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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
A fable/childrens story about betrayal
This is a fable or childrens story conceived by George Orwell when he saw a small boy driving a large horse along a road, Orwell felt that if the horse could only comprehend that it was more powerful than the boy it would do its own thing instead of his bidding.
On Animal Farm is the story of how different farm yard animals unite following an enlightenment...
Published 7 months ago by Lark
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0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Animal Farm
Quickly received at a very reasonable price. Purchased for my wife (who wished that she had read it years ago!) She is saving it for holiday reading in September.
Published 4 months ago by Mr. P. R. Gower
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
A fable/childrens story about betrayal, 21 April 2009
This is a fable or childrens story conceived by George Orwell when he saw a small boy driving a large horse along a road, Orwell felt that if the horse could only comprehend that it was more powerful than the boy it would do its own thing instead of his bidding.
On Animal Farm is the story of how different farm yard animals unite following an enlightenment about their fate and oppression. The animals agree to an egalitarian and "share and share alike" constitution by which to govern their new arrangements while defending themselves from the expelled farmer's attempts to re-establish the old ways of doing business.
The constitution is inscribed for all to see with "All Animals Are Equal" leading the list, slowly as the farm yards pigs rise to assume the position of leaders they abandon each of these value statements, radically revising them to justify a return to the old ways of doing business which characterised the original farmer who they threw out.
Like his other books Orwell was disappointed in his own lifetime with how the books where received and interpreted, of Animal Farm which he described as a "simple fable" Orwell stated if its simple message about betrayal where not understood then the book had been a failure.
This is an important point because Orwell had dedicated his energies to making political writing an art form (consider Penguin Great Ideas : Why I Write). In his time, and since, Animal Farm has been seen as a devastating criticism of egalitarianism, flawed values and even of the very hopes and optimism which give rise to change of government, particularly by revolution, like a cynical or conservative text book.
Orwell intended it to be much more straight forward, he supported the values which where at the heart of the Animals constitution, including that core commitment to equality, and considered the crucial moment in the storyline to have been consistently overlooked (that is the moment at which the Pigs decide no longer to share the harvest of apples, which the other animals do not suspect is the beginings of betrayal).
The story is a heart felt tale, populated by all sorts of characters who Orwell uses to characterise a range of human traits from nobility to the down right villainous, with a good pace and easily understood style of writing, it should appeal to adults or children alike. Likewise it should appeal to either the political/literary reader and general reader alike.
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23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
Brilliant piece of bitter political satire., 12 Dec 2000
By A Customer
Since its publication in 1946 Animal Farm has been hailed as one of the most influential pieces of fictional political writing in the twentieth century, an accolade that the novel thoroughly deserves. The first time I read it was as an A Level student studying the Russian Revolution. I was amazed at how simply but effectively Orwell delivered such a powerful message. In a career spanning many brilliant works, including Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Road To Wigan Pier and Coming Up For Air, this is quite simply one of his best. The book centres around the themes of revolution and how communist ideals of justice and equality give way to totalitarianism. Using a farm and its inhabitants to represent the places and main characters of the time, it tells the story of the Russian Bolshevik revolution. Orwell explores the evils of power, money, propaganda and terror to bring us a shocking tale of greed and tyranny.The story revolves around a group of mistreated farm animals who fight for control of their home. The farm's prize pig, Old Major, insights revolution when he tells all the animals of a dream he had about how "the Earth will be when Man has vanished." The animals confront their exploitative human owners and force them out of Manor Farm. They then set up their own society renaming it "Animal Farm". A new set of laws they are to abide by is then decided on and these are written as seven commandments, the most important being that "all animals are equal." Unfortunately this commandment is the first to go when Old Major dies and the intelligent Pigs take over. The new leaders succumb to the temptations that power provides and become dictators of the farm. What ensues is a vivid description of how power corrupts and leaves the animals in no better a position then when they were under the rule of the humans. Orwell paints a masterfully bleak picture of Soviet Communism and the fat cats (or pigs in this case) of the twentieth century. One amazing thing about the novel is that we can easily relate things that happen in Animal Farm to events that have occurred since the book was published. The air of prophecy in Orwell's writing is eerily apparent. This however, is by no means the story's only plus. As well as the stark political message we also get a completely engrossing story. The satire is compelling but at the same time it is quite easy to feel compassion for some of the characters