Well, I just finished reading 1984 and it managed to crush everything in me along with Winston.

tedemang

Logged in just to post a comment on how amazing 1984 actually was. ...Back in 2004 when I was really beginning to question all the crap the Bushies were saying about the Iraq War, I went and re-read it and it's pretty mind-blowing.

Some of the other redditors are probably smart enough to laugh at me and say that they saw through the government propaganda before then, but people like Gen. Colin Powell really sold me.

Thanks to Orwell, and a lot of other research since then, it sure is a lot easier to see through some of the messages they bombard you with.

For anyone who's an Orwell fan, make sure you read "Animal Farm" and especially the preface. In fact, here's a link: Animal Farm Preface

brock_lee

Did you read Brave New World? That's a good'n too.

hippocloud

Are... are you implying that you don't love Big Brother? Dude, you can't say those things. The Party has eyes everywhere. EVERYWHERE

v4mp1r3

The last four words man... I slammed the book down and said WTF?!

I love this book. Four words can rock you too your core. AWESOME!!!!

idikuci

had the same affect on me... thats one book i'll never read again

qquicksilver

If you want a truly uplifting book about the future, read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It's not bleak, heart-wrenching and hopeless at all.

MissTre

I had to read 1984 in high school. I credit that book for "changing my life" - ya know, if I'm going to be over dramatic about it.

It was the first time something I read did not have a happy ending. It was the first time I'd read something that left me feeling hopeless. I remember I just cried and cried and cried.

I want my daughter to read it, to open her mind, but I think she's still a bit too young. She's not in high school yet. However, her first adult movie was V for Vendetta (just this past week). She really enjoyed it- but we didn't discuss it afterward to see what she got from it or if she truly understood the plot.

aznpwnzor

Death of a Salesman

blew my mind like Fight Club

xoites

I suggest you read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. It is totally different from and better than the movie (which i have always loved).

It may not be a light hearted romp, but it will certainly entertain you and get you out of the doldrums.

Poromenos

Seriously, my sympathies. I read it 25 years ago and it damned near killed me.

Lycur

Here's an upbeat essay by Orwell as a counterpoint. It's a bit out of season, but this is my favourite thing Orwell wrote.

edibledinosaur

Having read it several times for high school english, It has completely killed the message for me - All I see now are themes and techniques.

MrJandels

I think what you've got to take from the book is a sense that however fucked up our culture of capitalism is, it could be a hell of a lot worse.

That's my view, speaking as a professional optimist

jmills

Soylent Green is the people...oh wait...carry on then.

I recently started picking up books again and actually finished 1984 last night. It was interesting, I like how the ending wasn't all lovey dovey "happily ever after"....but I just don't seem to feel the pull from these books like anyone else. It's nice to read them but it's not mind blowing.

obscurerefference

Check out Burmese Days, one of his 1st novels, while he was serving in Burma with the Indian Imperial Police in the 30's. Gives you a great insight into him as a young developing writer, still forming a lot of his ideas (before the Spanish Civil War and all the other European stuff he was a part of).

thebrightsideoflife

I also reread it in the last month.. I challenge anyone and everyone to either read it or reread it asap.

Your next book should be this or this.

KingofAntarctica

that book changed my life man. shit is real dog.

nomdeweb

Now check out Michael Radford's excellent 1984 film adaptation, shot on the actual days noted in Winston Smith's diary (e.g. The scene where Smith writes in his diary, dating the entry April 4, 1984, was shot on April 4, 1984).

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5464625623984168940&hl=en#

mayonesa

Now read Brave New World for a non-cartoon perspective.

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