105 years ago today, George Orwell was born...

[ColbertWatcher]

...the English writer who gave us 1984 (the novel, not the GOP training manual) and that essay every kid learns about, Politics and the English Language

A man may take to drink because
he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely
because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the
English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are
foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to
have foolish thoughts.

--George-Orwell.org

Please post your favorite piece from Orwell.

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LINKS

http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0300011h.html">50 Essays by George Orwell

EDITED TO CORRECT YEAR!

[skooooo]

1. No it was 105 years ago.....nt

[ColbertWatcher]

2. Thank you, fixed now. n/t

[skooooo]

3. 1984 is one of my very favorite books...

...But I even like his "non-political" writings like Burmese Days, just because I like his style of writing and observations.

[wuushew]

4. I have always had problems with literary dystopias

I never believed that they were stable as social or economic constructs. The country that closest resembles his world is North Korea but it seems now that failed Communist states either collapse or go Chinese style fascist. In order to get the message of his book you have to believe in unending hopeless futility, but how likely is that from an anthropological/economic view?


I mean if you really believed that the world was locked in perpetual war then eventually society would shut down from peek oil, peek coal, etc. If you believe that Oceania is a lie created by a ruined Britain it stands to reason eventually it will be influenced, absorbed or conquered by a nation with superior resources or natural capital.


Another problem with 1984 is that Orwell wrote it before the advent of the hydrogen bomb. Instead of a ruined authoritative world, it would be a dead world not suitable for such a tale.


Animal Farm and Huxley's Brave New World are better in my opinion owing to their more satirical nature.