Anyone read Nineteen Eighty Four?

[Zombie Slayer]

Had time between classes and decided to get it from the school library. Heard about how things written in the book have started to come to fruition even though it was written in 1949. Just wondering your thoughts on it. Already within the first few pages he talks about the thought police.

 

[fearsomefour]

I read it in about 1984 in high school.
Actually late 80's.
It is interesting, a really good read. You can see the parallels with our society for sure. Having been written when it was, post world war 2 and at the beginnings of the cold war he certainly had plenty of material to draw from. Societal paranoia that was justified to a certain degree.
Governments given control as citizens give up freedoms all lead to the same place.

 

[Prime Time]

Yes, I've read it three times. It's very prophetic except that the things that are happening now didn't happen in 1984. Newspeak, were speech is controlled by political correctness and leads to Thoughtcrime is one example.

 

[rhinobean]

Read it in the 60's. This society is no where as depressing as the 1 in the book! Unless the voters make some real change in leadership soon, then I could see my grandkids growing up in that society! That would be very sad!

 

[Stranger]

Had time between classes and decided to get it from the school library. Heard about how things written in the book have started to come to fruition even though it was written in 1949. Just wondering your thoughts on it. Already within the first few pages he talks about the thought police.

Huxley's Brave New World is a more accurate comparison to today's world (ie flood the masses with meaningless noise & vices). Orwell's prediction of control doesn't really work.

 

[yrba1]

North Korea is the only active Orwellian regime in the world. I see the US following Brave New World at this point; why contain information when you can drown the citizens in a sea of it.

 

[Zombie Slayer]

I'll have to read Brave New World next then.

 

[Greg Stone]

Even more so than "1984", "Animal Farm" is Orwell's classic work IMO. By the time I was 13, in 1968, I had read every SF book in the Charleston SC Public Library and scooped up these two and "Brave New World" in the process.

There's nothing new under the sun, to quote Ecclesiastes. Machiavelli's "The Prince" is still the classic work on manipulating the public.

 

[Stranger]

North Korea is the only active Orwellian regime in the world. I see the US following Brave New World at this point; why contain information when you can drown the citizens in a sea of it.

I'll have to read Brave New World next then.

After you're done reading BNW, try dipping your toe in the water of Jean Baudrillard and his thesis on Simulacra & Simulation - it's the book Neo takes off the bookshelf in the first Matrix movie. Once you've gotten insight into the concept of Hyperreality, I think you'll start turing off all media.

Even more so than "1984", "Animal Farm" is Orwell's classic work IMO. By the time I was 13, in 1968, I had read every SF book in the Charleston SC Public Library and scooped up these two and "Brave New World" in the process.

There's nothing new under the sun, to quote Ecclesiastes. Machiavelli's "The Prince" is still the classic work on manipulating the public.

“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done;
there is nothing new under the sun.”
– Ecclesiastes

 

[RAGRam]

I left a large period between high school and now, not really reading a lot (if you don't count math/statistic textbooks), read some of the kids stuff, Harry Potter, His Dark Materials (highly recommended) and The Hunger Games. I've set myself the challenge of reading some of the classics, have ticked To Kill a Mockingbird, Great Expectations and The Grapes of Wrath (wtf is with that ending?) currently on 1984, enjoying it the least of the 4 tbh.

 

[Athos]

Yea. In high school. Hated it and didn't appreciate what it was trying to say. Long since grown up to realize how important it is.

Side note. Watch Equilibrium for an interesting take on Orwellian type society. Terribly underrated Christian Bale movie.

 

[PowayRamFan]

To quote Jim Morrison: " We know your deepest secret fear"

 

[Ramhusker]

Good thread, good books!

 

[Stranger]

To quote Jim Morrison: " We know your deepest secret fear"

He should have known, as his father was a 2-star "general" (Rear Admiral) and Commode of the U.S. naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stephen_Morrison

Yup, I betcha you didn't know that one.

 

[PowayRamFan]

He should have known, as his father was a 2-star "general" (Rear Admiral) and Commode of the U.S. naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stephen_Morrison

Yup, I betcha you didn't know that one.

I did, actually. I also know that his song "The Spy" was written about 1984, and he took the name for his band from Aldous Huxley's " The Doors of Perception".

 

[PowayRamFan]

He should have known, as his father was a 2-star "general" (Rear Admiral) and Commode of the U.S. naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stephen_Morrison

Yup, I betcha you didn't know that one.

I did, actually. I also know that his song "The Spy" was written about 1984, and he took the name for his band from Aldous Huxley's " The Doors of Perception".

 

[Mojo Ram]

I'm holding out, so i can read "New Moral Order" by @-X-

 

[Stranger]

I did, actually. I also know that his song "The Spy" was written about 1984, and he took the name for his band from Aldous Huxley's " The Doors of Perception".

You're the first person I've ever mentioned this to who knew this beforehand. Most are blown away that this counterculture icon could be the son of a US Military general who was so deeply part of such an opposed war.

Looking at The Spy's lyrics again, is he singing about exposing the machine, or is he singing from the 1st person?. Makes you wonder given his family.



"The Spy"

I'm a spy in the house of love
I know the dream, that you're dreamin' of
I know the word that you long to hear
I know your deepest, secret fear
I'm a spy in the house of love
I know the dream, that you're dreamin' of
I know the word that you long to hear
I know your deepest, secret fear
I know everything
Everything you do
Everywhere you go
Everyone you know

I'm a spy in the house of love
I know the dream, that you're dreamin' of
I know the word that you long to hear
I know your deepest, secret fear
I know your deepest, secret fear
I know your deepest, secret fear
I'm a spy, I can see
What you do
And I know

 

[fearsomefour]

Yep, a smart guy. Counter culture, hippie who was the son of a military Commode.
So, sort of begs the question. Was he a brilliant guy, poet, artist, counter culture type with well thought reasons for his approach and world view. Or just a druggie with daddy issues?
Probably a mix of both.