• Sales of George Orwells book "1984" rises by nearly 7000% on Amazon, victory gin production rises by
    108 replies, posted
1984 is a great book, it's a shame people are gonna try to read it for all the wrong reasons and get turned off by Orwell's "bland, long-winded and overly descriptive" (amazing, in my unpopular opinion) writing. The movie is also great.
[QUOTE=Lambadvanced;41002014] the media is attempting to sensationalize and feed on your fear, and you're buying right into it.[/QUOTE] The government does it too.
[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 [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] I had a lot of trouble relating to some of the characters in Brave New World. The setting in Brave New World was a lot more abstract and alien than I expected. The biggest thing I took away from the book was an understanding of the relativity of morality. It's interesting to think how much our society influences what we think is right and wrong.
[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] For an actual critique on modern government, see everything written by Noam Chomsky.
[QUOTE=Mingebox;41002380]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.[/QUOTE] Doesn't O'Brien literally go through why the Party is doing it? He describes [sp]where the Nazis and various other groups 'went wrong' and says the Party exists simply to have power rather than to use it.[/sp]
I bet the Minitrue has something to do with this.
When I read it in high school, there was a single page missing during the flashback to Winston's childhood, but the preceding page and the following page sort of matched up so I was left confused but not suspicious. After a month of analyzing the book, we were going through it to find quotes for a project and I was getting frustrated from everyone pulling information from that solitary page I had no idea I missed. I got frustrated enough to the point where I grabbed someone else's book and looked at what it was they were talking about, and I suddenly realized that my perception of the rest of the book was almost entirely wrong.
[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] I also though Brave New World was much better, 1984 was just so bland.
[QUOTE=Dr. Ethan Asia;41002635]Doesn't O'Brien literally go through why the Party is doing it? He describes [sp]where the Nazis and various other groups 'went wrong' and says the Party exists simply to have power rather than to use it.[/sp][/QUOTE] Yeah, that's what I was saying.
Not enough love for Fahrenheir 451 in here.
1984 is a great book but it's dated. A combination of Brave New World and Farenheit 451 are farrrr more accurate in these times. Hell, we are living in the times Huxley feared would come.
[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;41002689]When I read it in high school, there was a single page missing during the flashback to Winston's childhood, but the preceding page and the following page sort of matched up so I was left confused but not suspicious. After a month of analyzing the book, we were going through it to find quotes for a project and I was getting frustrated from everyone pulling information from that solitary page I had no idea I missed. I got frustrated enough to the point where I grabbed someone else's book and looked at what it was they were talking about, and I suddenly realized that my perception of the rest of the book was almost entirely wrong.[/QUOTE] What was on the page?
I kinda prefer Brave new World over 1984 honestly. 1984 is kinda brash about it's subject when you think about it. New World is kinda more subtle in it's message. Although I still love Animal Farm to this day.
[QUOTE=mchapra;41002853]1984 is a great book but it's dated. A combination of Brave New World and Farenheit 451 are farrrr more accurate in these times. Hell, we are living in the times Huxley feared would come.[/QUOTE] gotta agree, 1984 is more relatable to Russians of the time than Americans of the now. The US's problem is our complacency, our extreme uncaring about politics, etc. Much more closer to Brave and Farenheit than 1984, sorry Orwell
[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;41002689]When I read it in high school, there was a single page missing during the flashback to Winston's childhood, but the preceding page and the following page sort of matched up so I was left confused but not suspicious. After a month of analyzing the book, we were going through it to find quotes for a project and I was getting frustrated from everyone pulling information from that solitary page I had no idea I missed. I got frustrated enough to the point where I grabbed someone else's book and looked at what it was they were talking about, and I suddenly realized that my perception of the rest of the book was almost entirely wrong.[/QUOTE] I always check page numbers as a habit.
I haven't read BNW, and I've only read the beginning of F451, but I have to say that Nineteen Eighty-Four is probably the best book I've read, possibly of all time. I think it was intentionally ambiguous on some points, considering how unsubtle it is on others.
[QUOTE=gufu;41002845]Not enough love for Fahrenheir 451 in here.[/QUOTE] Holy shit thank you for reminding me. I've been meaning to hunt a copy down for years! Time for a run to the library
[QUOTE=The Baconator;41002897]gotta agree, 1984 is more relatable to Russians of the time than Americans of the now. The US's problem is our complacency, our extreme uncaring about politics, etc. Much more closer to Brave and Farenheit than 1984, sorry Orwell[/QUOTE] Not to mention the rampant rejection of knowledge by most people. I know people who wouldn't read an small how to play info graphic(4-6 lines) for the game "scrolls", they'd much rather "watch a video" But that's not the case most people I know refuse to read 90% of things. Even trivial shit like that. It's depressing.
