This is a classic book, but oh so sad and depressing. I started reading it thinking that it would be interesting to compare the story to my experiences in Russia and to understand what all the references to "Big Brother" are really about. There are some similarities with communist Russia in terms of the oligarchy, forced labor camps, children being instructed to rat out their parents, no churches etc. The "telescreens", which are 2 way monitors, are super creepy. The way that history is erased and re-written constantly to agree with present party doctrine is interesting, terrifying, and impossible. Perhaps the sort of bubble that the characters in the book were made to live in was possible before the information age. North Korea maintained something similar for many years, but even there, information is seeping in at the borders now. They know that things are better in all the neighboring countries than their own. If you are interested in the stories of people who escaped from North Korea and lived to tell the tale check out: Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea.Very insightful.
I think the gloomiest part of the story is the betrayals- within families and within themselves. They all eventually give up. There are plenty of positive non-fiction stories in which the characters, though also imprisoned and tortured, never betray those they love or themselves. One that I read recently along these lines is called Life and Death in Shanghai. It was pretty sad, but not depressing, and it taught me a lot about the history of China.
No comments:
Post a Comment