in Animal Farm. The vast majority of people who have read the book cannot help but feel sympathy and respect for Boxer the work-hoarse as he strives to do the best he can for his fellow citizens. Boxer is not used in Orwell's novel to represent a single person, but to represent a group of people, in this case the tireless workers caught in a totalitarian regime. The animals in the book and their main characteristics are often used in this way. For example the growling dogs are used to represent some sort of secret police that would terrorise the people. Orwell has said that he often wrote because there was some lie or injustice he wanted to expose. This is the main reason he used the literary technique of allegory in Animal Farm. It works because it allows Orwell to bring our attention to those events during the Russian revolution that concerned him the most. His feelings on Stalin's cruel regime are not hidden, suggested, or argued about, they are there for all to see. Orwell is quoted as saying that he had tried to write "less picturesquely and more exactly" and this is precisely the case. He uses a distinctively straightforward and simple style to create a very linear tale. This makes everything seem almost light, but at the same time it is effective and powerful. The end result of Orwell's prose style is a brilliant piece of bitter political satire, crossed with remarkably accurate historical allegory, that still manages to remain serious and deliver a telling reminder of how revolution went wrong. There is no wonder this novel is considered world wide to be a real classic of the twentieth century. True appreciation of the book does come with an understanding of the Russian revolution but those without can still interpret its message, which continues to be relevant to this day. I cannot recommend this book enough, I thoroughly enjoyed every page.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
As relevant today as it was in 1946, 9 May 2006
When in high school the head of English lit. deemed it a wiser or safer choice to go with 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and Laurie Lee's 'Cider With Rosie' than Orwell's classic. What a regrettable decision that was; because it was not until 20 years after graduation that I finally got to read this seminal work. A work that has such profound possibilities to shape the minds of readers both young and old alike that I wonder if we shouldn't be prescribing books like that in our schools instead of Shakespeare? To call a work 'seminal' or to say that it is worthy of actually making a 'prescribed reading' list is no mean feat and there are really comparatively few books worthy of such adoration; this though is surely one of them. Whether you agree with the books political or moral standpoint or not is an irrelevancy that should have no bearing on your desire to read or prescribe this book.
In being desirous of understanding this text, it is firstly important to understand just what we are presented with here, for this book is NOT an overtly political or subversive anti-communist thesis (despite what Orwell may have originally intended). What it is in fact, is a precise, poignant, cutting and very astute examination of human nature; the motives, desires and inner reflections of humanity and the internal struggles we all face. What I found most impressive about this work was that as a critique of humanity and the complexities of hierarchical societies it is an examination that resounds as strongly now as it did in 1946. Especially in the wake of 11/9 and the measures that have been introduced to 'protect' and 'guard' the people by various governments around the globe, not to mentions how far from the truth we have been lead by the 'news' media. When one considers the impact the media had in back in the '70s, in bringing the terror of Vietnam home to the news-stands and the enormous social and political repercussions that spread outwards from that; who would have thought that a mere quarter of a century later the public would have gradually succumb to the acceptance of what before was seemingly unacceptable... sound familiar? Animal Farm, where "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others".
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
A book for all times, & not only just about communism ..., 5 Feb 2009
As the first reviewer said, it is a book that everyone should read ...
Trouble is, the title probably makes people think it is only about animals on four legs ...
I'm amazed that there are so few reviews about this classic book.
In the current financial crisis (circa 2009), the pigs could represent the financial moguls who fundamentally brought about the crisis (in over a century) by having created money out of debt and demanded interest on the money they did not actually own.
The other relevant classic by Orwell is 1984 (ISBN: 0141036141)
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Animal Farm by George Orwell, 1 Feb 2009
A book everyone should read before they die. Animal Farm was published on 17 August 1945, and reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era before WW2. Orwell, a confirmed supporter of left-wing politics, was a critic of Joseph Stalin and his dictatorial and corrupt tactics as Russia's leader. By using the allegory of a farm of animals who take over the running of their farm from the harsh, corrupt farmer, Orwell was able to make strong statements about Communist Russia. A novel about human behaviour, greed and corruption. As relevant today as it was then.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
Four legs good, two legs better, 9 May 2006
This book is a ferocious satire of a state with a one party system, built originally on the principle that 'all animals are equal'.
The ideals of the revolution are quickly betrayed and the one party state turns into a work-camp. First, one ethnic group takes control of the system and after, one individual within this group wields dictatorial power.
