Animal Farm

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Summary: Communist Pigs
Review: The book was way ahead of it's time, it was written around the second World War. At the beginning a pig named Old Major gives the rest of the animals on the farm the idea to revolt against the humans running the farm. Old Major soon dies in an accident, but his memory doesn't, and the animals conduct the revolt. It's succesful! The pigs immediately are recognized as the leaders of the farm. There are two major pigs that never agree on anything, their names are Snowball and Napoleon. One day the two pigs are in a heated argument over whether or not to build a windmill. Napoleon sees that the animals will vote for Snowball's idea to build it, so Napoleon chases him off the farm. It then becomes a communistic enviroment where everyone slaves away in the fields all day and barely get enough rations to live, except for the pigs. By the end of the book Snowball is used as a scapegoat for every little thing piece of bad fortune. By the end of the book the other animals can't tell the difference between the humans and the Pigs. This book is very interesting and very good. I would definitely reccomend it. One great thing about the book is that the characters are all animals. Napoleon is very interesting, because even though he's a pig he teaches himself how to read, write, and trains himself in architecture and battle tactics. If you want to read a book that will leave you saying, "Whoa," or if you just want to read a great book Animal Farm is for you.

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Summary: Brilliant Satire of the Russian Revolution
Review: Orwell's novel is an absolutly brilliant satire. It is filled throughout with events which correspond directly to events of the Russian revolution. Orwell, himself a socialist, reveals the failure of this Soviet attempt at Communism in a fairy story of farm animals who overthrow their oppressive master for the purpose of creating a perfectly equal and self-governed society. A great book to read, especially if you are familiar with the Russian revolution, but anyone capable of comprehending the satire would be well advised to read and enjoy it.

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Summary: Freedom isn't free
Review: Animal Farm tells the story of a workers revolution betrayed. It uses the personification of animals to tell the story which is based upon the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. Although Orwell himself was a devout socialist, the book is fueled by his desire to deconstruct the Soviet Communist myth, and warn against innocence in any political system.

The story begins when Major (Karl Marx), the prize middle white boar, foretells a time of animal utopia. His vision is encapsulated into seven commandments under which all animals shall live.

The animals revolt against the owner of the farm, Mr. Jones (Czar Nicholas) in order to realize their dream of justice and equality, which they label Animalism (Marxism). For a time Animalism nears fruition until two pigs Napoleon (Stalin) and Snowball (Trotsky) struggle for the direction of the farm. From there, Animal Farm descends into a totalitarian state with each of the seven commandments being modified to justify the pigs' violence and greed. The ending is brilliant (tease line).

Even with the information of this short summary, Animal Farm is a brilliant story and a perfect read. Everyone need read this book. Everyone will glean something from it.

On one level it is a great and engrossing fairy tale. A real page-turner with eye opening concepts. On another level it's an allegory of the Bolshevik Revolution with each animal representing the participants. Read it on any level you desire - just read it. Then read it again. On every level, George Orwell's, Animal Farm is as relevant today as it was when it was published at the end of World War II. The message is a universal one.

Rating:
Summary: Yes, teach your children
Review: Read and discuss this with your children. Then give them a novel that is soon to rank with Orwell's 1984, "Transfer-the end of the beginning" by Jerry Furland. The future belongs to the children-unless the government says no, it belongs to us.

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Summary: Dominick
Review: Animal is quite remarakable. The way it used the personificatiion of animals to portray communism was ahead of it's time. The charachters also make the book stand out. Most of all it shows how gullible we can be in a certain situation, and for you to understand yourself better you have to read animal farm.

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Summary: Imagination galor
Review: This wonderful book is packed full of ideas and eyeopening concepts. As it is demonstrating the problems of scocity through totarialism pigs,dumb and misslead sheep, and other lovable(and hatable) characters. A true classic through and through. A must have for all book lovers! Buy it!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent for all Middle Schoolers!
Review: I read this excellent book, and wanted to read it again. It shows how people (in this case, animals) change during time, and how we need to pay more attention to the animals we love. George Orwell gives a world made of animals who want away from the world of man and their slavery. I think that George Orwell is a wonderful author.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Animal Farm is about the lives of animals living on a communist farm. When I first heard about it, I though that it was the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. But after the first page I knew that it was a wonderful book.

Rating:
Summary: Oink, Neigh and Cluck
Review: This book is a great exaple of Orwells genius. He crafts the story to match the progression of Russian communisim and never fails to make the story amusing. The whole story just shows what happens when anyone becomes power hungry enough to put their own rise in front of those they started out to benefit. I found this book captivating and interesting. I suggest it for any one who likes a good read and can grasp compicated ideas.

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Summary: Get your teenager to talk to you.
Review: Read this book with them. If it is required reading at school, and you haven't read it, get a copy - it's cheap - and read it together. It'll give you something to talk about, you know there's always a need for conversation starters between parents and teens. If you have little kids (older than 6) watch the video with them, get them to read the book later (there are some differences between the book and video). A classic that emphasizes Churchill's words - "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."