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“There are two ways by which the spirit of a culture may be shriveled. In the first—the Orwellian—culture becomes a prison. In the second—the Huxleyan—culture becomes a burlesque. No”
― Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
― Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
“What we need to understand is that books weren't written so that young people could write essays about them, but so that they could read them if they really wanted to.
Knowledge, academic track record, career, and social life are one thing. Our intimacy and cultural awareness as readers are quite another.”
― Comme un roman
Knowledge, academic track record, career, and social life are one thing. Our intimacy and cultural awareness as readers are quite another.”
― Comme un roman
“We human beings build houses because we're alive, but we write books because we're mortal. We live in groups because we're sociable, but we read because we know we're alone. Reading offers a kind of companionship that takes no one's place, but that no one can replace either.”
― Comme un roman
― Comme un roman
“You can be lonely anywhere, but there is a particular flavour to the loneliness that comes from living in a city, surrounded by millions of people. One might think this state was antithetical to urban living, to the massed presence of other human beings, and yet mere physical proximity is not enough to dispel a sense of internal isolation. It’s possible – easy, even – to feel desolate and unfrequented in oneself while living cheek by jowl with others. Cities can be lonely places, and in admitting this we see that loneliness doesn’t necessarily require physical solitude but rather an absence or paucity of connection, closeness, kinship: an inability, for one reason or another, to find as much intimacy as is desired. Unhappy, as the dictionary has it, as a result of being without the companionship of others. Hardly any wonder, then, that it can reach its apotheosis in a crowd.”
― The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone
― The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone
“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions."
In 1984, Huxley added, "people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us".”
― Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
In 1984, Huxley added, "people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us".”
― Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
Elizabeth Kostova Foundation (EKF)
— 103 members
— last activity Dec 22, 2013 05:17AM
The Elizabeth Kostova Foundation was established in 2007 by the American writer Elizabeth Kostova in order to promote the teaching and professionaliza ...more
Veronica’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Veronica’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
379 books
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26 friends
1,686 books
|
54 friends
691 books
|
194 friends
1,297 books
|
108 friends
549 books
|
66 friends
477 books
|
59 friends
617 books
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377 friends
571 books
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299 friends
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Art, Biography, Classics, Crime, Ebooks, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical fiction, History, Humor and Comedy, Memoir, Music, Mystery, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Poetry, Psychology, Religion, Science, Suspense, and Travel
Polls voted on by Veronica
Lists liked by Veronica
