Blast From The Past #11 - Nineteen Eighty-Four

Since I started looking back at my old blog posts, I've been sticking with the corresponding month from 10 years ago. However, I thought I'd change it up for this installment. Instead of talking about The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova, I thought talking about George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four might be a little more relevant. It's been almost ten years since I read this powerful novel, since I thought things would never be the way they are in Winston's world, but now I'm not so sure, not after the introduction of "Alternative Facts" or the making up of a massacre that never happened. That some people seem to care more about the imagined dead instead of the real dead.

I have shied away from politics on this blog, though I have started to talk about over in my other space. I have wanted this space to be happy. I wanted to talk about books and movies and television, to share things about parenthood and food. I think I might keep this space that way. Leave the politics over there. However, that leaves me with a different feeling. How can I blog about books and things, when all this terribleness is still happening? I haven't stopped reading, I've just stopped sharing. It's almost like feeling guilty for finding something positive to say right now. I know I'm being silly. So, I will still share what I've read or watched and am excited about. I'll share my thoughts too, but I might link over to the other blog more often. Then again, maybe not. I've always let my feelings guide me here, so I'll just have to see where they lead me.

Animal Farm

Animal Farm was a fantastic, interesting, wonderful novel.  A very short novel (novella), I was surprised at how short, initially.  Once reading the story, however, it couldn't have gone on longer.  It was the right length.  It was everything it needed to be.  It was more than I expected it to be.  Animal Farm is one of those books I should have read years ago, maybe right after I read George Orwell's other famous novel, 1984.   Animal Farm was my Classics Club Spin book, but I was going to read it anyway.  It had been gnawing at me that I hadn't read it yet. 

 

The comparisons to Communism are obvious, Orwell was definitely not subtle about Napolean and his regime.  I feel so bad for the animals who rebelled against their oppressors, only to have it happen again.  It has a very historic Russian cycle to it.  Though I knew the story was not going to be a happy one (since 1984 was not), I was still shocked about what happened to Boxer.  The cruelty reached a new height.  I wonder what happened to Snowball.  I kept hoping that he would rally animals at another farm, then try to overthrow Napoleon.  I hoped that the horses would do something.  I almost hoped that the men would win their final battle.  I ended the book hoping that the animals would revolt against the pigs. 

 "All animals are equal

but some are more equal than others."

 

My Hubby told me there are Animal Farm movies/videos.  I'd like to see one.  There are cartoons and live-action.  I'm interested to see how the book is interpreted and if the same feelings evoked by Orwell's story are there when seeing it on screen. 

 

I think Animal Farm is one of those books that everyone should read.  It isn't long and has such a powerful story told through an almost silly way.  Animal Farm is a book I'd like to read again, but like 1984 with its ending, it might be some time.  I wished so much for the happiness of the animals, even after the brutality of their self-proclaimed leader.

The Ballad of the Great Yukon Puke On, by noodleepoodlee

That’s right, the author of this “short story” is noodleepoodlee. noodleepoodlee runs a blog, a political [satire] American blog from what I gather. On it she (I think it’s a she, forgive me if I’m wrong) has posted this fictional account of an ousted Sarah Palin campaign worker. I was led to this story by a blogger friend, Ahab. I read his comments on the story and thought it would be an interesting read and an interesting addition to Short Story Monday. The title also has “Yukon” in it, so that was another reason I had to give it a try.

It was an entertaining story as Hobo Joe tells us about his fall from grace; his fall from the inner circle of Sarah Palin. It was definitely funny. Hobo Joe was so easily influenced by the people he met, he was bound to do something dumb eventually anyway. He does realize how he came to be in his present situation. Joe isn’t someone who wonders how these things happened to him. He knows how they happened. In all this craziness, I feel as though Joe also accepts responsibility for his past and present actions. If you want a fun story that makes fun of Sarah Palin and American politics, read The Ballad of the Great Yukon Puke On.

Thanks to John at the Book Mine Set for hosting Short Story Monday.

Not Another Post About Canadian Politics! Summerizing Last Night's Election

This Magazine has a clear and consice summary of yesterday's election.  They also provide links to other sites for more in depth information.  If you want a better understanding of what happened to Canadian Politics, check out their article.

What we should know:

1) There is Conservative Majority, which means they have free reign for basically the next four years.
2) The NDP is the official opposition.  No one called this until two days ago.
3) Due to severe Liberal losses Michael Ignatieff has now resigned.
4) The Bloc has been smashed with the NDP taking away many of their seats (and confidence).
5) Elizabeth May, the Green Party leader is the first Green MP in Parliament.
6) Canadians need to vote!  We had a better showing than 2008, but we're still only barely above 60 %.  More people need to vote!

Again, go to This Magazine for more information.

Oh no! Not an article about Canadian Politics!

This is the second interesting article I read in The Globe and Mail today.  Normally, I would never post anything political on my blog.  I respect that everyone has different opinions and beliefs.  This article caught my eye though.  It's not pro or anti abortion.  It's about the fact that Stephen Harper has been non-commital on the issue either way.  If you're still undecided on your vote for Monday, this might be an article you want to read.

Why should women believe what Stephen Harper says about abortion? - The Globe and Mail

Non-Canadians can probably skip this one...