Nineteen Eighty-Four

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) by George Orwell has become the definitive dystopian novel of the twentieth century. Originally published on June 8, 1949 by Secker and Warburg in the United Kingdom, the book follows the main character, Winston Smith, through his disillusionment with totalitarianism and a doomed struggle of resistance. George Orwell is a pen-name, Orwell's real name was Eric Blair. -

The overall quality of the printing of this first edition is high. Some commonly found defects include missing plates, damage to the frontispiece or endpapers, and age-tanned pages. Blair died six months after publication of this, his last novel. Very rare signed copies have significant value, with some volumes priced near $10,000 USD. Because of this, numerous attempts have been made at forging the author's signature, and care should be taken to authenticate a signed copy. Unsigned first-edition first-printing British editions in mint condition can sometimes be priced in the $2,000 to $3,000 range (USD). The first US edition was printed by Harcourt, Brace and Company in 1949, only five days after the U.K. Edition. The UK edition first printing ran 26,575 copies, the US edition approximately 20,000. The book was an instant best seller in both Great Britain and the United States.