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Summary: A tired and overrated story
Review: George Orwell is one of those white male colonialist writers of whom the world has had more than enough. A misogynist and pseudo-Leftist, most of what he wrote actually argues *against* social upheaval and egalitarianism. Animal Farm is his effort to mythologize the accession and revolt that occurred in the Soviet Union. He obviously is unable to separate what went wrong with the particular Communist regime (controlled by men) in the USSR, from what *can* happen when the oppressed revolt successfully; apparently Orwell was afraid of successful revolt by the underpriviledged of his time, and so he wrote a story that condemns revolution for all times (timelessness). So it's time to get rid of Orwell himself, and to start paying attention to the incredibly courageous contemporary radical voices writing today, including Mary Daly, bell hooks, Jane Marcus, Cornel West, and many others, all of whom outrank the rather shoddy Orwellian intellect.
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Summary: Classic. One of my favorites.
Review: Great characters, great story, and a simple, direct writing style. It can be read in about a half hour. One of the most touching and powerful stories I have ever read. If you're in High School you've probally have already been required to read this for English. Unlike some books you might have to read in High School, this book isn't a waste of your time.
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Summary: animal review
Review: this was a great satirical view of communism by one, George Orwell. i like the fact that you can read the story just for the story or you can look deeper into it and find the true meaning. definetly recommended to anybody looking for a good, short read.
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Summary: I didn't expect to like it...
Review: I had to read it for school, and although I love reading, I somehow had a preconception of Animal Farm as dry and too political. I was so wrong! I loved every page of this book. You don't have to be someone who only reads edifying classics to appreciate it. It's compelling and very well-written, and enjoyable and understandable even though I'm the first to admit I don't know much about politics! I loved its relentless cynicism. I'd highly recommend Animal Farm to anyone who's 15 or older. Four legs good, two legs bad!
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Summary: A great reflection of polotics in the 20th century.
Review: I just wanted to say that this is the best book I have ever read, and it lets you look at our government a little differently.
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Summary: Very Accurate description of politicians .
Review: George Orwell did an excellent job in the way he depicted human behavior during the Russian Revolution and the behaviors of the character in Animal Farm. This was a simple and short book, that was one of the reasons I chose to read it. But after the first page, it's like you can put it down until you've read every page. The characters in the book were not unlike many politicians I have read and known about. For example, Napoleon, the pig, represented Stalin and the way he ran Russian during the revolution. This a great book and deserves to be read by anyone that can read. It's a masterpiece in disguise.
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Summary: Barnyard power struggle parallels Russian Revolution
Review: Orwell's "Animal Farm" is a fast-paced fable about power struggles and corruption. Read literally, it is a simple book with a strong theme. When applied to the Russion Revolution, it becomes a humorous and amusing political sattire. Take a break and read this book! Have fun!
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Summary: Iowa boy find Animal Farm more exciting than his own farm!
Review: You all know the saying that you can't judge a book by it cover. The book Animal Farm by George Orwell makes this old saying true. Beyond the old tattered pages lies a timeless classic. This story is about the life on a farm. The animals and the farm duties are neglected and the animals are fed up with Farmer Jones. Lead by a prize pig Major, the animals decide to revolt. The animals take over the farm and run the farm for themselves. When doing this they change the name to Animal Farm and now they are completely in charge. Later in the story some of the animals break the rules and make their own rules for life on the farm. This only leads to problems with the operation of the farm. The story of Animal Farm is told in a simple straightforward style. The sentences are often short and simple. "Old Major cleared his throat and began to sing." This story is a fictitious story that is a fable. This means that is usually has a moral and animals act like humans. Orwell did a great job of making these animals very much like humans. In the story for example the dogs still bite and growl, yet the still support Napoleon's drive for political power. Another example is how the pigs eat mash and they also drink whiskey and walk on two legs by the end of the story. I feel the moral of the story was revealed in the last lines of the story. "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." I hope I didn't ruin the ending of the story for you. This story also has great description that kept me interested. "With the ring of light from his lantern dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard, kicked off his boots at the back door, drew himself a last glass of beer from the barrel in the scullery, and made his way up to bed, where Mrs. Jones was already snoring." I felt that this book was very easy to read; yet the meaning behind it took more time to grasp. It is only 118 pages and can be finished on a rainy afternoon. The story's ending summed up the plot of the story very well. This happened when the last commandment was written "But some animals are more equal than others." This had been proven true when the pigs rebelled from all of the other farm commandments. I liked this book a lot because it seemed to be very realistic. Even though these were animals, their actions were almost just like humans. This story might not be for everyone because of the deep messanges portrayed at the end of the story. Yet I would recommend this book to most anyone because it makes you see that there isn't a perfect society anywhere. There will always be someone that breaks the rules and tries to be better than everyone else.
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Summary: Muy Bien!
Review: Animal Farm portrays the behavior of humans in a society of farm animals and mirrors the real-life condition of communism. It is an allegory that can be applied to almost any system of government. Although Orwell satirizes the Russian revolution, the book communicates such a shocking message it must be considered a significant work. Abuse of power and the use nepotism to maintain authority are horrifying realities that exist today. The novel entailed descriptions of the different animal characters, each representing a figure in the true drama of the communist revolution in Russia. Benjamin, a pivotal character in representing a facet of society, is depicted as a wise, clever donkey who accepts that life is the way it is and does not try to change it. He saw what the other animals failed to see; the real truth behind the Rebellion -one ruler would only be replaced by another. He represents the intellectuals, and perhaps, the Jews, during the era of communism in Russia. Napoleon used his fellow animals' intrigue with the philosophy of Old Major to deceive them into working towards his goals. When he first established himself as the leader of Animal Farm, he appeared to be a good-hearted and fair ruler. However, as time progressed he became increasingly dictatorial, initially he lied to his populace and eventually he executed anyone who opposed him, all in the name of animalism. As the novel closed, irony was a principal element. Although the animals had undergone a revolution with great personal sacrifice, they ended up in even more oppressive circumstances than that of their former human masters, from which they did not revolt. The book reflects realities of communist totalitarianism in a realistic manner. Animal Farm illustrates the biting irony of socialism corrupted by those very elements which the animals previously overthrew -a greedy ruling class. Orwell ends the novel with the realistic insight that even in a "classless" non-material society, the capable and self-serving bureaucrats who crave power will eventually rise to positions of authority and subjugate the masses to a life of slavery to serve their selfish needs
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Summary: Clever and highly relevant fable of corruption and tyranny.
Review: While I'm sure that this is not the greatest prose that has ever been written, this book is a joy to read in itself. Orwell, himself a socialist, paints a brilliant allegory of the Russian Revolution and its evolution into Stalinism by 1945 using a fable of a mass of animals on a farm rebelling from their capitalistic oppression by the consumers. It certainly falls short of, as some here seem to beleive, a total economic/philosophical evaluation of Communist societies in general, but nevertheless it's a brilliant satire on their nature and how human (animal) nature betrays idealism.
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