Sunday, November 13, 2005

1984



I just finished reading 1984 and... wow. Simply, wow. It is really a great book. I had heard for years about this book but had never bothered to read it. Like so many other Canadian kids, I had read Animal Farm in Jr. High and figured that was about all I needed to know about Orwell and Communism. I was wrong.

As an adult this book takes on whole new meaning. His writing style is fluid and abundanly descriptive. There were more than a few times I almost missed my stop (subway) because of his book.

If you want to find out what is at the bottom of the rabbit hole, this is the book for you!

An excerpt:

IT WAS a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him.

The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats. At one end of it a coloured poster, too large for indoor display, had been tacked to the wall. It depicted simply an enormous face, more than a metre wide: the face of a man of about forty-five, with a heavy black moustache and ruggedly handsome features. Winston made for the stairs. It was no use trying the lift. Even at the best of times it was seldom working, and at present the electric current was cut off during daylight hours. It was part of the economy drive in preparation for Hate Week. The flat was seven flights up, and Winston, who was thirty-nine and had a varicose ulcer above his right ankle, went slowly, resting several times on the way. On each landing, opposite the lift-shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hello. ED^^
I saw your pink bedcover.
HaHaHa...
That's not bad..
I want to see your picture using
the cover.
Anyway have a good night and
see you tomorrow in your class.