Sales of George Orwells book "1984" rises by nearly 7000% on Amazon, victory gin production rises by
108 replies, posted
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;41001489]Don't ruin the anticipation[/QUOTE]
Okay, I spoiler tagged it.
I also enjoy interesting little things like how [sp]it's implied but never really explored that Oceania could just be firing on itself to simulate the war, which would explain why the bombings always conveniently increase at times when the government needs there to be more war hysteria.[/sp]
Also, I enjoy how it's a future written from WW2, so we see a future with weapons like Floating Fortresses, which are basically a further push on the idea of an aircraft carrier, or SMGs instead of assault rifles.
[QUOTE=Water-Marine;41001430]Brave New World was more shock-factor, wasn't it?
Haven't read it in a while, but I remember going "lol wut" over the baby shock-therapy[/QUOTE]
It did have a lot of shock factor to it, so did 1984. I just thought BNW had a bit of a more practical nature and concept.
[QUOTE=ThePinkPanzer;41001412]Can't wait for the idiots who don't understand it's a warning of totalitarianism and not a critique on modern government.
Way too many people I know read it and then come out screaming shit like "WE ARE LIVING IN 1984!!!!"[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Devodiere;41001324]Control information, control what people think, and you control reality itself. If everyone believed that 2+2=5 then it must.
Of course it's against totalitarianism but that's hardly a new idea.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;41001265]Totalitarianism is bad.
It was pretty much aimed at Hitlers Germany and Stalins Russia, but there's a few Conservative pundits who use it to argue against say socialism for instance, whilst happily ignoring the fact the author was a socialist.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Cutthecrap;41001285]You can't fight agaisnt the authoritarian state alone, and you will end up loving it.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=BenJammin';41001293]I thought the message Orwell wanted was the dangers of fascism, totalitarianism, industrialization, removal of natural elements in human society and earthly occurrences. Also how flimsy, and malleable human perception can be.[/QUOTE]
Wow! It's like I'm really back in 12th grade
[QUOTE=asteroidrules;41001512]It did have a lot of shock factor to it, so did 1984. I just thought BNW had a bit of a more practical nature and concept.[/QUOTE]
Both touch on key issues, and certain features are relevant to our society today from both books.
[QUOTE=Dr.C;41001522]Wow! It's like I'm really back in 12th grade[/QUOTE]
People can come up with different understandings of the same material? Truly mind-boggling!
is this book good? or do only teens who wear fedoras think its good?
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is also a good book and is far more accurate to the vision of Orwells.
I could explain but I prefer this picture as it does a better job than I can;
[img]http://abetterkuwait.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/orwell-huxley.jpg?w=652[/img]
Though if you ask me its all a mix.
[QUOTE=Dr.C;41001522]Wow! It's like I'm really back in 12th grade[/QUOTE]
Nah man, we read that shit in the 10th grade now!
[QUOTE=.Isak.;41001159]I feel like the only person who didn't enjoy this book. I was pretty young when I read it, so I should probably give it a second chance, but Orwell's writing style is just ridiculously dry, too much so for my tastes. Much preferred Huxley.[/QUOTE]
To me both 1984 and BNW could take place in almost the same setting almost, just both focus on different groups.
Essentially Orwell focuses on what surmounts to a middle class. The people that work in the control of the large mass who in turn have an extra layer above them.
You see the world from a position of a group of people who have at least some insight albeit a minimal one. And they waddle the proles in junk until the proles no longer actually care about anything.
BNW focuses mostly on the prole group. We don't see the control group.
[QUOTE=Paul McCartney;41001557]Nah man, we read that shit in the 10th grade now![/QUOTE]
We read Animal Farm in 10th grade. I used to read a lot of books before highschool english classes killed my interest in them
[QUOTE=wraithcat;41001561]
BNW focuses mostly on the prole group. We don't see the control group.[/QUOTE]
There is no control group, there is only alpha beta .... etc.
I like how I finished reading the book in English class a few months ago.
some girl from my english class commited suicide once, it was awkward the next day
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;41001504]Scientific progress =/= Societal progress[/QUOTE]
Gays can marry, drugs are being legalized, we are richer, fatter, live longer, are healthier, are more tolerant, our generation has access to more information than any generation before us, and violence is in decline.
