1984

[NWPTrainer]

1984 is the shit! And frighteningly accurate in regards to what is currently going on, IMNSHO.

For the record though, Michener didn't write Shogun, James Clavell did. Michener wrote big thick epics too, but his were on shit like Chesapeakee Bay and Alaska, and Texas and the history of Judaim (The Source).

Clavell wrote Shogun, and King Rat, and other Asian stuff.

Both were phenomenal writers, by the by.

[Brian1/75]

I love this book, but first time reading it, I hoped he was actually going to join the resistance and start doing some subterfuge or outright resistance fighting.

[The_Dirty_Name]

1984.

Very good read. The author had a sick impressive imagination to come up with the reality he created.

The book was full of horror.

I sometimes wonder about myself and other people I know and how well we would do in the "middle class" set-up that Winston was in.
Remember, Winston was but a child when order rose from chaos, so he had some empirical knowledge helping him out.

I wonder if there is some kind of "reject society gene" that is expressed from time to time in the generations. If so, Winston's was big time dominant. Or perhaps he rejected society after concluding it was insane.

If Ignorance is indeed bliss, conflict visits those who seek knowledge.

[past]

Originally Posted by NWPTrainer

Clavell wrote Shogun, and King Rat, and other Asian stuff.

Man I read Shogun once but I read King Rat like three times. What a fun book.

Also, you can read an interesting article about George Orwell here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009...-george-orwell

[Johan]

This is scene from excellent movie with name of Europa Europa. It is true story of jewish boy (German) who flees to Poland with his family. They flee East when Germany invades Poland, and he is taken to be condition by soviets.

Here he is giving talk, and Polish boy argues that God exist, and is greater than Stalin. When boy is made to ask God for candy- no candy. When child are told to ask Stalin for candy-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh8mwL8RVH8

Also, I think many who comment here will enjoy this if they have not seen before. It is excellent counter to totalitarian regime, it uses some humor. Make certain to read about background of author/illustrator.

http://redprimer.com/

Regards,

[Bravo Five Romeo]

Originally Posted by Johan

This is scene from excellent movie with name of Europa Europa. It is true story of jewish boy (German) who flees to Poland with his family. They flee East when Germany invades Poland, and he is taken to be condition by soviets.

Here he is giving talk, and Polish boy argues that God exist, and is greater than Stalin. When boy is made to ask God for candy- no candy. When child are told to ask Stalin for candy-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh8mwL8RVH8

Also, I think many who comment here will enjoy this if they have not seen before. It is excellent counter to totalitarian regime, it uses some humor. Make certain to read about background of author/illustrator.

http://redprimer.com/

Regards,

great film
I have the DVD

[ET1/ss nuke]

Originally Posted by texasgirl

I suggest Watership Down.

One of the greatest books on freedom versus totalitarianism, handily disguised as harmless adolescent fiction.

[adtexan]

1984 is a classic piece of literature. It's a short read but will give you a lifetime of thoughts.

[leopardprey]

I was traveling through Myanmar (Burma) this last January and had the chance to attend Church with a group of Karens and Kachins. Interesting in that they told me they regards George Orwell as "The Prophet" and that he actually wrote 3 books about Myanmar: Burmese Days, Animal Farm and 1984.

(Burmese Days was his first novel, and a great read, that is based upon his experiences as a young British Police Officer in late 1920s Burma).

[colmurph]

Seems that he was just a few years too early. He should have named it 2009. Department of Homeland Security is an Orwellian creation. If the DNC has it's way we will be hog tied and packaged in the next few years. We already have exceeded Animal Farm in our society. "We are all equal but some are more equal than others" fits right in with diversity quotas, section 8 housing and real estate taxing calculations. Sitting at a Memorial Day observance yesterday and listening to the local politicians talk so eloquently about how "They died to keep us free", I had to pause and wonder why these same politicians are working so hard to strip us of our freedom.

[CarnageWhiskey]

Originally Posted by Johan

Also, I think many who comment here will enjoy this if they have not seen before. It is excellent counter to totalitarian regime, it uses some humor. Make certain to read about background of author/illustrator.

http://redprimer.com/

Regards,

Some humor is an understatement.

I really enjoyed reading that.
The cartoons are excellent.

[grahamcracker977]

Had to read both 1984 and Animal Farm either junior or senior year of high school. Read Farenheit 451 junior year for sure.
Scary indeed...kids turning in parents...your enemy one day is your friend the next...

[billdawg]

Originally Posted by texasgirl

x2 on A Brave New World



I suggest Watership Down. It's the book I remember most from when I was your daughter's age...can lead to interesting discussions about the role of women in society. Also, The Good Earth and anything by Jane Austen (Emma is my favorite).

Isn't Watership Down, the one about rabbits? That was good, from what I can rememebr.

[Oldpogue]

I always thought that taking away some of our rights of privacy and calling it the "Patriot Act" was quite Orwellian.

[adtexan]

Originally Posted by Oldpogue

I always thought that taking away some of our rights of privacy and calling it the "Patriot Act" was quite Orwellian.

I totally agree with you.

[MixedLoad]

Originally Posted by KidA

1984 is great. Also Brave New World is good, as is Farenheit 451 and Animal Farm.

I just finished "1984" in two sittings. Lately I've been on an extraordinary reading kick.

A WiReD article with the top ten must reads made me download some great books - among them Farenheit 451, which is my next project. Will start on that tomorrow.

As for "1984" it struck me that it must come most closely to the life of a person living in modern day North Korea than anything else. A great read and captivating to the end.

[Remington Raider]

Originally Posted by colmurph

Seems that he was just a few years too early. He should have named it 2009. Department of Homeland Security is an Orwellian creation. If the DNC has it's way we will be hog tied and packaged in the next few years. We already have exceeded Animal Farm in our society. "We are all equal but some are more equal than others" fits right in with diversity quotas, section 8 housing and real estate taxing calculations. Sitting at a Memorial Day observance yesterday and listening to the local politicians talk so eloquently about how "They died to keep us free", I had to pause and wonder why these same politicians are working so hard to strip us of our freedom.

how we ALL must kow-tow to gubmint healthcare . . . Unless your outfit "supports" the administration and you rate a "waiver". Now if you are a retired veteran well - BOHICA, MF.

[HF0311]

If you like "1984" then you owe it to yourself to read "Brave New World"-Aldous Huxley, then read "Brave New World Revisited" Revisited is a essay by Huxley comparing the two 1984 to New World and the manner of control each goverment used in the books.

[ddog79]

The other day I was laying in bed nursing my back, and I got bored so I started browsing through Netflix for something to watch. I watched "1984" (the Richard Burton/John Hurt version) since I've read the book several times since high school. It was an interesting movie, but unless the viewer had read the book, some things might not have been real clear and a lot was left out. I'm reading it again, and it seems that every time I read it, I get more out of it. Next up on the reading list is "Animal Farm" since I haven't read it in about 10 years. If Orwell were alive today, I wonder if he would be surprised that we had not slipped into real totalatarianism yet.

[nofear]

Read 1984 only last year.

It scared me, in that I could relate so much of it to today's society.

I'm not going to read any more books along those lines as I won't be able to sleep at night.

Don't make / let your kids watch Watership Down. I watched it when I was very young and it gave me nightmares for years. Friggen' screaming rabbits, ugh.