Wow. Yes, it's taken me this long to read "1984." Of course I knew about it, "Big Brother is watching" and all. It's become such a cultural milestone that its tendrils are everywhere. I figured it'd be dated and not as good as everyone said, so I put it off. I was wrong.

This is a brilliant book, just as relevant today as it must have been in 1949 when it was published, if not more so. Cameras on every corner, wall screen tvs that take in as much information as they release. The ever-widening chasms between upper, middle and lower class. The homogenization of cultures and people and the pervasive feeling that anyone different is immediately lesser.

George Orwell must have been a brilliant man. His writing is cutting, his ideas horrific, yet plausible. Even his idea of changing the language to cut away the words that are specific and replacing them with as simple a concept as possible in order to constrict the thoughts themselves. Breaking a human being down through torture of a most insidious nature in order to change them on a fundamental level. Not just pain, but humiliation. How timely is that?

Anyway, I put all my library holds on indefinite suspension in order to finally read through all the books on my shelves that have been sitting for years, books I knew I should read but got pushed to the back of my queue. "1984" was the first, and if this is any indication, I am in for quite the ride.