I relish writing in my book, cracking its spine, or dog earring the pages - let the haters tremble with irritation and disdain, they don’t understand the power.

I agree with others that 1984 is pretty bleak, but I still think it’s worth the read, less for discovering how the Party came to power, and more for discovering how swathes of people buy into the mindset (just as important as preceding power plays).

I think if you’re looking for a book that talks about how those in power come to it, AND has a hopeful ending, you might be interested in:

the House of the Spirits (written by Isabel Allende during the Chilean revolution).

Persepolis -

Maus - both of these are graphic novels but have a lot to say about war, humanity and everything in between.

Slaughterhouse-5 - this is a tough read too, and idk that everyone would agree that it ends hopefully, but imo it does.

I’m sure I can think of others given time, but for now, I hope I’ve given you some solid suggestions, and not just wasted your time. If you stick with 1984, I would love to hear more about your thoughts (even if you don’t like the book).