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1984

George Orwell

Why we're reading this: SWB#24, published 1984
[close] SWB#24, published 1984

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Mar 27, 2008 Ebookwormy1 rated it liked it

Shelves: currenteventspolitics, carp-500, fiction, fantasyscifi

It's not you, George Orwell, it's me. I was surprised that I tolerated "Brave New World" as well as I did, but I think what really threw me over on 1984 was the chapters of Goldstein's book. I needed the plot to help me get through and the chapters were all blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I couldn't wait to finish. I thought about quiting, I read quickly.

Orwell's anticipation of the horrors of socialism (and it's full blown child, totalitarianism) proves to be close to the actual situation in some It's not you, George Orwell, it's me. I was surprised that I tolerated "Brave New World" as well as I did, but I think what really threw me over on 1984 was the chapters of Goldstein's book. I needed the plot to help me get through and the chapters were all blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I couldn't wait to finish. I thought about quiting, I read quickly.

Orwell's anticipation of the horrors of socialism (and it's full blown child, totalitarianism) proves to be close to the actual situation in some countries, particularly those of the communist genre. The fact that the book was published in 1949 is remarkable even if his apocalyptic vision of world domination by single government of this type did not materialize (and I'm thanking God for that!).

However, to read so much about what the world may be like (oh no!) in 1984, knowing full well what it IS like in 2008 is deflating, and a good indication of why futurists are much like weather forecasters - everyone is interested in what they have to say, but a high standard of accuracy is not required for success.

I wanted to read this book to contrast it with "Brave New World" which I liked the more I think about 1984! In the end, I have concluded they are both right and wrong. I agree with Huxley that pleasure is a far more captivating master, but I think his flaw is the overestimation of humankind's ability to create a situation so ideal, even if driven by the strongest evil motives for control.

Orwell's dark, totalitarian IngSoc has much more probability in real life, and is closer to the dark regimes of our day. However, he underestimates the human wiring for religious worship experience, and he overemphasizes socialism/ totalitarianism's ability to dominate our world. In the end, it will not be any one system of government that will bring humanity down (as awful an idea as communism, Nazism, totalitarianism are), but our own sinful natures that long for right living but are completely unable to attain it without the intervention of the Almighty - in other words, if it's not one government model, it will be another. Communism, and it's step child, socialism, are not the enemy, unfortunately, it is much worse that that. We are the enemy, and that is much harder to fix. Thank God for Jesus.

Brave New World, Huxley, 1932
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Animal Farm, Orwell, 1945
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ...more

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