To consolidate his power, the dictator controls the media (spreading false information and blatant lies), organizes fake elections (one candidate only), creates fear and terror through forced confessions and public executions, puts all internal problems on the back of foreign agents, rewrites history and erases the memory of his old revolutionary companions.
Orwell's perfect model was Stalin's USSR.
The choice of the roles of the different kinds of animals is not less than brilliant.
Unfortunately, this deadly satire is still very topical today. Most of the world's independent states are ruled partially, or even totally, as a copy of Orwell's nation of sheep, dogs, workhorses and pigs, with one pig more equal than all other animals together.
A must read.
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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
Some books stay with you forever..., 1 Feb 2006
I read this in 1992 whilst at university. I was trying to broaden my reading and somebody recommended this book to me. I don't normally read these kind of books but at only about 100 pages long i thought i'd give it a go. It is a relatively easy read and i was entralled by how the animals started to treat each other badly. I didn't know when i first read it that it was related to the Russian revolution. I thoroughly recommend this book as well as 1984 by the same author. Both are really thought provoking book that i will remember for the rest of my life. I certainly can't say that for all of the book i read from the top 20. One other point - both animal farm and 1984 have two of the very best ending i have ever read in novels. Literally the last sentence of both took my breath away. Thoroughly recommended
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Beware ham-fisted tyrants!, 14 Oct 2003
"Animal Farm" is so short, so easy to read, and is so famous and influential, that the question is: Why would you NOT read it? If you are new to Orwell, then this is the perfect place to start. It displays, in miniature, his characteristic skepticism, good sense, and keen insight into the corrupting effects of power. It also hints at that underlying sense of guilt that pervades his longer works.The book was criticized at the time of publication for being a flawed fable, in that the pigs, being innately more intelligent than the other animals, were naturally fitted to be the masters. I think that misses the point. This is an allegory of human society, not a manual of animal husbandry. Every character and incident in the story has a clear parallel in modern history. Now that the Soviet empire is no longer with us, I suppose the allegory may not seem so relevant, but there still exist totalitarian regimes that came about as a result of a popular revolution being commandeered by extremists and, no doubt, there will be others in the future. Some lessons of history should never be forgotten and Animal Farm is a great place for each new generation to learn them.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Great satire, but Orwell was misunderstood yet again, 15 April 2001
By A Customer
This book is fantastic in portraying the history of the russian revolution in an easy readable and entertaining fashion. Yet, once again another of George Orwell's books has been taken by some as a condemnation of collectivism, when in fact George Orwell was himself a socialist. The book exists more to warn of vanguard politics, and submitting your livelyhood to a 'superior' being. Animalism sets out with good intentions, and while equality exits between the animals, they are all fed, happy to work for themselves not for the benefit of humans, and free. But when the pigs take the position of the human's things go back to how they were, greed and lies, representing the corruption of power. To me this book says that our liberty should never be entrusted to anyone but ourselves, and that once it is entrusted upon a vanguard, it is lost. A great read!
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14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent book! So sad, so true. Your children must read it!, 4 Jan 2002
By A Customer
When I first came in contact with Animal Farm in 1990, after the collapse of Communism in Romania in December 1989, I was amazed at how well Orwell captured the true nature of communism, even though in a sort of euphemistic form! Written as it is, I guess the story is easily understood by all. Great truths are most often told in easy-to-understand story form. For us in Eastern Europe the story has even more power, for we can identify with it. If Orwell's story is sad, the fact that we know it to be true to our experience of reality makes it indescribably more sad. However, when he wrote it, in the mid '40, he did not yet have the full picture (I suppose) of Stalin's atrocities, nor did he foresee the colossal cataclysm that would befall so many millions of people in Eastern Europe for almost half a century, through the imposed communism, by the power of the Russian (Red) Army and by the Western world turning a blind eye. I am so happy that we can look back on it now as a satire of "past history" and no longer a present political reality. May God never allow it to happen again! The book, I guess, helped to create much awareness in the West about what was going on in Communist countries. Thank you, George Orwell!
It is a pity though that history can be so easily forgotten.
By the way, anybody out there thinking of writing a "Animal Farm" type of satire about other totalitarian (Muslim or otherwise) states in today's world? Somebody, some day would come back with tears to thank you. Think about it...
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