The library had given up on it. At the end of May, one of the public libraries in Multnomah County, in the Portland metropolitan area (United States), received a strange little package. Inside was a book with a hard, dog-eared cover, gray in color and spotted with a few stains. Its invoice betrayed a work published in the middle of the previous century – it was about the first edition of 1984, the dystopian fiction of George Orwell, published in 1949. A small note accompanied the novel. An anonymous reader admitted having forgotten to return the title after having borrowed it. It happens. The mistake dated back to 1958, which is less common.
“A patron recently returned this copy of George Orwell’s 1984 first edition. It has been expected for 65 years!”, commented on June 13, on its social networks, the Multnomah County Library – the organization which manages the 23 libraries of the county. With little resentment, the librarians specified that they would pardon the sender for the usual late payment penalties.
According to his typed testimony, the faithful reader evokes having always wanted to return the book. The opportunity had never really presented itself, until this spring. The vicious circle of procrastination was broken thanks to a rereading and a sudden awareness. “I realized that, today more than ever, it was necessary to put this book back into circulation, indicates the mysterious proofreader. Many passages remain as relevant today as they were 65 years ago.
In 1984, George Orwell depicts a world divided into three rival blocks, riveted to each other in a permanent state of war. The protagonist, an official of the Ministry of Truth, lives in one of these police states, where the all-knowing eye of Big Brother watches. Inspired by the totalitarianisms of the mid-20th century, the novel has been enjoying a second life in recent years, due to the many parallels that readers find in it with the contemporary world. In France, George Orwell’s story entered the La Pléiade collection in 2020, along with other works by the writer.
The former regular at the Oregon library was also struck by the astonishing topicality of the British text. “Just add the words ‘internet’ and ‘social media’ and you read what’s happening in 2023,” the user wrote. “Sorry for being so late. At 86, it was time to clear my conscience, ”adds the person. The bet is successful: on Facebook, candidates are already rushing to borrow the book in turn. It’s a safe bet that the library will be more fussy about return dates this time.