George Orwell, you plagiarising son of a pickle. ( )

Nell’ampio filone della letteratura distopica un posto importante è occupato da Noi, opera del 1921 dello scrittore russo Evgenij Zamjatin (1884-1937).

Il contesto storico e sociale da cui emerge l’anti-utopia di Zamjatin è quello della dittatura stalinista, da lui trasposta in romanzo come un’organizzazione sociale in cui l’oppressione della libertà individuale agita dalla collettività spersonalizzata del “noi” giunge alla sua esasperazione tramite la totale negazione di ogni moto di libero pensiero.

Zamjatin – che di formazione era ingegnere – riconduce la disciplina meccanica e priva di emozioni del regime che descrive niente meno che ai precetti di Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915), facendo di Noi uno dei primi esempi di letteratura esplicitamente critica dei confronti dello Scientific Management e dunque dell’ideologia dell’organizzazione moderna del lavoro nel suo complesso.

Uno dei passaggi chiave del romanzo contiene la descrizione, pubblicata sul “Giornale di Stato” che è organo del regime oppressivo, di un’operazione in grado di rendere felici eliminando il principale nemico della razionalità, cioè la fantasia:

«La bellezza di un meccanismo sta nel suo ritmo incessante ed esatto, simile a quello di un pendolo. Ma voi, allevati fin dall’infanzia al sistema di Taylor, non siete forse diventati esatti come un pendolo? Il fatto è che: un meccanismo è privo di fantasia! […] La colpa non è vostra, siete afflitti da una malattia il cui nome è: fantasia. È un verme che solca la fronte di righe scure. È una febbre che vi spinge a correre sempre oltre, sebbene questo “oltre” inizi là, dove termina la felicità. È l’ultima barricata sulla via che conduce alla felicità. Ma rallegratevi: essa è già stata fatta saltare! La via è sgombra! L’ultima scoperta della Scienza di Stato è la sede della fantasia […]. Una volta che il suddetto plesso venga bombardato a tre riprese con i raggi x, la fantasia non vi affliggerà più. Per sempre! Sarete perfetti, equivarrete a delle macchine, la via che conduce al 100% della felicità è sgombra». ( )

La novela Nosotros refleja las terribles consecuencias de los regímenes totalitarios que al comienzo del siglo xx se encontraban en pleno auge. En el futuro nuestro estilo de vida en sociedad basado en la «libertad individual» es un estilo de vida salvaje, desorganizado y nómada.

Reading this book when war is raging in Eastern Europe and people are controlled and kept in the dark by a well oiled propaganda machine made for an intense experience. This is the OG of dystopia that inspired Huxley's [b:Brave New World|5129|Brave New World|Aldous Huxley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575509280l/5129._SY75_.jpg|3204877] and Orwell's [b:1984|40961427|1984|George Orwell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532714506l/40961427._SX50_.jpg|153313], which in turn inspired Atwood's [b:The Handmaid's Tale|38447|The Handmaid's Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)|Margaret Atwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1578028274l/38447._SY75_.jpg|1119185]. The audiobook I listened to contained a foreword by Atwood, a review of the book by Orwell and an essay by Ursula K. Le Guin! I mean talk about a sublime listening experience! The novel presents so many points for discussion about the mechanisation of humans and how freedom and imagination are the enemy of happiness because the source of happiness is regulation and control. I listened to it twice. Once to sit back and listen to this wonderfully written and frighteningly prophetic story, the second with a pencil and paper at the ready to write down quotes I liked and thoughts I had. I won't say too much more but here are some of the quotes that I think will tell you everything you need to know about this novel (I've written them as best as I heard them so apologies for errors - I didn't have time to trawl through the intermaweb looking for them).

... we are always in view. Eternally washed by the light within our translucent walls which seem to be woven from sparkling air. We have nothing to hide from each other. Plus, it makes the difficult and noble task of the Guardians a lot easier. Otherwise, who knows what could happen? It's quite possible that the bizarre opaque dwellings of the Ancients are exactly what lead to their pathetic single-celled mindset, "My home is my castle". Imagine!

You're sick. And the name of this illness is 'Imagination'. It is the worm that gnaws black wrinkles into your forehead. The fever that drives you further and further away, even when further begins precisely where happiness ends. It is the final barricade on the path to total happiness. But rejoice, we have already blasted our way through this obstacle. The path is clear. The latest State science discovery is the seat of the Imagination. A pathetic little neural nodule in the region of the pons Varolii. With a simple triple x-ray quarterisation you will be cured of Imagination. Forever. You will be perfect. You will be equal to the machine. The path to one hundred percent happiness is clear. Hurry! One and all, young and old. Run, don't walk to undergo The Great Operation. Hurry to the auditoriums where they are performing The Great Operation. All Hail The Great Operation! All hail the One State! All hail the Benefactor!

No more delirious nonsense. No crazy metaphors. No feelings. Just facts. Because now I am healthy. I am completely and totally healthy. I'm smiling. I can't help smiling. A splinter has been removed from my head and now it is empty and light. Rather, not empty, but there is nothing foreign in it that would keep me from smiling. Smiling is the normal state of a normal person.

I'm certain we will win. For Reason must win

There is no final revolution. ( )

Really interesting book from the proto-science fiction point of view. I'm not sure that all the reported influences of this story are as direct as people seem to think. I'm more inclined to believe that it reflects a general horror of authoritarianism that was shared by Orwell, Huxley, and other writers.

I found it pretty hard to understand, and in fact will have to re-read the final few chapters to fully figure out what happened to each of the characters. But still I found the imagery bizarre and the development of the story quite interesting.

I read it in the Project Gutenberg publication of the original translation into English. I suspect that later translations might be better. ( )