Monday, August 31, 2009
1984
****½ 1984 by George Orwell. Science fiction. Re-read.
This is another one of the free classics I got with my e-reader. I'd read it decades ago--actually in 1984, if I remember correctly, but frighteningly, it's even more pertinent now.
The double-speak sounds like today's spin doctors; the rewriting of history reminds me of those people who believe the deficit rose during the Clinton administration; unquestioned loyalty to the party speaks for itself; and of course Big Brother isn't all that different from Homeland Security.
In other words, not only do people not learn from history, they also don't learn from popular classics.
The characterization in 1984 was a bit weak, I thought, and the plot was a bit simplistic, but that was probably deliberate, because plot and characterization wasn't the point. It's a brilliantly cautionary tale that I wish more people would read.
Categories: Books, 4.5stars, ScienceFiction
Labels: 4.5 stars, books, ScienceFiction
