Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

If someone controlled every aspect of your life: what you did, what you ate, whom you could talk to and how you could talk to them, or even the facial expressions you made, what would you do? You would become machine like, without any emotions, except what was accepted, and without any thoughts that were not already given to you. Oceania's society and the Inner party's position in Gorge Orwell's book, "1984", is sustained by controlling the Outer party's personal freedoms, their memories and past, and their ability to express emotions/individuality.

Well I have to say I quite enjoyed this book although the material in the book is abit disturbing ... But it is really beautifully written ...

Tells the story of a man named Winston who has doubts of what he see's and hear's and starts to question everything around him .... The scary thing about this book is that in some way we are all abit like Winston we go through life believing what we see and hear on the news and in newspapers ... Is what they are telling the exact truth or something that they wish us to believe so that we will react ???

History in itself is a record of the victors so is that an accurate account of events?? If records where changed would that effect how we live our lives today??

There was a very interesting statement on pg 279 which asks "How does one man assert his power over another?" ..... The answer given "By making him suffer .... Power is in inflicting pain and humiliation. Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing"

Wow I thought that was quite powerful ... (Excuse the pun) It is disturbing to think that man could exercise so much hatred towards others and get so much pleasure in seeing their work !!! We would live in a world where there is no free agency ... We couldn't act, speak or live the way we wanted ... We would all be the same and become like mindless robots !! ... Gosh does that plan sound Familiar !!! ...

George Orwell really has a way with words and although we may not wish to see divides in classes and races it is there .... But the real question is are we trying to break down divides or just ignore them ... Do we seek to grow or remain stagnate and blind to things around us ???

If anything this book taught me to rely on my feeling and things I know .... And to be so thankful for FREE AGENCY that we have to right to CHOOSE ....

Is Big Brother really watching ??? Would you change how you act if you knew you where being watched ???

I will probably not read this book again for some time but I am going to give it 4 stars mainly because it is really well written and fascinating even though the concept is disturbing .... I would recommend you read this book at least once !!!

I rate this book 4 ****

If you are doing this book for your book club below is some study notes and also discussion questions ....

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/1984/

A clip from the movie of the book ... But I hasten to say that the book is always ten times better than the movie ... and if you just want to listen to the story being read to you click below:

Teaser Tuesday

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers

"Today he should Commemorate Comrade Ogilivy. It was true that there was no such person as Comrade Ogilvy, but a few lines of print and a couple of faked photographs would soon bring him into existence. Winston though for a moment, then pulled the speak-write towards him and began dictating in Big Brother's familar style: a style at once military and pedantic, and because of the a trick of asking questions and then promptly answering them."

Pg 49 from Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

999

The 999 challenge for next year !!!! Read 9 books in 9 catagories during 2009 ....

You can do it yourself just follow the link:

My List of Catagories are

1) Historical

2) Children's Books/YA

3) Favourite Author's Books that I haven't read before

4) Authors that are new to me

5) LDS Church Books

6) Sitting way to long on my shelf

7) Classics

8) Award Winners

9) Books I found on the internet and in the Bookstore

Historical

1)The Virgin's Lover by Phillippa Gregory

2)The Constant Princess by Phillippa Gregory

3)The Boleyn Inhertance by Phillippa Gregory

4)The Spanish Bride by Georgette Heyer

5)Royal Escape by Georgette Heyer

6) The Independence of Miss Mary Bennett by Colleen McCullough

7)The Glass of Time by Micheal Cox

8) The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Settlefield

9)

Children's Books / YA

1)Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

2)The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Selznick

3)Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

4)Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

5) 3 Willows by Ann Brashares

6) Graceling by Kristen Cashore

7)Frostbite by Richelle Mead

8) The Chronicles of Spiderwick - Book 1 the Field Guide by Holly Black and Toni Terilizzi

9)The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Favourite Author's Books that I haven't Read Before

1)The Witch of Portabello by Paulo Coelho
2)Brida by Paulo Coelho

3)The Host by Stephenie Meyer

4)Shadow kiss by Richelle Mead

5) All together Dead by Charlaine Harris

6)From Dead to Worst by Charlaine Harris

7)Dead and gone by Charlaine Harris

8) The Tales of Beedle The Bard by J K Rowling

9)The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

Authors that are new to me

1)Will you be there? by Guilaume

2)Head over heels by Chris Harrison

3) Evernight by Claudia Gray

4)The Rose of Sebastopol by Katherine MacMahon

5)Tethered by Amy MacKinnon

6) Red Dress Walking by S A Jones

7) The Six Sacred Stones by Matthew Reilly

8) Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

9)

LDS Church Books

1) Fishers of Men - Lund

2) Behold the Man - Lund

3) Faith the Essence of true Religion by Gordon B Hinckley

4) A Perfect Brightness of Hope by Canfield

5) Arise and Shine Forth - Talks from the 2000 women's Conference

6)

7)

8)

9)

Sitting on my Shelf for way too long

1) Double life of Doctor Lopez by Dominic Green

2) Year of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks

3) Lucky Man by Micheal J Fox

4) Sunday at Tiffany's by James Patterson

5) The Conjurors Bird by Martin Davies

6) Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

7) The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

8)

9)

Classics

1) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

2) Possession by A S Byatt

3) To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

4) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

5) Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

6) Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott

7) The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

8)

9)

Award Winners

1) The Kite Runner by Khailed Hosseini

2) Dragon Keeper by Carole Wilkinson

3) The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards

4) Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

5) Someone like me by Elaine Forresal

6) Dead until Dawn by Charlaine Harris

7)

8)

9)

Books I found on the Internet or in the Bookstore

1) Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

2) Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

3) Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

4) A Cup Of Light by Nicole Mones

5) The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
6) Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers

7) The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski

8) The Spare Room by Helen Garner

9)Definately Dead by Charlaine Harris