An interested group of Robson readers take part in September’s discussion.
Dianna Lucas
An enthusiastic crowd of about 50 readers gathered on Sept. 16 for a lively and timely discussion. Friends of the Library President Elaine Kushmaul started the program by comparing and contrasting George Orwell and Aldous Huxley. Co-presenter Klaus Dannenberg continued the introduction with the definition of a dystopian novel, explaining that a dystopia is the opposite of a utopia.
Kushmaul then gave her presentation of Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, followed by Dannenberg’s presentation of 1984, by George Orwell.
Kushmaul introduced Huxley, mentioning other books he had written. She identified his ability to see into the future and understand and identify things that were going to be possible politically, scientifically, and medically, in years to come. He envisioned things unknown in his day, such as invasion of privacy by security cameras, space travel, and fetal fertilization.
After providing a synopsis of the book, Kushmaul turned the program over to Dannenberg to discuss 1984. Dannenberg reviewed Orwell’s personal history and introduced his other notable works, including Animal Farm.
After reviewing the storyline of 1984, the audience was presented with a comparison and contrast of the two novels and the different types of dystopia they envisioned. It was brought out that Huxley believed that the Brave New World dystopia was more plausible than the one in 1984, or that Orwell’s dystopia would modulate into Huxley’s.
Kushmaul and Dannenberg together led a lively discussion involving the audience members. One former teacher in the room stated that of all the books she taught, she believed 1984 to be the most important. Suffice it to say these books tell a cautionary tale. During the discussion, Kushmaul asked the pertinent question that none of us are quite ready to answer: “Are we there yet?”
On Nov. 9 Lewis Toland will present a discussion on The Pioneers, by David McCullough. Two of McCullough’s previous books have won him the Pulitzer Prize.
The stories in this offering are drawn from diary entries of the people involved in the actual events depicted. McCullough writes about the individuals moving west into the Northwest Territory, taking with them the American ideals of freedom of religion, freedom from slavery, and the right to education. These are the people who cleared a massive forest and fought Indians. Some of them died or were killed in the process.
In reading about these pioneers, we begin to understand how America came to be the great country it is today and gain a better understanding of ourselves and what it means to be an American.
Hopefully, you will read The Pioneers and join us in November to add your thoughts to the discussion.