The Librarian's Husband's Book Club discussion

Welcome to the discussion area for our September 2024 book selection, 1984.

Feel free to share your thoughts and insights as we read. To avoid spoiling the book for others, please use the spoiler function ([spoiler]...[/spoiler] but replace [] with <>) when discussing key plot points.

spoiler: (view spoiler)[ It looks like this :) (hide spoiler)]

About 25% completed as of now on audio. Felt it started out strongly but is now plateauing a little bit. Not quite sure what to expect next..

I read 1984 in High school which was many years ago. I recall most of the book since it was written in a memorable and terrifying way. The imagery and fear it invoked will always remain in my head. The book inspired me to always be an independent thinker, to not believe what people say and to fact check and to stray away from radical beliefs. “1984” also made me aware of the importance of Personal freedom many of us take for granted. In our society and world, many freedoms are removed or taken from peoples lives, unjustly. The “absence of freedom” portrayed in the book is a terrifying concept. The themes of thought control and torture in the book are chilling, and they resonate deeply with the experiences of fear and paranoia that can accompany mental illness. It’s interesting how literature can mirror real-life struggles and provide insights into our own experiences and the world around us. The book’s relevance to current events is insightful. The parallels between Orwell’s dystopian society and modern issues of truth distortion and surveillance are striking. It’s a reminder of the importance of vigilance and critical thinking in preserving our freedoms and mental well-being. “

I read 1984 in 1986 and the response of my peers in high school was, 'These things just cannot happen. No one will be listening and watching us all of the time. Expressing our thoughts is protected by the 1st Amendment'.

I read the book again as a teacher with a student two years ago. There are a number of things that are "listening and watching" us today. For example, do an Amazon search for a product and suddenly Facebook is recommending similar products. I have an Echo device in my home and it randomly make a small chirp and when I am on Amazon later something that I may have talked about with my family will be in the 'Suggested for you" part of the Amazon home page.

In the education profession we are seeing educators around the country being told that they are not allowed to speak about certain topics with their students. They are not allowed to talk about politics on their personal social medias platforms. The Thought Police are working within my profession. This upsets and scares me. I am upset because good teachers are trying to help their students be informed citizens. They are answering the tough questions that their students are asking with research and educating them about being productive participants in society. I am scared because what will happen in 10-20 years when students have not been exposed to information and they have been fed smoke and mirrors about history and the actions of people in history.

Though I do not enjoy the writing style of 1984 and I find the movie to be extremely boring I think that students should continue to read this book and think about what the effects have been and are on society and in their lives.

Enjoying so far. Somehow, its exactly what I expected and different from what I was expecting at the same time :)

Nanette wrote: "I read 1984 in 1986 and the response of my peers in high school was, 'These things just cannot happen. No one will be listening and watching us all of the time. Expressing out thoughts is protected..."

I agree Nanette , it is one of those books that is a must read for students. I remember reading it in high school and thinking “ could this happen in my life” here I am in 2024 and it is such a reality now with the internet and cell phones and technology that can listen in on anyone. GPS tracks our moves and we do need to be informed citizens. I worry about our young kids/ teens and the influence Tik Tok and social media has on their minds.

Nanette wrote: "I read 1984 in 1986 and the response of my peers in high school was, 'These things just cannot happen. No one will be listening and watching us all of the time. Expressing out thoughts is protected..."

Interesting I first read it is 1981 when I was a pre-teen and very interested in current affairs. With the news constantly filled with stories about the Soviet Union, Communist China and dictators like Polpot I found it terrifyingly realistic even though in those days it was your neighbours not your appliances spying on you.
I also find it amazing that most of the people enjoying the reality show 'Big Brother' have no idea where the name comes from.

I started, for the first time ever. I agree with a lot that has been said about how things are listening to us, spying on us. Not quite yet the same scary stuff that came out of The Circle, but I have a feeling it's headed that direction.

Dawn wrote: "Nanette wrote: "I read 1984 in 1986 and the response of my peers in high school was, 'These things just cannot happen. No one will be listening and watching us all of the time. Expressing out thoug..."

Homeland Security has read your comment. Look up at most street intersections and you will see a camera looking back on the light pole.

A lot of people think 1984 is about surveillance. 1984 is actually a story about an orphan that the government took in. He being a deviant, needed curing for his own good. Only deviants of that type cringe while reading.