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1984 & Animal Farm


dweeeb

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Hi All,

Just thought I'd ask if anyone has read these books? and how true you think they are?

I'm a converted Orwellian, I must say these books opened my eyes! aren't we living in Oceania now, stuck in the heart of Air Strip 1 drungerling about like the ministry drones that are portrayed in this book, I don't have a council job but I've been to my local civic centre the only thing missing is the overalls.

The proles, being the souls on benefits and job seekers, just kept enough at bay to prevent any real revolt and the likes of football, alcohol, tobacco and all the other "bread and circuses" that plaugue our TVs, Internet and media outlets that distract the population enough from the hidden horrors we never realise possible.

I try to discuss these books at work and a few of my colleagues have never read them, never heard of them or started animal farm but thought it a dark Disney film and stopped 2 / 3 chapters in. People feel that any idea of a tyrant leader is something from Nazi Germany and can't understand that Cameron, Bush, Obama, Blair, Brown can be referenced to Hitler in any way shape or form?

The miss communication our government spreads daily with the BBC eating out the hands of those in power, and the "stories" they spew all over our TV programmes its a wonder if there was ever a Malaria outbreak or even a recession?? was it just distractions? were they just methods to scare us into thinking the now conservative government are making a difference as Malaria vanished, and the recession is getting better? What were they distracting us from? when the only thing on the rise is the budget for trident.

Well I don't know if the above makes much sense to you? I hope it does, Has anyone else read these books? what did you think? and did you see any similarities to the way our society runs today?

If so I'll see you in the Ministry of Love where I confess to a crime I never committed, a thought I never had and a Lie i'm forced to live by.

Peace is War

Freedom is Slavery

Ignorance is Strength.

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I often reread Orwell; really just to appreciate how well he writes; his sentences

While of very different themes, if you enjoyed those, try The Clergymans Daughter, and my favourite, Down and Out in Paris and London

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I often reread Orwell; really just to appreciate how well he writes; his sentences

While of very different themes, if you enjoyed those, try The Clergymans Daughter, and my favourite, Down and Out in Paris and London

Thanks @@Superdedupity, I'm going to ask the fat man in a red suite to bring me coming up for air or his autobiography for Christmas. May ask him for those too.. (don't tell my wife i called her a fat bloke in a red suite lol)

I know what you mean about the way he writes very easy reading really draws you in, animal farm especially enjoyable. I must admit the first few pages were a little, hmmm that's a bit weird, WTFs with all these talking animals but by 2nd / 3rd chapter something clicked and i ended up reading it cover to cover in less than 4 hours. (Not a record by any stretch but like you say because of the way he writes).

There's another book "A brave new world" by another author (his name escapes me) but it's written in favour of "new world order" by a close friend of G.Orwell which i fancy to read as apparently it's a great book. His name, and trying to remember it, is going to drive me insane!!

:v: do you have any other recommendations?

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Aldous Huxley... Thank you Mr google.. hey what did we do before smart phones? Eh..

Oh yes, think for ourselves. lol

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1984 is full of profound ideas. One of which is double think as you wrote about. It's a good book that. When I read it I was almost convinced that he could envisage the future. Good book that.

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Aldous Huxley... Thank you Mr google.. hey what did we do before smart phones? Eh..

Oh yes, think for ourselves. lol

Ah, you're just on a theme of dystopia; you won't find Huxleys writings as satisfying ;)

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Ah, you're just on a theme of dystopia; you won't find Huxleys writings as satisfying ;)

How so? I get the impression they are more message than the fiction? Or am I reading too much into the stories?

Don't get me wrong I'm not looking for any tenuous link between thier stories and our present time. I heard George's name around a few videos i was recommended on you tube, David ike, alex jones, Michael savage, and the like and that's what lead me to the book.

I'm not on a mission to march into parliament and denouncing the system but starting to look at the "the system" and the lies we're told. Been spending more and more time with my father in law who is a follower of the above youtubers and he's turned me onto it. "Down the rabbit hole" as he calls it. lol

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What you have to remember when reading 1984 is that Orwell wasn't trying to predict the future.

He was actually parodying the time when the book was written, 1948. In the main, it was a rant against propaganda, reduced personal freedom and the power of the state brought about by WW2. Plus a veiled pop at Communism.

Or so I was taught at school in the 1970s. But thinking about it now - were not Coles Notes just another cog in the control mechanism? Come to that, perhaps even 1984 is/was just another cog?

Or.....was it just a book. Written to make a crust for the author. Who was perhaps a little paranoid. We will never really know.I do have a roll of tin foil on hand just in case though.

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"Coming Up For Air" is probably my favourite Orwell novel. Thought to be semi autobiographical.

"Homage to Catalonia" gives a good insight into how some of his political views changed later in life, as well as an interesting angle on the Spanish civil war.

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One of my favourite books is 1984 :) Yep, there be a lot going on in there that applies past, present and future, talking of which, H G Wells' Time Machine has some insightful thinking about the future of where mankind is heading, quite the visionary was H G Wells ;)

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H.G. wells you say? Another to add to my list. If I'm not posting I'm either nose deep in some of the titles above, Reshaping my tin foil hat or digging my bunker lol

Thanks for the input :yep:

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