No. About then I was in the 5th Reg., 1st Cav. Div. at Camp Schimmelpfennig in Honshu living a pretty easy life. Why are you interested in me. Of course, my name isn't von Estangen. If you were FFL you know that.
I was reading this book during my last pelvic exam. My pediatrician and I had a nice discussion about it.
These two posts of yours made me aware that you are of a different caliber than many other computer owners. Then your reference to being an old soldier made me think about your signature. Having served in the USAF from ‘52 to ‘72 I have an interest in Viet Nam and was hoping that you could give me an eyewitness perspective on Din Bin Fu as LBJ used to call it. My first question about the 1e REP was to establish that you were for real. At this point in my life I’m feeling a huge amount of sadness for all the soldiers of all sides of all wars. War is something that no human being should experience!
It is a truly superb book My favourite quote is: (mildly paraphrased, as this is from memory, last read it a few years back) "There embrace was a battle, their climax was a victory, it was a blow struck against the party. It was a political act." Though I think I prefer Brave New World when it comes to dystopian fiction because I've always found it more challenging and in ways more prophetic. Fahrenheit 451 is another absolute favourite of mine for the pure beauty of the prose.
You have an interesting pediatrician to discuss 1984 while checking your maternal progress. I guess she is a book lover.
He. And yes he's a great person. As a teen I was still allowed to see him according to my insurance company. He was even cleared to do my annual pelvic exam. I stopped seeing him because I moved though. Now I'm stuck with this shithead and I have to see a gyn to boot. Like I have time for that.
I second the observation made by someone in this thread that said the events of 1984 are happening now. But a number of totalitarian governments in the past from the Nazis to Stalinist Russia have been run with an equal amounts of deception and destruction. So I think what's really crappy isn't the fact that it's happening now, but that it's persisted from the past to exist til this day. Tsk tsk... I love this book, baby. =)
That's one great book - so scary and so possible. Something I missed til it was pointed out to me was that Big Brother didn't watch everyone. Only the 20 % that worked within the system. The 80% were so focused on just liveing, eating - surviving - that they were of no concern to Big Brother. I think that is somewhat of the difference between now and the 60's - far fewer people will stand up because it might affect their way of life - of course not nearly so much as in B-B - GREAT BOOK - I have it in paperback and try to read it at least once a year.
I missed or forgot that point too. It is what I have suspected about our so-called "surveilance society."
1984 is my favorite book, look at the way these banks were organized on wall st. Its the same sort of situation, nobody knows anything but they all do a task they know is a little bit wrong. Like the guys shoveling paperwork into shredders. It's more of a book about how good people can do bad things, and how if the society kills someone who refuses to submit, they make them a martyr. That's why they keep him in that building until he believes in them again.
I absolutely love this book, mostly for the fact that years after it was written it still raises questions about our governments and the people we choose to put in charge. I think the first time I read it was close to ten years ago. I'll re-read it about once a year or so. To this day the part with the rats creeps me out.
