1984

My short thoughts upon reading 1984 for the first time this week:

Jesus Christ, this thing was supposed to be a cautionary tale, not an instruction manual!

Comments

[Zack Calhoon]

I know. I just read it this year, and it felt like Cheney was passing out chapters of the book to different departments of the White House in the wake of 9/11.

[freeman]

In one of my plays, one of the characters talks about reading 1984 at 13 or something.

I read that book way to early and it pretty much messed me up for life. I don't know if it made me happier, more aware, incredibly paranoid, or just unsure if 2+2 didn't equal 5.

[freeman]

But... "Do it to Julia" has become a running gag with me, here and there.

[Joshua James]

I'm surprised you've just now read it, have you read ANIMAL FARM? That's also pretty damn close to the bone (ALL ANIMALS ARE CREATED EQUAL followed by SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS)

Have you read Stephen King's (as Richard Bachman's) original novella RUNNING MAN . . . it's completely and utterly different from the film (and I mean, seriously, except for the title, they're nothing alike) and really, really scary, how close we are to that.

Pick it up, it's a good read . . .

[James]

Pretty much.

[Lee, the Brother]

oh, thank god, i thought i was the only one in the world who hadn't read it yet.
(it's been hovering in the middle of my pile for most of the year.)

[Marisela]

The Ministry of Peace waging war and the way words were taken out of language in order to prevent people from developing complex thoughts or thinking really stayed with me after reading 1984.

And this administration always reminds me of those two elements of the story.