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TBF

(36,264 posts)

36. As a writer or his politics?

Sun May 6, 2012, 07:51 AM

May 2012

Talented writer, product of his times, probably would've agreed with him politically especially in his younger years - he was socialist (anarcho syndicalist). The right have sort of co-opted him for his anti-Stalin views but doubtful that they realize he simply was more of a supporter of Trotsky as opposed to being a supporter of capitalism.

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Just curious here, what do people here think of George Orwell? [View all] Archae May 2012 OP

IMO he belongs right up there with Shakespeare, Milton, and Dickens. Odin2005 May 2012 #1

He is nadinbrzezinski May 2012 #2

He's always been one of my personal heroes pscot May 2012 #3

Few books have been as influential as 1984. spiderpig May 2012 #4

i was disappointed in 1984. i had heard so much about it, for so many years. seabeyond May 2012 #5

It Read A Lot Better Fifty Years Ago, Ma'am The Magistrate May 2012 #8

that is what i figured. kids reading it would get more out of it. nt seabeyond May 2012 #11

"so much of what was new insight then has passed into common understanding" Bolo Boffin May 2012 #12

It's not really topical, unless you are studying North Korea killbotfactory May 2012 #21

ya. it didnt really stay with me. nt seabeyond May 2012 #22

But more than that. He predicted what life could (would) become like ..... Honeycombe8 May 2012 #31

It's one of my favorite books killbotfactory May 2012 #55

I finally read 1984 a couple of years ago MotorCityMan May 2012 #24

I read it as a kid in the 80s (probably 1984, of course) Codeine May 2012 #57

one of his best, yet least read books: the autobiographical "Down & Out in London & Paris". marasinghe May 2012 #6

His "conflation". sendero May 2012 #35

if you mean Soviet marxism, agreed. however .... marasinghe May 2012 #49

Down and Out is amazing. Codeine May 2012 #58

isn't it? i did the same as you: passed it round to my friends. marasinghe May 2012 #62

I prefer his essays and non-fiction Retrograde May 2012 #7

whoops! thanks for jogging my memory - i transposed Paris & London in the title. marasinghe May 2012 #14

He Was An Honest Man, Sir, And Master Of Plain Speaking The Magistrate May 2012 #9

A lot of people don't realize Orwell was a democratic socialist Bolo Boffin May 2012 #10

He is in the third class of authors. ZombieHorde May 2012 #13

Gygax? Seriously? Rittermeister May 2012 #16

Do you think placing him in the first class belittles him? ZombieHorde May 2012 #48

Roll to disbelieve. Codeine May 2012 #59

You forgot Kilgore Trout. sadbear May 2012 #18

. UnrepentantLiberal May 2012 #32

Ting-a-ling! nt raouldukelives May 2012 #47

I'd tell you hfojvt May 2012 #15

An amazing how-to handbook writer for politicians.. Fumesucker May 2012 #17

I think he was amazingly on target LadyHawkAZ May 2012 #19

He wrote a good book and he's dead. cherokeeprogressive May 2012 #20

I read 1984 for the first time during the Bush Administration. briv1016 May 2012 #23

George Orwell Fills Informer Role Of Big Brother Starry Messenger May 2012 #25

Be careful what you hate... UnrepentantLiberal May 2012 #33

Wondered if someone would mention this. Mc Mike May 2012 #34

An admirable visionary, thinker and writer bhikkhu May 2012 #26

His novels, while good, were not his best work. bemildred May 2012 #27

Brilliant satire in Animal Farm and 1984 Permanut May 2012 #28

Brilliant and Prescient cbrer May 2012 #29

Among authors who are his equal, ... JustABozoOnThisBus May 2012 #30

As a writer or his politics? TBF May 2012 #36

Yep. A lot of people still make that mistake....... socialist_n_TN May 2012 #40

Well now I have to re-read it but I bet you're right. TBF May 2012 #41

Hell, I don't even REMEMBER why I read it the first time.......... socialist_n_TN May 2012 #44

Snowball is definitely meant to be Trotsky. white_wolf May 2012 #52

Double-plus good! jpak May 2012 #37

His political novels are all prescient of the future but show a vaberella May 2012 #38

+1. Top thinker and analyst . Mc Mike May 2012 #39

What do I think of Orwell? Oilwellian May 2012 #42

yup think May 2012 #45

+1 deutsey May 2012 #50

Let's see, you consider Karl Marx to be a coalition_unwilling May 2012 #43

If you have nothing to hide, bvar22 May 2012 #46

He was off by about 30 years WhoIsNumberNone May 2012 #51

A great writer LeftishBrit May 2012 #53

Guy sure could connect the dots. Octafish May 2012 #54

Not a fan. JVS May 2012 #56

I've really enjoyed what I've read from him RZM May 2012 #60

I've enjoyed what I've read RZM May 2012 #60

awesome writer SwampG8r May 2012 #63