Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Postscript

So...I realize (after reading a couple of comments), that I might have sounded a bit harsh on "1984". It wasn't that I didn't like the book, it was that I felt bogged down in the middle section (Goldstein's book). It actually reminded me of why I don't enjoy Ann Rand; her whole montage for pages just drives me nuts.

I liked the beginnings of the novel, the idea that Winston knows what he's doing is wrong-especially the photograph of the three framed party members, the first meeting with Julia, the shop owner (I've forgotten his name). I'd actually forgotten how they'd gotten caught, so him being a member of the Thought Police was a nice "surprise". I liked the ending too, well, the part where O'Brian is trying to convince Winston that four is five...it reminded me (Oh God) from an episode of Star Trek: TNG (Oh God) where Picard has been captured by the Romulains (Oh God) and he's being tortured and to get it to stop, all he has to say is that there are five lights (there are four).

(Yes, I used to watch Star Trek: TNG. I like Patrick Steward; he rocks. And I was 15. Wesley was cute.)

Anyway. I think what I didn't like was the idea of living like that. Where you had no say, no voice, no hope. You couldn't read, write, love, have a life. That scares me, which did colour my overall impression of the book. I think that "1984" is going to be put up there along with "The Grapes of Wrath" on my "well written, descriptive, thought provoking, but never want to read again" list.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean by not liking the story--not that it wasn't well done or well written, but that it is too freaky to think that anyone would have to live like that. I guess in that sense Orwell did a good job? It makes you think--even if it is uncomfortable.