George Orwell's "1984"

Well, first quarter has come to pass and so has Independent Reading #1 (well, that’s what I’m hoping for all of you). Now, we move on to second quarter and also to Independent Reading #2. As you can see by the picture posted above (also the only picture that I could scrounge up from Google that looked anything remotely like the book I have), I am currently reading a novel called 1984 by George Orwell. Why have I chosen this book? Some of you (like Kazzandra) amusingly thought that I chose this book because it reminded them of the song 1985 by Bowling for Soup. Although that thought did fleetingly passed through my mind and that 1985 happens to be a really good song, “surprisingly”, that was not the reason of my choice. As most of you may know, I am guilty of having pleasure in reading science fiction. I did particularly enjoy devouring Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, and since Mrs. Griffin suggested (since I loooved sci fi) that I tackle 1984, I made up my ever indecisive mind and signed the book out.
Since then, I must say, I am quite happy with my choice. Even though I have read half of the first section of my book, I still have many expectations from this book. I have already grown attached to the protagonist Winston Smith, who is a “happy” civil servant responsible for perpetuating the Party’s propaganda by revising historical records to render the Party omniscient always correct. Already, he has gained thoughts of rebellion even though he confessed that he took pride in his work. (Ok, I’m starting to gush. Enough of that incessant rambling Alana! I’m terribly sorry. You wouldn’t understand much of what I’m saying.)
I have a funny feeling that he’s going to get together with that sexy brunette that swore herself to this anti-sex league (intriguing to all males right?). I also believe that that small act of rebellion is going to grow. I guess I’ll have to read to find out…
**Food for thought: George Orwell was not always against totalitarianism (even though he really detested authority), but a lot of several things led to his decision of finally being against totalitarianism and being for democratic socialism. (Which also lead him to write several of his books including 1984) I read some excerpts of his essay, “Why I Write” which was published in1947. Some of the initiators would be Hitler, the Spanish Civil war, etc. The Spanish war and other events during 1936-37 turned the scale and thereafter, he knew where he would be standing. After writing a book that would fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole (Animal Farm), he hoped to write another that would expose the lie that he wants to draw attention to and to initially get a hearing. Then he wrote 1984. This miraculous book has been translated to 62 languages. Along with Animal Farm, they had sold more than 40 million copies by 1984. In the US, it sold 1,000 copies a day that year. (That is AMWAZING!) What was sad about what had occurred while he was writing this book was: he experienced a bout of tuberculosis. He was then admitted to the hospital where even then they took away his typewriter. Ever determined and undaunted, he wrote longhand and with ball-point pen and continued his work. Sadly, he was administered a newly developed drug to which he suffered severe allergic reactions. Because of this allergic reaction, his skin flaked, his mouth became painfully ulcerated, and his hair and nails fell out. After several months of recuperation in the hospital, he was allowed to be discharged and returned to his home on the remote Scottish island on Jura. There, he finished writing 1984 in December 1948. After that, he went immediately back into the hospital and was never again healthy enough to return home. 1984 was published in June 1949 and Orwell died several months later on January 21, 1950 at the age of 46.
What did I say, isn’t he amazing or what? The book should have already relayed this fact right?
Anyway, that was just a fun fact that I learned about.