Animal Farm

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful Fairy Tale about the truth of Communism
Review: Reading the below reviews, I guess every reader gets a glimpse of this book. This dark book is short and reminds me of "Lord of the Flies" in the sense that each individual character represents some class of characteristic or person/ place or thing. Plus both books show the start of something good, something beautiful that turns awry. The book is simple yet very complexed. I do not recommend this book (or the movie for that matter) to children younger then ten or eleven. It is brutal and dark, but its truth shines through.

Rating:
Summary: Historical and political satire you can read to your kids!
Review: People often wonder how they can teach their kids tough concepts, and hopefully, they'll gorow to understand them. Here's a good example of an answer to that. Orwell pokes at the Russian revolution with a nimble fork, setting it as a fairy tale of animals that talk. The final sentence is an incredible line, one that a million authors wishes will spring from their pen on the right moment.

Rating:
Summary: Example of Recurring Abuse in Society- A Masterpiece
Review: This book is an animalian illustration of how humanity time and again uses power for evil. Animal Farm is an important contradiction in itself because it shows how superiority and mental capacity on a higher evolutionary level is not necessarily a qualification for supremacy. This book is a screenplay that is unfortunately and inveitably replayed everyday and the nations of this world are the stages. Not necessarily a masterpiece, this book is a truthful guide into the faults of humanity. The irony: it takes a group of beasts to guide us.

Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Philosophy
Review: At first glance, this book is a cool story about animals who rebel against the farmer... but looking deeper it parallels the Russian Revolution, and tells a lot about Communism. As with 1984, It is another 'down with big brother' book, but with a completely different flavour. It is truly a remarkable book - one that you can read two or three times in a day, and you should. I found many new things when I reread the book... and each time I do, it becomes more intreging. Absolutely everyone should read this book!

Rating:
Summary: Funny and disturbing
Review: Amazing how a bunch of pigs and farm animals can completely resemble human beings, societies and politicians-followers. Orwell's sweet n' simple story is anything but, and tells the tale of Utopia-gone-wrong, is like a twisted fairy tale unhappily ever after. Nevertheless, the book is hilarious and though dark, it makes you think and be thankful/critical to live in the society that we do, with and without it's flaws.

Rating:
Summary: A Superb Venture by Orwell!
Review: At the time of Animal Farm's, and 1984's first publish, certain European powers were on the rise. George Orwell seems to have been the only one ready enough and intelligent one to take on Hitler and Stalin. While others hid in their cupboards in fear of an air raid. Orwell spent longs hours at his desk putting on the finishing touches to his masterpieces. Even if Hitler had taken over the world (thank God he didn't), Orwell would have been there making the brainwashed realize the evil and wrong doing behind the Nazi beliefs. In my personal opinion, Orwell affected World War II as much as Eisenhower and Churchill did. Only he made people, years later, remember just how important freedom, life, liberty, and a caring government really are.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Read, A book that certainly deserves credit.
Review: DISCLAIMER: If you're looking for some brilliant analysis of Animal Farm compared to the real world, you're not going to find it here, I'm just trying to give my opinion, so enjoy!

I decided around two days ago that I was going to triple my reading speed and I bought a book called Triple Your Reading Speed. First, you must determine your reading speed (or words read per minute), and then you begin exercise to improve peripheral vision, speed, and comprehension. Of course this fascinated me, but I never expected it too work. It did! I only doubled my reading speed, but that's certainly enough for me! Anyway, after you have completed the course, you have book-length assignments- famous books that are short but require some comprehension and understanding of the material to finish it- or at least understand it. The first book I was required to read was: Animal Farm. I was curious about it because a lot of people said it was good and it's on a lot of great books of the 20th century lists. So, I said what the heck, I'll read it. I gulped in down in about 3 hours, and I loved it! Funny, cute little story but an excellent message.

I don't know much about Communism, but I was still able to enjoy this book.

The name of the book basically describes the story... a bunch of animals take over a farm and run it. It's original, and even little children might like to read it just for the fun little characters and the idea of animals talking. I mean, Disney puts out hundreds of movies just like this (without the underlying messages and the satire, of course) and kids love 'em! Why not get your 4th or 5th grade child to read this? It's a funny little story.

I must say, that there is basically one paragraph that makes the entire book worthwhile, and I'll quote it for you:

"Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."

Ending this review, I think that is probably the greatest paragraph of 20th century literature I have ever read (I haven't read much though...)

Read it!

A.A.

Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars Without A Doubt
Review: I was looking through the reviews of this excellent book and one of the reviews basically consisted of (and indeed, I believe this was the title): "Animals can't talk-duh". Fool! This book has nothing to do with animals, nothing at all. IT IS ABOUT US. And that is very scary, my friend. And what is the scariest part about it all? IT'S TRUE. And in case you still needed any proof of the fact, you need only look at this example of our inherent immaturity when reviewing this great work of literature.

Rating:
Summary: una parodia de nuestro mundo
Review: todos los animales son iguales, pero hay animales mas iguales que otros. este libro es una parodia sobre nuestra sociedad y sobre las bases hipocritas en las que esta fundada, no puede hablarse de igualdad entre nosotros, cuando una parte de la humanidad ignora la otra, cuando en verdad no somos iguales, es solo un sueno de alguien para calmarnos las ansias. por eso existen libros como este, tambien es bueno recalcar los comienzos de la historia, todo empieza en aparentes condiciones de igualdad entre los animales, hasta que los mas aguzados ven que pueden sacar partido de la situacion y empiezan a distorsionar las reglas del juego en beneficio propio. este libro es un despertador de consciencias dormidas, ojala se leyera mas por aqui.

LUIS MENDEZ [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: Obviously a classic. Excellent to read with or without proir knowledge of the Soviet Union, although the more you know, the greater you understanding of the authour's original message. I read the book previously, but bought a copy just to have around.