I got told not to read much george orwell in secondary school, are his non-fiction and fiction just juvenilia?

Question

Are they also prosaic? I don't think so, but his 1984 work is just impossible, if gifted.

Answer 1

nonsense....
1984 the book tells the story of Winston Smith and his degradation by the totalitarian state in which he lives...
1984 has, at times, been seen as revolutionary and politically dangerous and therefore was banned by many libraries in various countries, not mentioning totalitarian regimes.
Maybe... because....Orwell may have drawn inspiration from the Nazi Party...compare the following quotes
Nazi Party
“The broad mass of the nation … will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one.” — Adolf Hitler, in his 1925 book Mein Kampf.
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” — Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels.[6]
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Göring while in his jail cell during the Nuremberg Trials[7]
Nineteen Eighty-Four
“Remember our boys on the Malabar front! And the sailors in the Floating Fortresses! Just think what they have to put up with.” (Page 39, Chapter II)
“The rocket bombs which fell daily on London were probably fired by the government of Oceania itself, 'just to keep the people frightened'.” (Page 160, Part II, chapt V)
“The key-word here is blackwhite. Like so many Newspeak words, this word has two mutually contradictory meanings. Applied to an opponent, it means the habit of impudently claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts.” (Page 221, Pt II, chapt IX - chapter I of Goldstein's book)
“To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed…” (Page 223, dtto)
“The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth.” (Page 78, chapt. VII)
“And if all others accepted the lie which the party imposed-if all records told the same tale-then the lie passed into history and became the truth.” (Page 37, chapt III)
....but..every book has to offer something ...

Answer 2

I am 56, went to school quite a long time ago, but have read everything by George Orwell, all the novels, journalism, essays, etc and also all the things by his second wife, Sonia (dead now). I still have (and read) his essays etc, which I hope are still in print. I must tell you that i HATE the films that have been made of his books (except perhaps 1984). They have famous actors etc and Orwell is just lost. Cheap. I would love to live in his cottage in Jura.

Answer 3

Presumably you mean are they juvenile in nature as juvenilia is a term used to refer to writing done in an authors youth. The idea that a work such as 1984 is prosaic or unimaginative seems pretty ridiculous to me. Do you actually know the meanings of the words you are using or are you just trying to sound impressive?

Answer 4

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.

'1984' is the greatest novel of the 20th century. No writer in the English language matches Orwell for the precision, clarity and beauty of his prose, or for his daring, bold and prophetic vision in 1984.

In all his novels, but especially 1984, Orwell paints a picture in your imagination like no other writer has ever been able to do.

Answer 5

When I was told not to read things at school my response would be to go ahead and do it! My English teacher, however, encouraged me to read George Orwell and I read everything of his which I could get my hands on and found him a fascinating and challenging writer. Just think of the man he was -- someone from a wealthy background (an Old Etonian, no less!) who was prepared to identify with those less fortunate than himself and, through his writings, to champion their cause. A man who travelled not as an objective bystander, but becoming part of the community wherever he went. A man who wanted to make the world aware of injustices in society. I was in my late teens when I read George Orwell's books and possibly you are younger and this is why your teacher has attempted to dissuade you from reading too much of what he has written. But do read "Down and Out in Paris and London" at the very least. You can read it (and the other books by George Orwell) free on line. http://whitewolf.newcastle.edu.au/words/authors/O/OrwellGeorge/prose/DownandOut/downandout_1.html

Answer 6

Who told you not to read them? Are they mad? "The Road to Wigan Pier" and "Down and out in London and Paris" are masterpieces of social realism and history and show the reality of recovery from economic depression. He symathises very well with the marginalised and downtrodden, I imagine the person who told you not to read them is a snob and a hysterical Daily Mail reader who imagines Reds under every bed. There is always 1984 of course, this has put its name into the english language in much the same way as Catch 22 has, and for a good reason, it is a good book. Read them, they are not juvenilia at all.

Answer 7

You believed what you were told at secondary school? Ahh bless ya!! I wouldn't read too much George Orwell thought, it gets a bit depressing after a while, good though, worth a few books before you get to the wrist slitting stage!!

Answer 8

Sorry - not familiar with the term juvenilia but assume you are asking if his works are juvenile - far from it and I can't imagine who told you not to read his work - they are after all classics. As for 1984 being impossible I think your opinion is astonishing given the degree to which we are now watched by cameras etc. Impossible - its our current reality.

Answer 9

I don't know why you were told not to read his books at school. Was your teacher a control freak who didn't want you to get a different, alternative view of the world/society/the government depending on how you interpret his books. Animal farm can be read on several different levels, so it is for kids as well as adults. 1984 is genius and a warning for all humans as to what could happen, so we can prevent the horror of the society that was created in the book.

Answer 10

I would advise you to ignore people who tell you not to read Orwell,read animal farm,read everything of Orwell, 1984 is a masterpiece,a truly visionary piece of writing.