I didn't get around to reading it. I recalled that it was deemed controversial and while carrying the book on the subway, many people were staring at it.
| by Anonymous | reply 54 | June 10, 2020 2:15 AM |
It’s both ironic and fitting that 1984 would join the American Library Association’s list of commonly challenged books given its bleak warning of totalitarian censorship. Written in 1949 by British author George Orwell while he lay dying of tuberculosis, the book chronicles the grim future of a society robbed of free will, privacy and truth.
Some reviewers called it a veiled attack against Joseph Stalin and the Soviet ruler’s infamous “midnight purges,” though, oddly enough, parents in Jackson County, Florida, would challenge the book in 1981 for being “procommunist.” The book spawned terms like Big Brother and Orwellian and continues to appear in pop culture — most recently as the inspiration for a political YouTube hit. The year 1984 may have passed, but the book’s message remains as relevant as ever.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | September 30, 2015 3:00 AM |
You need to get around to reading it, OP.
Along with Animal Farm and Brave New World, it's essential reading for the times we live in.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | September 30, 2015 3:25 AM |
Because it's coming true with European "Hate Speech" legislation and the general dismantling of freedom of speech there. England is an especially bad case because we have more surveillance cameras per square inch than any other country in the world. Big Brother is a day to day reality here, whether the people by and large realise it or not.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | September 30, 2015 3:39 AM |
OP's thread makes me sad. "I am proudly too lazy to read this classic piece of literature or even look up what it is about on my own, give me TL;DR bullet points!"
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | September 30, 2015 3:46 AM |
R5, maybe you should read OP's question again? It's a good one. And if this stuff matters, he'll pick it up and read it. We know it's worth his time.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | September 30, 2015 3:54 AM |
But did anyone have sexy eyelids on the subway, OP?
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | September 30, 2015 4:07 AM |
I agree r1 was well said--by someone else and without attribution.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | September 30, 2015 4:07 AM |
It's only "controversial" with the far left, because it makes their ideas look bad. Same with Animal Farm.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | September 30, 2015 4:18 AM |
That's not true R9. "1984" has been challenged over and over by the right because it contains sexual activity. The left has never challenged "1984" is a perfect representation of the corporate state the right and libertarians would impose on us.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | September 30, 2015 4:34 AM |
People should read "The Road to Wigan Pier" by George Orwell.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | September 30, 2015 4:35 AM |
[quote]The left has never challenged "1984" is a perfect representation of the corporate state the right and libertarians would impose on us.
Are you fucking for real?? Did you even READ the book? It has nothing to do with capitalism or the "corporate state" at all! It's a very obvious critique of totalitarianism and specifically Stalinism.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | September 30, 2015 9:29 PM |
Animal Farm, Brave New World and 1984 are truly must reads. They pretty much describe what has been happening for the last 60 years if you can read through the lines. I'd also add Farenheit 451; I can see ebooks and electronic media/communication making books obsolete, hence easier to eliminate.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | September 30, 2015 9:48 PM |
[quote]It has nothing to do with capitalism or the "corporate state" at all! It's a very obvious critique of totalitarianism
A true corporate state is totalitarian. The prescient Orwell knew this.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | September 30, 2015 9:54 PM |
Bowie would agree too: you should read the book, OP
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 15 | September 30, 2015 10:02 PM |
R13 there is also the scene in which the main character's wife is distracted by the voices coming from a screen (or were they speakers?) in the house. It so reminded me of how the noise of today's tvs and world wide web constantly distract us from the actual important events of our time.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | September 30, 2015 10:08 PM |
"... Cram them full of non combustible data, chock them so damn full of 'facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant' with information. Then they'll feel they're thinking, they'll get a sense of motion without moving. And they'll be happy, because facts of that sort don't change. Don't give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with..." -Fahrenheit 451
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | September 30, 2015 10:16 PM |
"... The zipper displaces the button and a man lacks just that much time to think while dressing at dawn, a philosophical hour, and thus a melancholy hour." -Fahrenheit 451
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | September 30, 2015 10:22 PM |
"... It was not by making yourself heard but by staying sane that you carried on the human heritage." -1984
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | September 30, 2015 10:24 PM |
I was recently annoyed that my Apple upgrade resulted in them deciding on what I'd likely want to read. I was already reading what I wanted to read, but now I couldn't find it, for a few days, anyway. Sadly, youngsters today are growing up with this and have no idea how the corporate world has taken over (or will soon) their lives.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | September 30, 2015 11:13 PM |
How could our libertards not know that George Orwell was himself an imperialist governor in Burma and a socialist? He had an amazing colorful life, and fought with the Republic against the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War. No he was not a Communist although he was repeatedly accused of this.
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | October 1, 2015 12:52 AM |
It's controversial because it's unpleasant and true. People don't like reading unpleasant truths.
The telescreens and the methods by which the public is surveilled, are contained on the apps you're now holding in your hand.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | October 1, 2015 1:34 AM |
Read it in high school and it seemed like sci fi.
Tried to read it again a few years ago and was so depressed by how similar it is to life today that after three chapters I stopped.
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | October 1, 2015 3:27 AM |
If you don't get why this novel is controversial, than it's already too late.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | October 1, 2015 3:31 AM |
Watch SJWs in action for the "Cliff Notes" version.
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | October 1, 2015 3:33 AM |
Liberals know of '1984' as a warning.
Rightwingers use it as a manual.
