The 1913 book Constitution of the Community of Hesperia by William Sidis (available online at sidis.net) has numerous parallels to the 1949 printing of 1984 as well as many laws currently in effect in western countries. Sidis' other small book Geprodis was a pamphlet that may have been made public around 1930, and it had similar ideas as Hesperia. I have no way of knowing if Orwell got some of his ideas from someone like Sidis, or if Orwell invented his story from scratch. Nevertheless, I found it interesting how the books had so many similarities even though Sidis' books are nonfiction.
Several of the essays and bios I've read about Orwell mention Sidis. Orwell was a huge hobby politition and linguist. He also must have dropped into the Russians for a short time because of the similarities to "We" and direct quotes from Dostoevsky. Anyway, some of his early essays are pretty similar to the structure of that type of writer. I'd read them if I ever got around to it, since I admire the man, but lord knows he's not the most brilliant writer ever. Still a kick in the ass though.
You know, I've never gotten the oppertunity to read this book, but I heard it was simply amazing. I'm almost inspired enough to go get it right now.
Wow, thanks, I didn't know that about Orwell. I had my suspicions, but I hadn't researched that far yet (guess what I will be reading next ). There was a strong Russian-Jewish-atheist influence in New England academia during the early 20th century, and it's interesting to see how it also influenced novels and laws.
Drink Victory Gin! or... Buy magnets to stick on your car to show that you support the United States military!
I had to do a banned-books project so I picked this book. At first I didn't like, but then I started to, and read it for a few hours straight, waiting for the end. And then....I hated the ending! It was like I wasted my life reading that. It made me depressed...
Agreed. Books do not have to have happy endings to be good. Tragedies are some of the most popular works of fiction ever. Yet even a tragic book should have some sort of resolution to some aspect that has been built up during the novel. This one never did, and I suppose many could argue that that is the ironic brilliance of the piece...no resolution...a return to the status quo. (Or it having never been challenged in the first place.) But the difference between a tragic ending and a depressing one, is that the tragic one, (in my view) offers some glimpse of something more noble existing either because of the tragedy, or despite of it. A depressing book is just the horrid stuff, with no real indication of anything that transcends it, in this world, or the next.
Would you happen to remember the title for one of the Orwell biographies or essays? This has been on my mind for over two years, and I'd like to finally read what Orwell had said. Thanks!
