Orwell's 1984

[spleen1015]

I hadn't heard about this book until this thread was started.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Senator

My Magic Mountain fight continues. Please be a payoff!!

I look on, at a distance, with vague admiration and pity. You're a better man than I am... especially if you'rre correct about beinng at your intellectual peak. I can clearly see mine having fallen by the wayside some years ago.

[Senator]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I look on, at a distance, with vague admiration and pity. You're a better man than I am... especially if you'rre correct about beinng at your intellectual peak. I can clearly see mine having fallen by the wayside some years ago.

About the intellectual peak thing, I might want to tap the breaks a little on that. Maybe I am confusing that word will experience.

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by Toddzilla

Cool! You mean they wrote a book about the Reality Show? Kick ass - I hope it has pictures...

[sterlingice]

Minor bump...

I hear there's this "reading" thing where people sit down with these things called "books" and actually flip what I've heard are called "pages". I recently did something similar with a book on cd (seriously, tho, I can't remember the last time I read a book but since I'm on the road all the time, I get through 1-3 books on CD per month)

I was looking for a break of my usual stuff and grabbed 1984 since I hadn't read it in over 10 years, I think it was 1996. Like someone previously in the thread, I don't have a mind for many details of what I read- I tend to remember major points but not a lot of details and mostly of feelings/impressions I had while reading. In short, I suppose I don't remember all that many external details but I do remember how the book was towards me.

The biggest thing I didn't really pay attention to before but noticed this time through was the great nuance in the language- it's a masterfully written book. I don't think I had quite the appreciation for that when I read it before.

The other thing is that it strikes me as scary how much closer we have gotten to that book's "reality" than when I had read it previously. It just seems we have gone down so many more roads towards Big Brother's 1984, well, hell, I'll come out and say what some people have been dancing around, since 9/11. And it's just kindof frightening. I remember when I read it before, it struck me a bit as a relic from the past, something from the 80's when dystopian futures were in (yeah, I know, it was written in the 40s). But now it seems that much more real and closer to reality.

SI

[DanGarion]

Quick question. Do you guys feel one is cheating themselves if they listen to books on CD instead of actually "reading" it? I've determined that I retain more and enjoy more when I don't have to actually sit down and read a book. What's everyone else's take on it?

[ISiddiqui]

Well, whatever works for people, but I don't think I can do a book on CD. I also believe I'd retain more of the book if I sat down and actually read the thing.

[Greyroofoo]

there's no such thing as two's

[KWhit]

Originally Posted by dangarion

Quick question. Do you guys feel one is cheating themselves if they listen to books on CD instead of actually "reading" it? I've determined that I retain more and enjoy more when I don't have to actually sit down and read a book. What's everyone else's take on it?

I drive about 3 hours a day to and from work and listen to a TON of audiobooks. So generally, i don't think you're missing anything by listening to books. However, I wonder about 1984. So much of the book is based on language and words that I think it might be beneficial to be able to see the words themselves. Not a big difference, but maybe moreso in this book than any other novel that comes to mind.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by dangarion

Quick question. Do you guys feel one is cheating themselves if they listen to books on CD instead of actually "reading" it? I've determined that I retain more and enjoy more when I don't have to actually sit down and read a book. What's everyone else's take on it?

I have listened to a number of books on CD and I honestly think I retain more when I read. My memory seems to be better with visual than with audio, so that may play a part. I also think that I enjoy the story more when I read than when I listen. When reading, there is no split focus like while listening and driving. Most of my books happen in audio form though. While driving to work, that seems the best use of the time.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by BrianD

I have listened to a number of books on CD and I honestly think I retain more when I read. My memory seems to be better with visual than with audio, so that may play a part. I also think that I enjoy the story more when I read than when I listen. When reading, there is no split focus like while listening and driving. Most of my books happen in audio form though. While driving to work, that seems the best use of the time.

I think this post hits the nail on the head. It all depends on your best medium for learning. I was always someone who remembered stuff once I wrote it down so that's a pretty visual learner. I had a friend in high school who didn't take a single note in class but remembered everything he heard but couldn't pull info out of a book to save his life. If you're a better visual learner, certainly reading it is the way to go.

Also, there's the issue of pacing- you can always put a book down for a second, slow down, speed up, or whatnot to match the pace of the "action" in the book. A good book on tape reader will do this some, but everyone's not going to have the same pace or need the same amount of time to reflect on something.

Personally, I would retain more if I read it versus listened to it. That said, I have time to listen but not to read so it's between a sub-optimal method or none at all.

SI

[AgustusM]

I prefer "reading" over listening - however when I use to commute 3 hours a day I far preferred listening to audio books then some moronic radio station.

One thing with the audio books, at least for me it HAS to be unbridged and the reader makes a HUGE difference in my enjoyment and ability to retain it all.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I think this post hits the nail on the head. It all depends on your best medium for learning. I was always someone who remembered stuff once I wrote it down so that's a pretty visual learner. I had a friend in high school who didn't take a single note in class but remembered everything he heard but couldn't pull info out of a book to save his life. If you're a better visual learner, certainly reading it is the way to go.

Also, there's the issue of pacing- you can always put a book down for a second, slow down, speed up, or whatnot to match the pace of the "action" in the book. A good book on tape reader will do this some, but everyone's not going to have the same pace or need the same amount of time to reflect on something.

Personally, I would retain more if I read it versus listened to it. That said, I have time to listen but not to read so it's between a sub-optimal method or none at all.

SI

Pacing is a good point too. Reading a book lets you really slow down to savor some good parts while skipping over some of the extra scenery descriptions when the author dives in too deep.

Nothing can beat a nice quiet couch with a good book, but an audiobook is pretty good too.

[st.cronin]

I've tried an audio book or two, thinking that with my long commute (45 minutes) it would be handy, but I just am not able to focus on them at all.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

I've tried an audio book or two, thinking that with my long commute (45 minutes) it would be handy, but I just am not able to focus on them at all.

Personally, to me, the key is how congested the roads are. If I'm in the city with a decent amount of traffic, it's sports talk or music time. But if I'm driving on state highways or away from KC, I can pay attention to the CD as there's not much traffic.

SI

[DanGarion]

I got a subscription to Audible.com to start listening to books, and the first one I got was 1984. I read it a long time ago for pleasure when I was in school, never was required to read it for class though.

[Grammaticus]

Originally Posted by timmae

I prefer Oilers 1984...

err, 1984-85 season to be exact.

The Great One having an eyepopping 208 points.
Jari Kurri and Paul Coffey having 135 and 121 points respectively.
Oilers were 2nd in points behind Philly.
Oilers scored the most goals in the league.
Oilers go on to sweep the first 2 rounds of the playoffs on their way to defeating the hated Flyers 4 games to 1.

Just awesome baby.

Damn, I thought this was going to be about Warren Moon and Larry Moriarty. Then you started talking about all those points and stuff.

[BishopMVP]

Orwell's Politics and the English Language - http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm is also a great short (5-6 pages) essay. It goes completely contrary to how most schools and teachers try to get students to write, but I believe brevity and clarity should be the goal of almost any writing. I'd say more, but you should just read it instead of having me mangle the translation.

On the other front, I think Faulkner was the hardest writer I ever made an attempt to read. Has some of the most beautiful phrases ever, but taken as a whole his books were too much for me.

[Senator]

As an aside to this thread - ping Quiksand.

I just finished "The Magic Mountain". oy.

[QuikSand]

(slightly delayed response)

oy, indeed