1984 - by George Orwell

[El Che]

Great book. Some say its a critique of Stalinism, i would tend to agree with this interpretation. Really quite facinating: the rewritting of history, the ever watchfull state, the novi-languege, the double think philosophy, etc... This book remindes me why i am a libertarian.

(Edited by El Che at 3:20 pm on Jan. 13, 2002)

[peaccenicked]

It is an interesting book. I read somewhere that it was promoted by the CIA as a reader at schools because of its anti communist value. Nevertheless, I think Orwell
was more alert to the elitist foibles of the Fabians than
the crimes of Stalin and the old bureaucracy.

[MJM]

I interpretted it as anti capitalism,the proles left to themselves in the hovels while the elite fought battles amongst themselves.
But I'm no literary expert.
I thought it was a great book.
Maybe it resembled fuedalism more than capitalism.

[libereco]

anti-totalitarianism (of any shape) is what it's about .....as far as I got it. I've only read part 1 so far though.

[Markxs]

anti authority in ervery form either tatcher bush or hitler stalin.

we are the death! we are the death! YOU are the death, that really broke my heart :(

anyway its a great love story as well as pushing your ideals to the idiotic limits of forgetting the joy in life. its against tv i love that to, brainwashing!!! its a great book, really authorians should read it every day !

[rebel with a cause]

1984 is a bad ass book, now with this facist ashcroft and his reich, America will become even worse, Orwell's hell has arrived

[Conghaileach]

1984 is my favourite book of all time.

I've been noticing recently however that the more you look at America in its constant form, the more like Oceania is is.

"Just replace 'Big Brother' with 'Big Business'" as a friend said to me, and you have the US in a nutshell.

[UneducatedSocialist]

I agree w/ CiaranB. I always have a hard time seperating Oceania w/ the U.S.

[rebel with a cause]

"war is peace, slavery is freedom, ignorance is strength."

[Xvall]

I read it a couple of years back. It's a pretty good book if you ask me, seems to relate with a lot of things going along nowadays.

- Drake Dracoli

[James]

i'm reading it now. Its just the future, looking at the way things are going

[guerrillaradio]

1984 is an incredible book. To me, it is equally critical of capitalism and communism. What I find most interesting is the way in which Orwell satirises the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" idea by suddenly Oceania from being allied with Eurasia and at war with Eastasia to the other way round and announcing it was always that way. Seems very relevant with the current Bin Laden situation...

[Kez]

i think this is the heaviest book from orwell,
i just thought it was really dull when i read it a few years back
i think it is anti-cap and anti-tot, (or maybe theyre both the same?)

he wrote some better books if u ask me

comrade kamo

[I Bow 4 Che]

Oh I completly agree! Genious book! Orwell is amazing and I have read this book numerous times and found it imposible to put down. The whole idea of it is genious but the way he writes it....breathtaking

[Blackberry]

Quote: from CiaranB on 4:02 pm on Jan. 26, 2002
1984 is my favourite book of all time.

I've been noticing recently however that the more you look at America in its constant form, the more like Oceania is is.

"Just replace 'Big Brother' with 'Big Business'" as a friend said to me, and you have the US in a nutshell.


That's right. And look at who is actually in Oceania. USA, United Kingdom, and Australia. Three countries that fit perfectly into Oceania's category.

[PunkRawker677]

2 + 2 = 5

[Lardlad95]

Quote: from libereco on 6:33 pm on Jan. 14, 2002
anti-totalitarianism (of any shape) is what it's about .....as far as I got it. I've only read part 1 so far though.




Exactly, it was simply anti totalitarianism. Capitalist will say it was anti socialis/communist though.
But they fail to realise that Capitalism can becaome totltarian

[PunkRawker677]

abbie hoffman (from 'square dancing in the ice age') referred to the FBI interregation room as 'the place where they teach you that 2+2=5... it was funny..

anyways.. 1984 is DEFINITLY anti-totalitarianism even tho he once says that the system is called 'english socialism' but later refers to it as totalitarian.. so.. i dont think he was well educated in socialism.. he was just making a mochary of the "Utopia" books that had recently come out..

hes a great writer..

[Blackberry]

Quote: from PunkRawker677 on 3:53 am on April 4, 2002
hes a great writer..

You've got that right!

[Malvinas Argentinas]

Read it last year, the movie of the book was filmed in 1984, curious

[Blackberry]

There is a movie? I better go and watch it then. :)

[libereco]

the movie isn't really good though...I don't think you'd even get it if you haven't read the book.

but some aspects of it were interesting anyway...

[Blackberry]

Quote: from libereco on 6:05 pm on April 5, 2002
the movie isn't really good though...I don't think you'd even get it if you haven't read the book.

but some aspects of it were interesting anyway...

I've read the book twice. :)

[BOZG]

Orwell's hell, a terror era coming true, but this little brother is watching you too

[Michael De Panama]

Quote: from PunkRawker677 on 3:53 am on April 4, 2002
abbie hoffman (from 'square dancing in the ice age') referred to the FBI interregation room as 'the place where they teach you that 2+2=5... it was funny..

anyways.. 1984 is DEFINITLY anti-totalitarianism even tho he once says that the system is called 'english socialism' but later refers to it as totalitarian.. so.. i dont think he was well educated in socialism.. he was just making a mochary of the "Utopia" books that had recently come out..

hes a great writer..


Orwell WAS a socialist. He just called it "Ingsoc" in the same way that Stalin called himself a socialist. But he was a big advocate of class equality.

1984 is the anti-utopia.

[guerrillaradio]

Quote: from BornOfZapatasGuns on 9:32 am on April 6, 2002
Orwell's hell, a terror era coming true, but this little brother is watching you too


I love that song...so dark for RATM. One thing though, I think you've got your signature wrong. It's from Bullet in the Head right?? I think it's "a YELLOW ribbon instead of a swastika"...no worries.

1984 was inspired by the then intensifying Cold War. Orwell's point was that they're as bad as each other. And, if you read "Homage to Catalonia", you'll find that Orwell started out as a socialist/communist, but eventually lost his idealism.

[BOZG]

I know the signature is wrong. I just decided to change it to fit in with the current Israel/Palestine crisis.

The proper lyrics go:

'This time the bullets cold rock ya, a yellow ribbon instead of a swastika'

[Michael De Panama]

I'm telling you. He didn't lose his idealism. He died with the association of being a "democratic socialist". He was very angry when he found out that capitalists in the US were interpretting the book as a story told by a resentfull socialist. He never lost faith in his political beliefs.