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Summary: Pound for pound it can't be beaten
Review: A scathing satire of the Communist Revolution in Russia (and revolution in general), Orwell's Animal Farm is one of the few books that I feel should be read by every high-school student. The book is fun, fast, fierce - and profound. A must read for anyone planning to vote on election day.
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Summary: Great book!
Review: I was in 6th grade when I first read ANIMAL FARM. I am now in 8th grade and I am still finding different ways to interpret things. I found it a great book and George Orwell did a wonderful job writing it. It gives a great overview of the Russian Revolution.
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Summary: simple, but brilliant
Review: You could make a pretty good case that this short masterpiece should be #1. Orwell deals with the Russian Revolution via a barnyard allegory. The wise pig Major has come to the end of his days on Manor Farm. Before departing, however, he shares his dream of a world without Man. The animals of Manor Farm soon revolt and establish Animal Farm, where "All Animals are Equal". This utopian ideal proves to be short lived as the pigs begin to take power and soon there are denunciations, show trials, rationing, special privileges for pigs & finally we find that while all animals are equal, "but some animals are more equal than others". It's a simple, but brilliant, satire that pretty much devastates Marxism. GRADE: A+
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Summary: A SATIRICAL FABLE
Review: Animal Farm is the story of a revolution gone sour. Animalism, Orwell's take on Communism, is an illusion used by the pigs as a means of satisfying their lust for power. At the beginning of the book, Mr. Jones, the master of the farm, is irresponsible toward his animals, so old Major, a white boar, informs the other animals of the need to form a rebellion against Mr. Jones and the human race. The other animals embrace the idea of a revolution and develop a scheme to overthrow Mr. Jones. After the revolution is complete, the animals feel an immediate freedom, a set of commandments is developed for the new "Animal Farm," and they all begin working together for a common good. However, it does not take long for the new society to begin to corrupt. The satisfaction of removing Mr. Jones from the farm prevents the animals from noticing the politics still going on within the farm. The animals are convinced by those in power that their memory of the original utopia and commandments are false. So long as the animals cannot remember the past, because it is being continually altered, they will have no control over the present and future. George Orwell is making a great political statement in Animal Farm with specific emphasis on mass rebellion. It personifies Karl Marx's ideas for communism and illustrates what can happen after a revolution with specific attention to the fact that every society is political and contains "pigs" who will always grab for power. This satirical fable leaves the reader with a better understanding of communism and the anatomy of political revolution in any culture.
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Summary: History With A Twist...Of A Pig Tail!
Review: I've read animal farm so many times, and I still love it. My class is now reading it in school for L.A. and Social Studies, and I feel bad because I've read it and now have to sit out and read "OF MICE AND MEN"( wich isnt too good). It's amazing how it (as an alagory) explains Russian history, around Stalin's time. Orwell, who never liked pigs, Casted pigs as Stalin (Napolean), Trovsky (snowball), Marx (old Major), and others. With Farm animals represtenting the people, Dogs : Children brain washed and taught to fallow and protect Napolean, Sheep: Less inteligent, and easily fooled people, Boxer: Workers, thinking only of the good of the country. When you irst read, you may not notice it, but this is all true, with few flaws. If you enjoy these alegories, and want more "history" books, Try THE WIZARD OF OZ, wich is about the great depression...see if you pick it up!
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Summary: Animal Farm
Review: I read this, because my friend told me it was great and said it was hilarius. Well I however disagree. This novel reeked of total sucktitude!! Meaning it sucks!! oh it's true alright, it's true!The novel is so repetitive, and very boring. The novel has its occasional dramatic moments, especially the one with boxer was great, and the battles were well described, but other than that it was just very uninteresting. After a while the slaughtering was over done, and i was thinking, "if the animals know they'll get slaughtered, why are they still confessing?" The building of the windmill just kept repeating and repeating, and it was really dissapointing that snowball didn't return. I personally think this novel sucks, and that my friends, is true!! Oh it's true, it's true.
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Summary: A great book
Review: One of my friend's reccommended this book to me and I loved it! It is a quick read (I was able to read it in a few hours) I would recommend this book to anyone!
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Summary: Animal Farm - The work of a creative genius.
