On Thu, Jul 08, 2010 at 03:23:38AM -0400, Dave Skolnick wrote:
>
> With regard to 'Animal Farm': aside from being a classic exploration
> of the sociological issues associated with extremes of class structure
> and Soviet-style government control (and a great counterpoint to
> '1984') it's a darned good book (technically a novella) and very easy
> to read. I read it for the first time in 6th grade and a handful of
> times since. George Orwell wrote well.
I've been a voracious reader from a very young age, and good writing
always strikes a resonant note with me. However, George Orwell is on my
"must-read" list not only because of his brilliance as a writer; his
incisive analysis of political and social dynamics and his perception of
how individuals are impacted by them is second to none. I found "Animal
Farm" fascinating when I first read it at 15, and I believe that his
"Politics and the English Language" should be part of a regular school
curriculum (journalism/media students should simply memorize it. :)
Orwell is definitely a strong presence on my "Top 100" reading list.
[Obligatory topic shift] Cruisers who are thinking of writing as an
income option should definitely inhale that one. For me, it stands right
alongside of Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style" as a basic
reference.
> I have a delivery coming up and will listen to Animal Farm on watch.
[grin] Y'know, other people see space exploration, or perhaps social
structure hacking as the only hope that we humans have of surviving the
next century or so. Me, I've been a teacher all my life, and see
universal education as The Magic Bullet - so people reading good books
always makes me cheerful, especially if I've had some part in creating
that impulse.
(You might want to balance the rather dark dystopia of "Animal Farm"
with something like Ayn Rand's "Anthem", though; that's pretty strong
medicine for those quiet midnight watches. Much like mountain tops and
deserts, they're apt to spawn new philosophies or even religions - or,
at the very least, deep thoughts about ethical and moral issues. You
Have Been Warned. :)
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