The power of Orwell's writing comes from the ideas expressed therein, not from the characterization or the quality of the writing. Orwell's characters in this novel are crafted of the finest cardboard, the writing is crafted of the finest of didactic lead, but the ideas therein are important -- because they are prophetic of what 2004 could be, and what 2003 may be becoming, if the current leadership of our country has its way.