Why I never read 1984
61I'm french so forgive my english
If you read my articles, it would transpire to most of you that I have a bizarre tendency to talk about some gloomy future - Big Brother, Warfare and other Blah Blah Blah like that :).
Still I must be one of the rare person on planet earth to have never read 1984: the only chapter I read is chapter 3 about warfare. Why don't I want to read the full book ?
Because I don't like gloomy novels. In real life I prefer to read entertaining novels or watch same kind of movies (Indiana Jones is my favorite). So when I make so many posts on that kind, I feel like I contradict my nature. But I feel compelled to do so because of the importance of what is going on and the complacency of people for the future. People like to talk about Big Brother as if it only exists in Novel not in Real World.
That's why I think 1984 doesn't really make people open their eyes: it could even be the opposite as it diverts people from reality towards fiction, lets them think that because it is fiction, it cannot be real or because Nazism and Communism have fallen, fascism have disappeared forever. But fascism is like a Virus: it mutates so that people do not recognize it because they keep only the old scheme in mind.
Today Fascism uses Marketing Techniques rather than the obvious brainwashing machines of the past. They have always use Moral Pretexts of Equality and Humanitarism with Religion in the past whereas today they use Ecology. It's obviously the same design scheme but people are so easily fooled because they are do-gooders who do not suspect evilness in front of appearance. That's why I posted this essay on Hamlet: "Appearance vs Reality".
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Three other famous dystopian novels not to read: "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, "Animal Farm" by George Orwell and William Golding's "Lord of the Flies." You may also add Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels." All are worth reading in my opinion.
"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley: I've been forced to read it when I was 12 and it was so dull I didn't want to read it again when I became an adult.
"Animal Farm" by George Orwell: I may read it one day as I like animal stories :)
"Lord of the Flies: don't know this one
"Gulliver's Travels": I have read it when I was a child like a funny stor so I didn't think much about it.
They all have parallels to the Bush administration.
You should still read 1984. The techniques that Orwell describes, like calling something the opposite of what it is, has been used effectively by Karl Rove to snow the public. Also, there's an interesting documentary out called "Orwell Rolls in His Grave", about corporate control of the mass media that echoes Orwell's warning that those who control the past, control the future.
- Eric
Hi thanks for this interesting comment:
"The techniques that Orwell describes, like calling something the opposite of what it is, has been used effectively by Karl Rove to snow the public."
Yes I have indeed a good example for that (this will be for a future article). Could you quote some passages of 1984 ?
If you missed it I have an other article about something similar:
How propaganda works: the ruse of Hegelian Dialectic
http://hubpages.com/hub/How_propaganda_works
Cher/dear Monsieur Counterpunch,
Merci pour le commentaire sur mon "Hub." Moi aussi, je suis bien triste pour la morte de, premierment, James Brown au mois de Decembre de l'annee passe' et maintenant, de Luciano Pavarotti, deux geants de la musique.
Thank you for the commentary about my "Hub." Me too, I am very sad about the death of, first, James Brown in the month of December of last year and now, of Luciano Pavarotti, two music giants.
Hi Maricarbo,
I'm very pleased to see you know some french :)
I agree you should read it. 1984 opened my eyes to the real world. God is second rate compared to the almighty dollar these days. People are so worry about what they don't have they forget to enjoy life. I can't stand going into shopping centres these days. Everywhere you look the walls are plastered with signs that egg you on to spend your money on what you think you need to be happy. We are all being brainwashed by adds on tv and everywhere else we look. 1984 just really highlights how bad it can get and if you don't think you need your eyes opened ask yourself just how much money you have spent in the last year on things you really didn't need and just how many of those things were "On sale". Now that the governments have us wrapped around their economic fingers they can manipulate us little batteries all they want.
I could quote a hundred things to watch and read like matrix and V for vendetta, but in a way you are right, its just depressing and I too prefer to read fantasy or sci-fi to take me away from reality cause I fell to small to change anything.
I think I know where you're coming from, but, personallly, I enjoy reading gloomy novels -- "1984" and "Animal Farm," among them. There's something about fiction that makes it easier to understand the truth. If you throw in something light between the gloomy novels, such as "Golfing With God," which I read recently, you can probably avoid utter depression.
You guys are clinically insane!
Ralph Deeds, Eric Balkan especially. You "Bush is Hitler. Bush is a fascist" nut jobs need to learn what real dictators and fascists are! Take a tour through history: Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Pol Pot... and those are just the low lights of the 20th century.
You guys probably believe Bush brought down the twin towers too, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary.
You should realize the difference between truth and fiction, and get a clue.
Seriously. You guys are hoot!
Oh so true! I appreciate your perspective.
Welcome shemesh to hubpages, hope I will read you soon also :)
I hope you will find time to read "Lord of the Flies," thecounterpunch, as someone else suggested. I must be a real geek (or, perhaps a Lit student) - I've read almost every book written in these comments LOL. I think all the literature items mentioned have very interesting social commentary...if you're into that kind of thing
:)
I read 1984 when I was in high school 50 years ago. Amazing that he understood us that well so long ago/
"Lord of the Flies" ? OK maybe one day ... since you insist :)
50 years ago ? Wow !
There is also a nice movie for Lord of Flies so you can just go on with the movie if you don't wanna read the book :)
A tour through history: Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler, Bush, Saddam Hussein, Pol Pot.
The Prophet says:
2 years ago
I hear you brother! Right on! I am with you!