It's about confusion and powerlessness in consumer culture. Most of the characters are seeking answers, but the answers they seek aren't easy ones, and they're probably looking in the wrong place, anyway.

I...see. I was just looking for fun conspiracy nonsense.

The long answer might take a while.

Maybe I'll just stay stupid.

I was just looking for fun conspiracy nonsense.

There's always a lot of that in Pynchon's books, but he rarely clears it up because he's kind of a prankster.

There's a bunch of links about the book here: [link] This is fairly amusing: [link] Of course, you can always ask Wikipedia: [link]

There's always a lot of that in Pynchon's books, but he rarely clears it up because he's kind of a prankster.

Heh, I was just thinking about how LOT 49 is kind of like the DR. STRANGELOVE, except about "conspiracy" and even more po-faced.

The fact that he can't seem to resist funny/loaded names a la Terry Southern is one big tell that something funny is going on somewhere.

I was just cracking up reading the Wikipedia entry on TCOL49 because of the awesome names. For some reason, Dr. Hilarius being a Nazi scientist always seems over-broad in the context of the book, but it never fails to bring a smile to my face when I consider it elsewhere.

horse who's name I'm forgetting that got sent to the glue factory.

His name was Boxer. Poor Boxer. In fact I am sitting here tearing a bit thinking of how poor, loyal Boxer was betrayed. I sobbed and sobbed when reading the book. I am not sure that Animal Farm is the sort of book that it supposed to evoke an emotional response, but it did.

I cry at any book that has bad things happen to animals.

looks at Watership Down wearily

In the name of being well-read. I'll just double up in my AD's.

His name was Boxer.

Yes, thank you.

Poor Boxer.

Oh yes.

I am not sure that Animal Farm is the sort of book that it supposed to evoke an emotional response, but it did.

Me too. I think Boxer's fate was supposed get an emotional response, though.

Thinking critically about Animal Farm....

I think that George Orwell's writing philosophy was like Brecht's-- to incite action rather than emotion. I just find Brecht's (and Orwell's) works to be emotionally moving. I think it may just be a reaction to the melodrama that same before them, though.

I also am just guessing about orwell's motives, as I know little to nothing about him.

Okay, I've never read Animal Farm and now I ain't gonna. 1984, though, and scads of 50s-70s scifi, so I'm all countercultured up.

I read Animal Farm directly before reading 1984, so it struck me how the former seemed almost like preparation for or a precursor to the latter.

They were both spring break reading material. Along with Catcher in the Rye and...maybe A Streetcar Named Desire ? Possibly Glass Menagerie. There was at least one play, and I think it was Tennessee Williams.