[QUOTE=mchapra;41002921]Not to mention the rampant rejection of knowledge by most people. I know people who wouldn't read an small how to play info graphic(4-6 lines) for the game "scrolls", they'd much rather "watch a video" But that's not the case most people I know refuse to read 90% of things. Even trivial shit like that. It's depressing.[/QUOTE] I think the video vs literature divide isn't that big a concern. Knowledge is knowledge, regardless of how it gets into your head. If I had to speculate using what I know about the basics of evolution and psychology, we should be more suited for learning through video than text anyway, given our natural affinity for learning a skill through watching somebody else do the task first. There are definitely times when I find a video to be a better way of explaining something. Of course, a lot of the time text is a better option, purely for the convenience of reading a passage again and again instantly and at your own pace
[QUOTE=Maloof?;41002947]I think the video vs literature divide isn't that big a concern. Knowledge is knowledge, regardless of how it gets into your head. If I had to speculate using what I know about the basics of evolution and psychology, we should be more suited for learning through video than text anyway, given our natural affinity for learning a skill through watching somebody else do the task first. There are definitely times when I find a video to be a better way of explaining something. Of course, a lot of the time text is a better option, purely for the convenience of reading a passage again and again instantly and at your own pace[/QUOTE] I'm just saying that as an example really. Books can be shit and make you dumber, Twilight is pretty good proof of that. It's more that people REJECT the need for reading or brushing up on their knowledge. More of a example on how a lot of people just avoid literature like it's some sort of plague considering they can't take a few seconds to read 4 lines of text. [editline]a[/editline] And to add most of our repositories of knowledge are in text so this really feels troubling to me personally.
People just don't give a fuck about learning anything about the world around them or even their own government system it's incredible.
[QUOTE=latin_geek;41002417]1984 is a great book, it's a shame people are gonna try to read it for all the wrong reasons and get turned off by Orwell's "bland, long-winded and overly descriptive" (amazing, in my unpopular opinion) writing. The movie is also great.[/QUOTE] His style of writing I absolutely love. You should try "Down and Out in Paris and London". That was also a very enjoyable read.
[QUOTE=The Baconator;41003045]People just don't give a fuck about learning anything about the world around them or even their own government system it's incredible.[/QUOTE] Some do it in the wrong sort of way. The worst blame the problem of ignorance on those below them. [editline]12th June 2013[/editline] Look at the proles and sheeple milling around us. Not reading this book, or having a differing opinion. Clearly, there is ample evidence that my dystopian view of the future is imminent.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;41003087]Some do it in the wrong sort of way. The worst blame the problem of ignorance on those below them. [editline]12th June 2013[/editline] Look at the proles and sheeple milling around us. Not reading this book, or having a differing opinion. Clearly, there is ample evidence that my dystopian view of the future is imminent.[/QUOTE] I think everyone is aware of the sheeple argument by now
The problem I have is that it's very hard to actually know whether or not [I]any[/I] source (government or otherwise) is telling the truth. Get too far into it and you have people believing that Wikileaks is just a US Government group that's trying to serve some Government purpose ([sp]similar to how the war between Eurasia/Oceania/etc was an imaginary construct developed to give the government grounds to make changes without resistance[/sp])
[QUOTE=Maloof?;41003175]The problem I have is that it's very hard to actually know whether or not [I]any[/I] source (government or otherwise) is telling the truth. Get too far into it and you have people believing that Wikileaks is just a US Government group that's trying to serve some Government purpose (similar to how the war between Eurasia/Oceania/etc was an imaginary construct developed to give the government grounds to make changes without resistance)[/QUOTE] spoiler: everyone on earth is in the illuminati, it's just that none of us know it
[QUOTE=Maloof?;41003175]The problem I have is that it's very hard to actually know whether or not [I]any[/I] source (government or otherwise) is telling the truth. Get too far into it and you have people believing that Wikileaks is just a US Government group that's trying to serve some Government purpose (similar to how the war between Eurasia/Oceania/etc was an imaginary construct developed to give the government grounds to make changes without resistance)[/QUOTE] good thing we still have Occam's and Hanlon's Razors then
[QUOTE=Eudoxia;41001221]Out of curiosity, what is the message of the book?[/QUOTE] The future lies with the proles
[QUOTE=Eudoxia;41001221]Out of curiosity, what is the message of the book?[/QUOTE] fuck the po-lice
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;41001568]There is no control group, there is only alpha beta .... etc.[/QUOTE] Yeah and what's the difference to the proles, inner and outer party again? :) Keep in mind there's differences between BNW and 1984 but they both use the same ideas and in many ways aproach them th em the same. A lot of the differences are of a technical nature where Huxley makes it a lot more scifi-esque with a lot more technology here and there. Whereas Orwell has the book a lot more down to Earth in places. But the ideas of constant consumption, destruction of the individual, the elimination of the family and change of self into the many is endemic to both books. Some of the differences can probably be atributed to when they were written. 1984 still feels a lot of ww2 all over the places. So the constant military is often focused on the military. Those floating fortresses that keep getting build, sunk and replaced by a bigger one only for it to be replaced again as opposed to merely upgraded. Very similar in notions to BNW.
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