At some point, I hope to be a college professor. Whether that happens or not, I want to be better read. I also want to remember how I reacted to those books at the time and have access to the thoughts that they evoked. That's where this blog comes in. The plan is to take notes while I read and turn those into blog posts. As I go, I will have a record that I can go back an access whether I am a professor, writing a paper or just reading the book for a second time. Any sort of comment is welcome. I would love to add more books to my read list based off recommendations and any discussion created would be great.
I am currently reading 1984 by George Orwell and will have a post up soon about the first 2/3rds of the book and should have the rest of it finished shortly after. So far it has been a very entertaining read. Being twenty-five years later than even the book's futuristic setting only further drives home the messages. On one hand, the picture Orwell paints can be closely linked to the sinister image that we have of the Soviet Union. On the other, there are strong parallels to our own society as information technology becomes increasingly invasive in our daily lives and we struggle to define how much access is right. To me, the Patriot Act and other concessions that we've made as a society in the name of preserving our "freedom" are policies that the Party would have applauded. War is Peace, Slavery is Freedom, Ignorance is Strength. My first reaction is to scoff at the absurdity of the Party's Motto, but in the age of advertising and sensationalism, they hit closer to home than even in Orwell's time. I am loving this book so far and I'll post a more unified reaction to it soon.
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