1984: Reading assignment I
Chapters 1-4 will be posted on Thursday, January 8.
The reboot of The Great American Book Club will begin with George Orwell’s 1984. I didn’t do a vote for this one but future titles will continue to be voted on. I decided to restart with 1984 because I haven’t read it in a decade and it seems like the perfect book for these interesting times in which we live. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has seen comparisons everywhere between the present day reality and Orwell’s dystopia, from the language used by politicians to the Flock cameras that record our highways. These allusions are easy to recognize but it’s always important to do the work ourselves, and so I think revisiting Orwell’s classic will be the perfect place to start. I’m curious how deep we can go.
Our first reading assignment for 1984 will be for chapters 1-4 and will be posted on Thursday, 1/8. It’s 48 pages in my edition. As always, any and all observations about plot or character or theme are welcome in the comment section below each post. I’ll be posting my own set of notes which can be read before, after, or during the reading. Your comments can go off one my points, answer one of the questions I pose, or ignore my interpretation altogether. You can also not comment at all. The main goal is to get people reading.
If reading more is one of your goals for the new year, please consider reading with us! It’s low stakes and requires no actual meeting. If your family or friends may be interested in joining, please spread the word! The time between reads is the best time I have to promote.
That’s all I got for now! I’m excited to be kicking this back off, and I don’t plan on stopping again, so if 1984 isn’t for you, stay tuned for our next read. If you do plan on participating, secure your copy and get reading! It’s better than scrolling.
Steve