Book club discussion of 1984
Tuesday, May 6, 2003 - 22:14

I hereby call to order this meeting of This Diary's Book Club, during which we shall continue our discussion of 1984.

Me: Well shit, dudes, I actually have to confess that 1. I've not really read a whole lot, 2. I actually cheated on 1984 by reading another book (and, to add insult to injury, I finished that book in like two days), and 3. I've actually sort of misplaced 1984. But I went to Borders today to hang out (goddamnit I'm fucking bored) and I sat and read a couple chapters there. So I have lots to talk about!

You: Hooray.

Me: First of all, what the bloody hell is a varicose ulcer?

You: Bloody hell is right. It sounds just disgusting.

Me: I know. Winston is like totally not sexy. Now I know why people liked Holden Caulfield.

You: I bet you think Winston is gay too.

Me: Actually I don't. Okay. Well, I suppose we should discuss (I actually just spelled that 'disguss' and it took me a while to figure out what was wrong with it) political things or something.

You: What? Like McCarthyism and how a similar hysteria is running rampant through our society, how dare anyone disagree with the current administration, and how people are all weird about any dissention (see this fucking hitlist-type "traitor list" here, and there's the Thought Police and the Spies in the book, and in real life now there's the freaking Department of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act and they're encouraging people to turn in suspected terrorists and stuff like that?

Me: Yeah, and we could also talk about my favorite band in the world and the Dixie Chicks and people getting all freaked out and then bulldozing their CDs and DJs getting suspended for playing certain music.

You: And then we could talk about book burning and the Nazis.

Me: Yeah, and also we should talk about, you know, the war with Eurasia and Eastasia and how they change it every once in a while but say that the current enemy has always been the enemy, even though the current enemy used to be an ally, and blah blah blah right now it's Iraq and Syria and North Korea but blah blah blah that'll change and what about Panama and Saudi Arabia and Cuba and Russia and Israel and blah blah blah.

You: Yeah.

Me: I don't really want to talk about it.

You: Me neither.

Me: So what's a varicose ulcer, anyway?

You: I guess it's not all bloody, because he itches it, right? I guess when I hear 'ulcer' I think of some icky sticky bloody thing, but in the stomach, even though his is on his leg, and he itches it, so it's not all bloody.

Me: Unless it is bloody.

You: In which case, Winston is even more disgusting than we thought.

Me: Yeah. He's pretty gross. He had sex with an old toothless prostitute.

You: I wonder if he had a varicose ulcer then.

Me: Hmm.

You: I'm glad we finally got to discuss all this.

Me: Me too. What a fun book.

You: So are you ever going to finish it or what?

Me: Well I have to find the book first, and then I'll try to finish it.

You: Please finish it, because I don't want to have to sit through many more discussions about 1984.

Me: Okay, okay, I'll try to finish it soon.

You: Good.

Me: Oh yeah, I got a letter from the White House today.

You: Wow, that's impressive.

Me: Yes, I'll tell you about it later. I'm going to bed now.

You: Okay.

Me: Bye.