"Originally the novel was titled, The Last Man in Europe but a letter dated 22 October 1948 to his publisher Fredric Warburg, eig, Orwell wrote about hesitating between The Last Man in Europe and Nineteen Eighty-Four. Warburg suggested changing the main title to a more commercial one.
Orwell originally set the novel in 1980, but he later shifted the date first to 1982, then to 1984. The final title may also be a permutation of 1948, the year in which he wrote it."
"The statement “2 + 2 = 5″, used to torment Winston Smith during his interrogation, was a Communist party slogan from the second five-year plan, which encouraged fulfilment [sic] of the five-year plan in four years. The slogan was seen in electric lights on Moscow house-fronts, billboards etc."
"The “Hates” (two-minutes hate and hate week) were inspired by the constant rallies sponsored by party organs throughout the Stalinist period. These were often short pep-talks given to workers before their shifts began (two minutes hate), but could also last for days, as in the annual celebrations of the anniversary of the October revolution (hate week)."
"Throughout its publication history, Nineteen Eighty-Four has been either banned or legally challenged as subversive or ideologically corrupting. In fact, according to the American Library Association, it’s one of the world’s top ten most banned books."
inktank
13 comments:
* originally titled sumpin else, whoop de doo
* originally set in 1980, this little-known fact is part of the previous little-know fact.
* 2 + 2 = 5
* hates from rallies
* always banned.
total 5 little-known facts.
14 - 5 = 9 little-known facts.
There is a shortage of 9 little-known facts.
I must make up the shortage of little-known facts. Please choose from the following:
* originally began with a Remington, the draft was finished on an Underwood.
* the original paper turned yellow with age
* Orwell disliked #3 pencils
* Oceania was originally named Seaport
* "Always at war with" was originally "Usually dreadfully cross with"
* "He who controlls his piss controls furniture, he who gives presents controls piss" was changed to something else.
* War is the piss, freedom is savory, ignorance is what? was tottaly rewritten.
* "Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as be fisted" was edited.
* "The best books…are those that tell you what you know already" reference to pop-ups was removed.
* "If you want to keep a secret you must hide itf from your wife." wife changed to self.
* Big brother is shitting on you was changed to "big brother is watching you."
* It's a beautiful thing, the destruction of society" Society changed to words.
* “Orthodoxy means not thinking--not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.” originally referred to orthodontistry.
Of course, we really don't know if the events actually took/take place in 1984. That's only the year that Big Brother currently says is the date. But tomorrow BB could say it is set in 2057 and it would be and always would have been set in 2057.
I'll call those little known facts and raise you a much needed gap.
Report from Paris.
* "Always at war with" was originally "Usually dreadfully cross with"
That made me laugh out loud.
On a related note regarding books like 1984, Brave New World and our wonderful magical digital age....don't be so smug about books. They can also magically disappear. So...while I like my Kindle versions of books, those that I want to keep and to not have whisked away from me..I buy in tactile form.
Those who control the media and who control the words control the future. If you don't know the past...you are doomed to repeat it.
Just sayin'
What's the [sic] for? Nothing wrong with "fulfilment."
I don't know the genesis of 1984 in Orwell's mind, but no literate man in post-war Europe could have heard the phrase " The Last Man in Europe" without hearing it as at least an oblique reference to Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra.
I don't doubt it's banned.
Once you know the history on which it's based, it's one of the most dangerous books ever written.
If you're a Commie.
Lol chip.
Reading it right now.
A couple of years ago I retread Homage to Catalonia, Orwell's recounting of his adventures in the Spanish Civil War. In the book he tells of the systematic murder of the anarchists by the Communists. He, nonetheless, reiterates how important it is to defeat the Fascists in Spain....Orwell writes about his time on the front line. There was a church a little to the rear. He said that they used the church to provide firewood and also as a latrine. He said the church had some architectural value, and he regretted using it for firewood. He pointedly neglected to apologize for shitting in the church........Here's an interesting fact. Franco, while sympathetic to Hitler, was in Hitler's judgment worthless as an ally. Early in the war, Hitler asked Franco to throw the British out of Gibraltar and, thus, severely diminish British naval power in the Meditarranean. Franco declined. This was at a time when Hitler had a sotto voce alliance with Stalin. If the Republicans, that is the Communists, had won there was no way that that request would have been refused. It turned out that the victory of the Falangists was in the best the best interests of the western democracies. Sometimes 2 plus 2 equals 5.
* Orwell disliked #3 pencils
Who doesn't? I don't think this one should count. I like the Remington/Underwood bit.
Somehow this all makes me want to hear Jesse Pinkman say, "Falange THIS, bitch!"
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