George Orwell
Ever get the feeling sombody is watching you? Chances are you’ve read George Orwell’s 1984 a few too many times.
On this day in 1949, the book was published and went on to become a modern classic. If you’ve been a high school student in the last 50 years, chances are just mentioning the title will see you break out in a cold sweat. Don’t worry, we won’t be having a pop quiz on Big Brother or Newspeak anytime soon.
Think I’m more partial to Animal Farm myself. But that’s in another barnyard all together. It’s Wednesday…. so discuss!
I admit it: I’m in danger of being a language bore.
I’m that guy who, when you say you’re ‘honing in’ on something, asks derisively if you’ve ever heard of a honing pigeon or a honing missile.
If you call me a ‘font of information’, I’m liable to take offence on the grounds that a font is a shallow bowl used for church christenings, and I’d rather be a fount, thank you.
Continue reading "Some key learnings about the debasement of language" »
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Jose Imenez says:
Confusing good writing with good thinking. Awk! No. not the Great Auk, but the Awk! of exasperation. Correct writing arrives from correct thinking, neither of which has been taught since Rockefeller tampered with education as noted in the book, “The Leipzig Connection” by Paolo Lioni. Liz claimed “Language… Read more »
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Darryl Price says:
Worse than “learnings” in place of “lessons”, the past 5-6 years has seen “pedagogy” - the art of being a teacher - and its various forms used to describe almost anything to do with schooling. Why not just keep it simple. Also - “way, shape or form” - a Ruddworthy… Read more »
Today is the 64th anniversary of the mass publication in America of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, a book considered one of the most influential of all time.
What a pity I’ve actually never read it.
And this is despite the fact that I’ve owned a copy since I was 17, when everyone else I knew read it. Or did they?
Continue reading "Five reasons to read the book before watching the movie" »
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Welcome to Wednesday @ The Punch
Fact: George Orwell’s classic book Animal Farm was first published in America on this day in 1946. Described as one of the influential books of all time it was made into a film in 1954 and again in 1999.
Have you read the book or seen the film? What message did you take from the story? Share your thoughts here.
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pc says:
Dont have anything to argue with there Jasper and strictly speaking neither do you. While Orwells concern for the disappearence of objective truth is certainly touched upon in “Looking Back on the Spanish War” it probably features more prominently in “Writers and Leviathan”. And Orwell criticised the communists because they… Read more »
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Jasper says:
“They are naked grabs for power from the very beginning” I’m sure most Italian Fascists of the 20’s, Pinochet and countless other right-wing revolutionaries & coup leaders throughout the 20th century would bitterly disagree with you. Heck, even the NAZI party was populated by virulent anti-communists who believed that they… Read more »
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marley says:
I'm one of the older ones, so I've certainly seen a few changes in my time. When I started school I learned to write with a nib pen, dipped in an inkwell (no, I'm not kidding). My mother became a dab hand at getting inkstains out of my clothes. Flicking ink at one another in the classroom was an essential… [read more]From: I’d rather have a piece of toast than listen to crap lyrics
Erick says:
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