Review: George Orwell's animal farm is a fantastic book written by such a wonderful author. It is a satire based upon the Russian Revolution, dealing with complex political issues such as communism and corruption. In a relatively short story, Orwell not only mocks and critisises different aspects of the revolution, but also explains many political ethics and principles. He creates many thought provoking ideas through such a simple story of farm animal, such as the fundamentals of the communist movement and of equality. It is, ideally, the story of a farm of animals who take over from their human master and revolt against humans generally because of the legacy left to them by their fellow 'comrade' Major. They create commandments and have an official song, these ideas described as showing 'Animalism'. The notion of equality is then established with the reader, and from this point Orwell uses very skilled writing to convey various messages. The farm progresses with the pigs becoming the 'natural' leaders. Conflict then arises between two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball. They both believe in the same principles of equality (or so they say) but have very different ideas for the direction of Animal Farm. Napoleon eventually drives Snowball out of the farm, literally, with the help of his dogs/henchman. After the departure of Snowball, a distinct fear and serparation is created between the pids and dogs and the other animals. Their workload is increased and the animals receive less food whilst the pigs give orders and eat food frivilously and take up residence in the Manor House. It is hear where Orwell most effectively conveys his ideas to the reader, in such a simple yet very ironic way. All animals are equal- these are the animals that revolted against humans to create a life for themselves. They are against human principles but they live in a house, sleep in beds, eat at tables, use electricity and consume alcohol. They claim they are in charge for the benefit of everyone but only truly help themsleves. Animal Farm is a great story, an accurate description of the russian revolution told in an objective yet cunning way, especially with the title - Animal Farm: A FAIRY TALE. The author has used wonderful animal characters to imitate their human counterparts, appropriately named and catergorised. The pigs (stereotyped as an animal to be greedy, dirty and cunning) end up taking full charge of Animal Farm, with Napoleon ( no doubt in reference to Napoleon Bonepart) as their bombastic leader. I recommend this book to anyone particularly interested in the contrast of politics with human morals and ethics. It is a wonderful and easy to read text, written in simple english but with an extremely complex and thought provoking messages. Animal Farm- a culmination of wit, irony, sarcasm and sardonicism in a brilliant satire that relates to real life in so many ways, yet it is written about animals.
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Summary: A History Book???
Review: After completing the text, I detested the book. I couldn't see the relation between this book and the world of reality (at this stage I had no knowledge of the Russian Revolution(RR)). But when, after countless hours of studying the book in-depth within class, I finally saw how closely the plot of Animal Farm, mirrored events of the RR, so closely in fact that this book could easily be mistaken for being part of the high school History sylabus for study of the RR. But, as this book carries such in-depth meanings concerning communism and morales, I don't believe it makes a good leisure reading book. In order to benefit most from this book, a general knowledge of events within the RR would be essential either before or after you read the book. Some of you may be thinking, why the hell should we read this book to find out about the RR when we're supposed to know about it anyway, but Orwell has entwined events, his own ideas and displays the problems of communism all within a fantasy world where animals take the place of humans and a farm symbolises the country of Russia anfd this to me makes all the difference between a history book and a novel with a factual background. All begins well when the animals adopt the social structure of communism and the farm prospers. But things start going uphill from there as animals, symbolising the workers and commonfolk of Russia, rebel, produce disapears and all animals except the pigs lose more and more responsibility for the organisation of the farm until at last the pigs, symbolising the leaders of Russia, gain complete control of the farm and begin to strip the farm of its produce. Though I had no background knowledge at all on the RR, I predicted the climax of the book from the end of chapter three. So as I read and read, I felt confined and wanted to yell at the animals as I though it was obvious as to how the book would finish and also that the animals seemed so daft because they let the pigs hoodwink them. Yet though the book was predictable, by the completion of the majority of our study I have to say that I now have readjusted my opinion and POV, and can say I've enjoyed the book.
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Summary: Comrade Napoleon is Always Right!!!!
Review: Animal Farm is a book that achieves many things, but mostly it is accurate. Author George Orwell has clearly done much reasearch on how the Bolshevik revolution unfolded, and what life in the communist Soviet Union was like. He follows the revolution step for step, up until the late 1940's when the book was written. The careful description of the carachters and the part they play in the story and in history is fantasctic. The carachters such as Comrade Napoleon (representing Stalin) or Snowball (Trotsky) or even Old Major (Lenin) or the dogs (KGB) all act exactly how they are supposed to. This accuracy on Orwell's part makes the book extremely humorous. But, even though Animal Farm is witty, it can take itself seriously. Along with this humorous look at the situaition, there is also a tone of the grim reality of what did happen in the Soviet Union, (i.e. the execution of people opposed the Stalin). The struggle conveyed by the animals is probably accurate as well. With all it's humor, and it's historucal accuracy, as well as George Orwell's writing style and good vocabulary, make Animal Farm a great read. In short, this is one of the greatest, if not the greatest political allegory of modern times. Remember, Comrade Napoleon is Always Right!
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