George Orwell - 1984. Gift book bound in leather

"1984" is the last book by George Orwell, he published it in 1949, a year before his death. The dystopian novel glorified the author and remains the gold standard of the genre. The action takes place in London, one of the main cities of the totalitarian superstate Oceania. A frighteningly detailed description of a society based on fear and oppression serves as the backdrop for one of the most vivid human stories in world literature. The plot focuses on the fate of a minor dissident party functionary Winston Smith and his dangerous affair with a colleague.

In the USSR, Orwell's book was banned until 1989: probably, the country's party leadership recognized the features of the Soviet system in the social system of Oceania. However, the society described by Orwell is not a copy of the totalitarian regimes known to him. "1984" is still read as an acute commentary on current events.