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[Tawa]

I wonder how long the longest time a video had the least views was.

[Neonivek]

I think I finally have solidified what I don't like about George Orwell's 1984.

It is that it sort of hits, for me, the uncanny valley of world setting.

Where it tries so hard to be believable that I have to take it seriously, but not believable enough that I can accept it as logical under the premise of real life.

Mind you what made me stop saying that George Orwell was overrated was because when I looked into things... many of the things he wrote into the book at the time were things we didn't know yet... AND that George Orwell himself would later state were kind of mistaken (which honestly any writer who can say "yeah this thing I believed in... is kind of not factual" gets instant props).

As well how much it is "it could actually happen" is more how schooling constantly forced the book in my face to mean non-stop. I honestly do wonder if the original intent of the book was supposed to be anywhere near "it could actually happen" levels, or if the relatable aspects was supposed to make us reflect on these elements... or if he was just trying to make an interesting book. So had I organically came across the book, instead of given the "Hey class, let us discuss about how the stuff in the book could happen, and how it is happening right now" speech, I might like it even now.

Mind you I find 1984 boring since it is essentially setting porn where the plot that is thrown in seems to be more of an excuse to explore the setting (thus the REAL story is of the society, and the subplot is whatever it is that the main character is doing)... but it is an appreciable tedium.

---

So all in all 1984 is a good book that I just don't like... and I just needed to get this out of my way to move past it.

[penguinofhonor]

Didn't he write an intro about how he actually thought the world was heading in that direction? I might be thinking of another dystopian book.

[Neonivek]

Didn't he write an intro about how he actually thought the world was heading in that direction? I might be thinking of another dystopian book.

In all fairness I never read the intros. They rarely are important to the books.

[Arcvasti]

Didn't he write an intro about how he actually thought the world was heading in that direction? I might be thinking of another dystopian book.

From what I know about 1984[Not much] he looked at the trends he didn't like in government and such and took them to extremes.

[penguinofhonor]

Didn't he write an intro about how he actually thought the world was heading in that direction? I might be thinking of another dystopian book.

In all fairness I never read the intros. They rarely are important to the books.

I hope you've never said that around an English teacher.

[Neonivek]

Didn't he write an intro about how he actually thought the world was heading in that direction? I might be thinking of another dystopian book.

In all fairness I never read the intros. They rarely are important to the books.

I hope you've never said that around an English teacher.

I have been assigned many books but I haven't been assigned or have discussed the intro... once in all my schooling.

Probably because Intros are usually meant to be completely unimportant.

[Helgoland]

I honestly do wonder if the original intent of the book was supposed to be anywhere near "it could actually happen" levels, or if the relatable aspects was supposed to make us reflect on these elements...

Closer to the second one. A bit of backstory that you need to understand the book: Orwell fought for the POUM in the Spanish civil war, and witnessed how they were later repressed by the Stalinists; he also wrote at great length about the mental gymnastics Communist propagandists had to perform to get their position to agree with the actions of Soviet Russia. And that's what this book is about: How ideology can trump over reality itself. Not the police state, not the surveillance - those are just means to an end. The obliteration of free thinking, even among the ruling class. That's why the beetle-like officials will survive, while the protagonist's neighbor did not.
And another tidbit that might be of interest to you: Orwell didn't really like his books. And he knew 1984 was an Author Tract - I doubt he would've called it a literary masterpiece.

Lastly: FUCK the common interpretations of 1984. Especially those from schools, granola girls and internet activists. That is all.

[Vorthon]

* LordSlowpoke toggles alarm

why is that video a thing?

I dunno about you, but I'm rather glad it exists. Because now I have a audio prop I can use in my post-apocalyptic Pokemon tabletop thing. :v

[Mr. Strange]

Lastly: FUCK the common interpretations of 1984. Especially those from schools, granola girls and internet activists. That is all.

That's my usuall aproach to all "classic" books/movies. Value in creative work comes from what you can get out of it, not what someone else tells you it's about.

[Helgoland]

Not quite what I meant - the common (plebejan? ) interpretations of 1984 are flat out wrong.

[aenri]

If everyone had the same interpretation, the book would be boring. The most fun you can get is from discussion of what is your interpretation of such book. But I get that teaching needs its standardized boiled down explanations.
1984 was a nice romantic comedy (for the most part)!

[Neonivek]

If everyone had the same interpretation, the book would be boring. The most fun you can get is from discussion of what is your interpretation of such book. But I get that teaching needs its standardized boiled down explanations.
1984 was a nice romantic comedy (for the most part)!

While I didn't find it to be a romantic comedy

I will outright admit... the narrative REALLY plays out exactly like a romantic comedy in the romantic plot.

[Yoink]

If everyone had the same interpretation, the book would be boring. The most fun you can get is from discussion of what is your interpretation of such book. But I get that teaching needs its standardized boiled down explanations.
1984 was a nice romantic comedy (for the most part)!

...
......
Now I'm going to have to read it just to know if this is a really clever joke or not.

[penguinofhonor]

And that's what this book is about: How ideology can trump over reality itself. Not the police state, not the surveillance - those are just means to an end. The obliteration of free thinking, even among the ruling class. That's why the beetle-like officials will survive, while the protagonist's neighbor did not.

Can't a book be about multiple things?