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‘1984’ sales soar after Trump claims, ‘alternative facts’

ASSOCIATED PRESS

This undated image shows George Orwell, author of “1984.”

NEW YORK >> After incorrect or unprovable statements made by Republican President Donald Trump and some White House aides, one truth is undeniable: Sales of George Orwell’s “1984” are soaring.

First published in 1949, Orwell’s classic dystopian tale of a society in which facts are distorted and suppressed in a cloud of “newspeak” topped the best-seller list of Amazon.com as of Tuesday evening. The sales bump comes after the Trump administration’s assertions his inauguration had record attendance and his unfounded allegation that millions of illegal votes were cast against him last fall.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway coined an instant catchphrase Sunday when she called his claims about crowd size “alternative facts,” bringing comparisons on social media to “1984.”

Orwell’s book isn’t the only cautionary tale on the Amazon list. Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 novel about the election of an authoritarian president, “It Can’t Happen Here,” was at No. 46. Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” was at No. 71.

Sales also were up for Hannah Arendt’s seminal nonfiction analysis “The Origins of Totalitarianism.”

3 responses to “‘1984’ sales soar after Trump claims, ‘alternative facts’”

  1. thos says:

    To the AP clown who wrote this hit piece:

    Perhaps you may recall the scene in the classic “Buckeroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” when one of the evil Red Lectroids, John Whorefin (played brilliantly by John Lithgow) – – formerly the human Dr. Emilio Lizardo (also Lithgow) until his primitive over-thruster device failed and pitched him only partway into the 8 th dimension in the year 1938 whereupon he was converted to one of a group of Red Lectroids all of whom had the first name “John” – – told the hospital attendant at the asylum for the criminally insane where he was being held that he would soon escape. At which poing the attendant made the mistake of scoffing. Then, just before killing the attndant with his powerful bare hands, Whorefin jeered at this mere human before him and spoke the fateful words I now speak to you AP clown, “Laugh while you can, Monkey Boy.”

  2. thos says:

    To the AP clown who wrote this hit piece:

    Perhaps you may recall the scene in the classic “Buckeroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” when one of the sinister Red Lectroids, John W h o r e f i n (played brilliantly by John Lithgow) – – formerly a human being Dr. Emilio Lizardo (also Lithgow) until his primitive over-thruster device failed and pitched him only partway into the 8th dimension in the year 1938 whereupon he was converted to one of a group of Red Lectroids all of whom had the first name “John” – – told the hospital attendant at the asylum for the criminally i n s a n e where he was being held that he would soon escape. At which point the attendant made the mistake of scoffing. Then, just before killing the attendant with his powerful bare hands, W h o r e f i n jeered at this mere mortal before him and spoke the fateful words I now speak to you AP c l o w n, “Laugh while you can, M o n k e y B o y.”

  3. thos says:

    Sometimes it is quite challenging having to do multiple end-arounds to circumvent the digital nanny who “awaits moderation”.

    Oh well.

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