I just finished 1984 tonight, and throughout the read I have found that the music of Radiohead fits eerily with the helpless, terrifying nature of the novel. A few of their songs directly reference the book itself, and many others dwell on the recurring themes that Orwell addresses. Listening to their music throughout the read, I think, has enhanced its feel and given it depth.
In this light, if there are any other Radiohead fas out there, I've compiled this track list as a "companion" (though of course it is not long enough for the whole read) which illustrates different points and occurrences during the course of the novel. I came up with alternate titles to the songs (which are printed first with the actual song title in parentheses) that help correlate the songs to parts in the plot.
PART ONE
1. 2+2=5 [2+2=5]
2. 1984 [Fitter Happier]
3. War Is Peace [Myxomatosis]
4. The Diary [Pakt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box]
5. Never Alone [Videotape]
6. The Paperweight [Treefingers]
7. Doublethink [Jigsaw Falling Into Place]
PART TWO
1. Julia [Fake Plastic Trees]
2. Freedom Is Slavery [I Might Be Wrong]
3. Thoughtcrime [How To Disappear Completely]
4. The Brotherhood [15 Step]
5. The Book [Reckoner]
6. We Are The Dead [Bodysnatchers]
PART THREE
1. The Cells [Pyramid Song]
2. Thou Art [Suck Young Blood]
3. Power [I Will]
4. Room 101 [The Gloaming]
5. Ignorance Is Strength [No Surprises]
6. Death, Love and Failure [Exit Music (For A Film)]
If any of you are RH fans you can easily see the correlations between the mood and subject of these songs and those of the novel.
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