. He captures all the nuisances and silent terrors, the petty laws, and brainwashed fanatics with chilling accuracy. Of course, 1984 takes all this to the extreme, making it even more terrifying. It's a testament to its genius and status as a classic that even now, perhaps even more so, Big Brother's dystopian world rings with terrifying familiarity.