'Animal Farm' by George Orwell is a political allegory that tells the story of farm animals who rebel against their human oppressors to create their own community. The animals aim for equality and a better life, but power dynamics shift as the pigs take control, leading to corruption, deception, and the rise of a new oligarchy. Through a fable-like narrative, Orwell critiques political systems and highlights the dangers of power and totalitarianism. The book serves as a parallel to historical events, particularly the Russian Revolution, and offers a cautionary tale on how political ideals can devolve into tyranny.
The writing style of 'Animal Farm' is straightforward and simple, yet carries a deeper political meaning that resonates with readers of all ages. Orwell cleverly uses animal characters to depict complex political themes, making the book accessible to a wide audience while delivering a powerful message on the nature of power, corruption, and the failures of socialist ideals.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for Animal Farm include themes of violence, betrayal, and death, particularly regarding the fates of the characters during the power struggles.
From The Publisher:
Under the feckless husbandry of Mr Jones, the Manor Farm has fallen into disrepair. Pushed into hardship, the animals decide to stage a revolt, and, led by two young pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, they overthrow Mr Jones and drive him away from the farm. In the subsequent struggle for power, it is Napoleon who emerges as a victor: he renames the place "Animal Farm", gets rid of his enemies and, by the way he behaves - expecting to be glorifi ed above the others and turning the screw on his fellow beasts in order to keep them subjugated - begins to resemble more and more the former rulers of the farm, the hated humans.
Written during the Second World War and published in 1945, this allegorical novel is a carefully constructed critique of the Russian Revolution and a sharp satire on the abuse of power. It remains unsurpassed both as a document of its time and as a testament to the versatility and creative genius of George Orwell.
Ratings (1016)
Incredible (138) | |
Loved It (302) | |
Liked It (333) | |
It Was OK (168) | |
Did Not Like (54) | |
Hated It (21) |
Reader Stats (1442):
Read It (1086) | |
Currently Reading (9) | |
Want To Read (201) | |
Did Not Finish (10) | |
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15 comment(s)
It was were but I loved the animals.
Been meaning to read this for some time now and glad I finally did. Still thinks it's a good book but not quite five stars
More relevant than ever, unfortunately.
Listened to the audiobook
I’m not a fan of allegory. This is politically explicit.
Ah, Animal Farm. According to the copy I had, this book was published during August of 1945, when US dropped the bombs on Hiroshima. It was written during WWII and reflects some of the Russian attitudes during that time. I feel that this is an important book to read, although perhaps not in conjunction with Orwell's other dystopian book, 1984.
"All animals are equal; some animals are more equal than others." Sadly, some of this sentiment rings true today. In a world stratified by class, the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer. In a way, this book reminded me also of Lord of the Flies. A pre-existing government is overthrown in name of what everyone at first believes might be the best possible ruling, only for things to head steadily downhill.
Is Animal Farm an important book? Yes, I believe so. It still has themes that hold true today. Is it antiquated? Uh...without being familiar with the Communist regime and its practices...yeah...maybe a little. A student reading this would be better suited with background knowledge than to head into it cold turkey.
It was a good book, but it wasn't amazing. I'm not sure, had I been one of those people in charge of proclaiming "classics", whether I would have put it there. There are universal truths in a lot of books, not necessarily the oldest.
i loved the allegorical way the story was told. if you know anything about the history of sssr it is an incredible story to read. i always wondered how totalitarism could work and how no one said they were against it, but this really opened my eyes regarding this theme.
I've genuinely never been as engaged in fiction as I have been with Animal Farm.
hated it. i am orwell’s biggest hater
I read it. It's a classic. I just didn't like it. I don't like when animals talk. It's creepy.
1.5 stars.
What can you read after
Animal Farm?
About the Author:
GEORGE ORWELL (1903-1950) was born in India and served with the Imperial Police in Burma before joining the Republican Army in the Spanish Civil War. Orwell was the author of six novels, including 1984 and Animal Farm, as well as numerous essays and nonfiction works.
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