Womens wages are reaching parity with mens. Birth rates are in decline. Contraception is more common. Secularism is on the rise.
[QUOTE=HighdefGE;41001359]There was also a movie based on it (ironically filmed in the year 1984) but I would suggest watching it after you read.[/QUOTE]
On this note, does anybody know where to find the film? I remember looking on the internet a while back and only finding clips and trailers.
I'm almost done reading World War Z and was beginning to think of what book to read next. I'll definitely be reading this book, I'm surprised I forgot about it. I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time.
1984 is my favorite book.
If the Nazi's and Communists won, then we would would be living under 1984.
The US government is heading that way at this point, but won't be like that for 30+ years.
[QUOTE=bIgFaTwOrM12;41001621]On this note, does anybody know where to find the film? I remember looking on the internet a while back and only finding clips and trailers.[/QUOTE]
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO608z2O90w"]Here's[/URL] is a link to the movie on YouTube. Not embedding it because the thumbnail is a bit spoilery for those who haven't read the book.
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;41001457]However, you must consider which direction we are going in. I don't think it's the right one in that there just seems to be increasingly a fundamental problem with our systems.[/QUOTE]
Yeah be a pessimist, you're totally knowledgeable about this, you just don't understand where we are in society's evolution right now.
[QUOTE=Xystus234;41001654]If the Nazi's and Communists won, then we would would be living under 1984.
The US government is heading that way at this point, but won't be like that for 30+ years.[/QUOTE]
What makes you think this?
So many of these people will put it down after the 2nd chapter or even before it, they are only interested in it because of PRISM and Orwell's writing is sorta super dry and not so great.
Also expect even more people comparing everything they don't like to big brother, such as healthcare reform or people getting mad at MRA hate speech
[QUOTE=Water-Marine;41001430]Brave New World was more shock-factor, wasn't it?
Haven't read it in a while, but I remember going "lol wut" over the baby shock-therapy[/QUOTE]
Brave New World had a lot of weird things going on in it. For one thing, helicopters are depicted in the book despite not actually existing in 1931 when it was written.
[QUOTE=The Baconator;41001933]So many of these people will put it down after the 2nd chapter or even before it, they are only interested in it because of PRISM and Orwell's writing is sorta super dry and not so great.
Also expect even more people comparing everything they don't like to big brother, such as healthcare reform or people getting mad at MRA hate speech[/QUOTE]
I always thought 1984 was one of those books that was great for the ideas it presented and the way it presented them, not for its style.
As I recall, about 2/3 of the way through it basically drops all pretense and an author stand-in spends a few dozen pages explaining the meaning to the reader.
[QUOTE=Boba_Fett;41001948]Brave New World had a lot of weird things going on in it. For one thing, helicopters are depicted in the book despite not actually existing in 1931 when it was written.[/QUOTE]
Experimental helicopters became well known by the 1920s.
[QUOTE=Xystus234;41001654]If the Nazi's and Communists won, then we would would be living under 1984.
The US government is heading that way at this point, but won't be like that for 30+ years.[/QUOTE]
Ever stop to think that the only reason you're scared is because you're being mislead by the media? Like not to be all conspiratard or anything, but the media is attempting to sensationalize and feed on your fear, and you're buying right into it.
I tried Brave New World. It had some neat ideas but by the time they [sp]got to that island where free people go or whatever [/sp] I lost interest.
1984 held me for a lot longer though. I think I prefer to grimy, grungy, more violent dystopia of Orwell to Huxley's more subtle vision
[editline]12th June 2013[/editline]
the whole notion of pre-embedded control phrases in Brave New World was great though
[editline]12th June 2013[/editline]
and those pneumatic ladies yes yes
[QUOTE=Maloof?;41002319]I tried Brave New World. It had some neat ideas but by the time they [sp]got to that island where free people go or whatever [/sp] I lost interest.
1984 held me for a lot longer though. I think I prefer to grimy, grungy, more violent dystopia of Orwell to Huxley's more subtle vision[/QUOTE]
I don't think Orwell's is that subtle either. There didn't really seem to be much motivation for the people running the dystopia.
Battle Royale was the most believable
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