Certainly 1984 is one of the 20th century's greatest novels. Whatever anyone thinks about the author. Where else is hope used so perfectly to extinguish itself?
All today's lefty socialists (and Orwell was very much a socialist) should read his essay The Lion and the Unicorn, which explains how the pre-WWII British Left's contempt for patriotism and other cultural values of the working class was one of the major factors in preventing the Left from achieving its political goals.
Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia. My identification with the NSA behavior if my country is no hallucination. Along with Jaspers i consider this behavior only as outside as my mother or father or brother doing it. Same body, or the 5th body in Berman's idea od our sicial extroversion. Fowles in a very low key way said this quiet part outliud. That if the US and uf England were not actual islands we could not rain hellfire missiles on our neighbors.
This pair of essays was a lot of fun. Both were thoughtful, engaging, and effective at making me think more deeply about a writer who I’ve always admired, but whose work I’ve never connected with on a particularly emotional level.
Good piece. I love Orwell. Our modern Idiocrazy reminds me of 1984 (and Huxley's Brave New World) frankly on both political sides. Culturally, on the Left, with their revisionist history and radical progressive politics which decry free speech and classical liberalism, and on the Right, where we see much of the same just on the opposite extreme. (And Trump's authoritarian-leaning, performative nature.)
Both sides have abandoned the facts and reality in favor of purity politics and ideology. That's what's so scary about 1984: We just slide into our prisons without any one specific moment marking its occurrence. Our phones and social media are much to blame here.
I reread 1984 during COVID in NYC, a very ironic, bizarre experience. The wild thing is that most people don't even realize they're in it, that they've crossed any bright red cultural, psychological lines. They fall in line, preach the post-reality buzzwords, know zero about history, and embrace their indoctrination.
I read 1984 when I was 10. The scenes with O’Brien stuck with me and I’ve never left me. Definitely one of the peak aesthetic and intellectual experiences of my life. I’ve read it, I think, five times since then. And it’s different and better every time I read it.
Certainly 1984 is one of the 20th century's greatest novels. Whatever anyone thinks about the author. Where else is hope used so perfectly to extinguish itself?
Agree 👍
Finally, Orwell back on his pedestal where he belongs. No doublethink necessary. Pm
All today's lefty socialists (and Orwell was very much a socialist) should read his essay The Lion and the Unicorn, which explains how the pre-WWII British Left's contempt for patriotism and other cultural values of the working class was one of the major factors in preventing the Left from achieving its political goals.
Yes. Or Politics and the English Language.
I've written several essays on Orwell. Here's one: https://michaelmohr.substack.com/p/george-orwells-politics-and-the-english
Thanks for this one, haven’t read it yet
Hilarious. I couldn’t work out whether I was reading a piss-take or panegyric.
Thx. Best read I've had in ages. Anywhere. I appreciate the reminders.
Hope it is not seen as self-promotion to point to a short 2014 e-book of mine on Orwell
https://books2read.com/u/mZdVNp
Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia. My identification with the NSA behavior if my country is no hallucination. Along with Jaspers i consider this behavior only as outside as my mother or father or brother doing it. Same body, or the 5th body in Berman's idea od our sicial extroversion. Fowles in a very low key way said this quiet part outliud. That if the US and uf England were not actual islands we could not rain hellfire missiles on our neighbors.
This pair of essays was a lot of fun. Both were thoughtful, engaging, and effective at making me think more deeply about a writer who I’ve always admired, but whose work I’ve never connected with on a particularly emotional level.
Hell yes. Thank you.
Good piece. I love Orwell. Our modern Idiocrazy reminds me of 1984 (and Huxley's Brave New World) frankly on both political sides. Culturally, on the Left, with their revisionist history and radical progressive politics which decry free speech and classical liberalism, and on the Right, where we see much of the same just on the opposite extreme. (And Trump's authoritarian-leaning, performative nature.)
Both sides have abandoned the facts and reality in favor of purity politics and ideology. That's what's so scary about 1984: We just slide into our prisons without any one specific moment marking its occurrence. Our phones and social media are much to blame here.
I reread 1984 during COVID in NYC, a very ironic, bizarre experience. The wild thing is that most people don't even realize they're in it, that they've crossed any bright red cultural, psychological lines. They fall in line, preach the post-reality buzzwords, know zero about history, and embrace their indoctrination.
I've written several essays on Orwell. Here's one: https://michaelmohr.substack.com/p/george-orwells-politics-and-the-english
I read 1984 when I was 10. The scenes with O’Brien stuck with me and I’ve never left me. Definitely one of the peak aesthetic and intellectual experiences of my life. I’ve read it, I think, five times since then. And it’s different and better every time I read it.
How many books in that canon can you read and enjoy through your *entire* life? 1984, Animal Farm, Old man and the Sea… not that many
A lot, but far from all. That's why it's good to always have one going.
No we're not better than that we just like to think we are and somehow find ways to keep it just that.