BookBrowse Reviews Julia by Sandra Newman

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 ...