Feels a bit more light hearted and humourous, more like Brazil?
Wasn't 1984 released in 1949?
Yup, it was written around 1948. Easy to remember as you just swap the final 2 digits.
Oh wow, if they’d changed the title to match the release date (1994) that would really change the vibe, haha.
It really does have a very similar feeling.
It takes the structure, the affair with Julia, the "we have always been at war with", best buddy/big brother, and the forced rehabilitation from 1984. This is also part of the joke, the reader is expected to twig.