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Carin Froehlich's avatar

George Orwell “1984” I read in the 1960s in the good old days when our English teacher mandated that we read it and then write a review. I would love to have a chance to look at

those reviews today. After reading “1984” I remember that we all wanted to read anything that we could get our hands on written by Mr. Orwell.

Hence “1984” has always stayed with me in my life many of a time I would reflect on his thoughts it brought a better understanding of what was happening in specific situations .

As I have gotten older each time I re read it I walk away with new perspectives a gift that just keeps on giving.

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Paul W. B. Marsden's avatar

Great post Peter. Read more about my fictionalised account of what influenced Orwell to write 1984 in my book - ‘Darkness in 1984’ - set in Blaenau Ffestiniog, in North Wales, which is out now.

Based on true events.

‘Darkness in 1984’ available from Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/4twzftfr

Christmas 1945 - George Orwell, recently widowed, arrives with his baby son to stay with his friend Arthur Koestler at a remote cottage, Bwlch Ocyn, in North Wales.

Orwell has just published ‘Animal Farm’ and mulls ideas with Koestler for his next novel. Koestler had written the acclaimed novel, ‘Darkness at Noon,’ about the Stalin show trials and also spent time in a Nazi prison. Both Orwell and Koestler supported the Republican government during the civil war in Spain and were dedicated to democratic Left causes.

Here for the first time are their imagined conversations in wintry Wales, based on true events, which produced one of the 20th Century’s greatest and darkest books, ‘1984.’

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Justruth's avatar

The surveillance has been ongoing for many years. But for me, the definitive marker is 2024, the year of the Gaza Genocide. This year up became down, dark became light, and Genocide became self defense. Full-throated justifications of mass murder by Western governments feel like the noose tightening around our necks. Big tech is a full partner in the misinformation and mind control, creating a chimera of illiberalism and profit. We are suffocating while we sink in quicksand.

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