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | October 1, 2015 3:37 AM |
R28 That's dumb. Rightwingers aren't the ones obsessed with PC-speak and trans-gender bathrooms and pronouns in 2015.
| by Anonymous | reply 29 | October 1, 2015 3:40 AM |
Did Somebody Say Totalitarianism?
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | October 1, 2015 3:41 AM |
R29, R30, for you, rightwing slimebertarian:
Rethugs are obsessed with toilets, because that's where they most often get arrested.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 32 | October 1, 2015 3:43 AM |
BOTH parties have made this our reality.
We will continue down this path as long as people insist THEIR party is all sweetness and light and the OTHER party is evil incarnate. Hopefully before it's too late.
"Where are we going and why are we in this basket?"
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| by Anonymous | reply 33 | October 1, 2015 3:45 AM |
Rethugs not only control media, but want to control women's bodies.
You really are a stupid one, slimebertarian.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 34 | October 1, 2015 3:45 AM |
R32 That's stupid. Male and female bathrooms were fine until the SJW crackpots decided "The Symbol Formerly Known as Prince" needed its own bathroom, too. To fantasy World dwellers, money to build bathrooms grows on trees. The trees are called: "The Taxpayer".
| by Anonymous | reply 35 | October 1, 2015 3:49 AM |
R34 You don't appear to understand medical and scientific ethics: What PP did with selling fetal body parts was totally unethical.
| by Anonymous | reply 36 | October 1, 2015 3:50 AM |
Rightwing censorship, predicted in '1984' is exemplified today not by little men in cubicles deleting books and pages, as in the book, but via control.
Linked is a web page with graphs and charts, which should be easier for the obdurate cretin and slimebertarian R29 - R36 to pretend to comprehend.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 37 | October 1, 2015 3:50 AM |
R33 Republicans might be obnoxious in their own right but they do NOT resemble the language police that "1984" warned about, which is the topic of this thread.
| by Anonymous | reply 38 | October 1, 2015 3:51 AM |
R37 "Rightwing" censorship? Are you fucking kidding me?! Mainstream media is proudly not "Rightwing". At least be honest about that.
| by Anonymous | reply 39 | October 1, 2015 3:52 AM |
"What PP did with selling fetal body parts was totally unethical. "
^^^ R36 slurps Carly Fiornia's lying cooze like a salt lick, and believes every rightwing lie about Planned Parenthood.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 40 | October 1, 2015 3:53 AM |
R40 Inform yourself, study research ethics, medical ethics, scientific ethics: These are systems of protocol not vague "feely" things. Every field has a code of ethics. This wasn't hidden for so long because The American Public was informed.
| by Anonymous | reply 41 | October 1, 2015 3:56 AM |
"they do NOT resemble the language police that "1984" warned about"
They are EXACTLY what the book is about + Jesus.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 42 | October 1, 2015 3:58 AM |
R42 No, those are people openly debating, however ridiculous their position may be. So, you found some goofy Americans. They are not the ones imposing top down, Federal mandate on gender pronouns. They are not the ones pretending Islam has nothing to do with terrorism. They are a minority of religious fundamentalists not the thought police of The State.
| by Anonymous | reply 43 | October 1, 2015 4:01 AM |
R43 There is nothing hidden and subversive about their personal agenda. They're just Christians.
| by Anonymous | reply 44 | October 1, 2015 4:03 AM |
"No, those are people openly debating, however ridiculous their position may be."
No, those are people controlling and revising, i.e. censoring facts from textbooks, which children are required to read, you idiot.
Just like in '1984,' which, like the link above, you have not read.
| by Anonymous | reply 45 | October 1, 2015 4:15 AM |
R45 Are you old enough to be on here? Have you ever heard the moronic phrase "white privilege"? A handful of Republican kooks in Texas are not the ones running our public school system. They aren't the ones making up the radical, censorship malarky coming out of colleges, today. They aren't the ones defending Islamists attempting to kill cartoonists, with some pseudo "peace, love and understanding" speak.
| by Anonymous | reply 46 | October 1, 2015 4:20 AM |
Ugh.
Hell is bipartisan bickering while the elite laugh at us fighting each other instead of them.
Hopeless.
| by Anonymous | reply 47 | October 1, 2015 4:20 AM |
R47 They all hate and fight against Trump. I wonder why that is?
| by Anonymous | reply 48 | October 1, 2015 4:22 AM |
No, moron, it's because he's in the lead in the polls.
| by Anonymous | reply 49 | October 1, 2015 4:25 AM |
That's not true R46. Not only are kooky Christian Right people running the Texas school system, censoring books and putting false information in them, but they have imposed their standards on the rest of the country through centralized buying. Once again, your fantasy about liberal teachers runs afoul of the truth, which is that education in Texas has been designed and managed by right wingers (with help from businessmen like Perot) in order to be an exercise in right-wing propaganda, pedantry, and training cannon fodder. One look at how the average Texas schoolchild talks about unions would disabuse you of your idiot fantasy of liberal power.
| by Anonymous | reply 50 | October 1, 2015 4:39 AM |
R46, are you a sentient being, or simply an illusory figment of Ayn Rand's cooch?
| by Anonymous | reply 51 | October 1, 2015 4:57 AM |
Way too many right wing cunts on this thread for me.
| by Anonymous | reply 53 | June 10, 2020 2:00 AM |
Yep, r8 , it’s from TIME MAGAZINE.
| by Anonymous | reply 54 | June 10, 2020 2:15 AM |
