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Summary: A Spot on Satire about Communism and Human nature
Review: I don't think I can add much more praise to what has already been mentioned, suffice to say that it is one of life's must read books, and that it is a brilliant damming indictment on communism. The animals well meaning idea of a Utopian farm being cruelly destroyed by a corrupt pig and his minions, is a brilliant parallel of a human desire to build a Utopian Heaven on Earth being knocked sideways by the corruptibility and sinfulness that exists in all humans. You end up feeling intensly sorry for Boxer, wishing that Snowball would come back, hoping that the animals have the guts to start a rebellion fairly early on and trying to avoid a sneaking and vindictive desire to see Napoleon and Squealer packed off to the nearest abitoir and served as rashers of bacon on a farmers breakfast plate.
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Summary: Much More Than a 'Fairy Story'
Review: Of George Orwell's two most well known books- "Animal Farm" and "1984"- it is my observation that the latter is generally the more widely read. It is difficult to see just why this is. Perhaps people have a more difficult time relating to a 'fairy story' involving farm animals than they do with a novel involving real people. Perhaps the presence of some of the more sexually explicit scenes in "1984", and the absence of such scenes in "Animal Farm", makes "1984" more attractive to certain readers. Or perhaps (this is my theory) readers do not think that any 'fairy story' can possibly have enough substance to be relevant to them and their world.If people really think this, and some evidently do, they are quite mistaken. Far from being fanciful or childish, "Animal Farm" is arguably a better book than its more famous sibling. It is the more consise and well written of the two; it has a discipline of purpose that the other does not; it contains all Orwell's famous insights into totalitarian corruption of language and disregard of historical fact. In short, it contains everything that "1984" does, without any of the nonsense. It may be argued that Orwell's message- that totalitarianism is evil- is an obvious one. This is not an unreasonable argument. Nobody, or at least nobody with any sense, believes that there is anything good about totalitarianism. However, Orwell also makes it clear that totalitarianism comes in many forms, and it can easily be disguised as something noble, and the people who are placed under its yoke are often under the delusion that they are acting nobly by their submission. Today's tyrants can do much that their forerunners could only dream of: they disguise their crimes with elegant euphamisms; they decieve whole nations by widely spreading false information; they protect their political powers through the use of force to magnify their supporters and to frighten and silence their dissenters; and they can do these things while presenting themselves as selfless protecters of the common good. If we are to protect ourselves against today's tyrants, we must first be aware of the existence of such people. Our ignorance, far from being our bliss, may prove our downfall. Contemporary Amaricans still tend to turn a blind eye to the atrocities of the totalitarian governments such as in China, Cuba, and Iraq. We ignore the fact that these nations hate all the values for which the free world stands. We pay no heed to the fact that these nations torture and murder innocent political prisoners without trial. We do not recognize that the rulers of these countries are homicidal maniacs. We are helping nothing by our ignorance. "Animal Farm" is not a fable. Quite to the contrary; it remains, more than five decades after it was written, a terribly urgent reality.
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Summary: Witty but thought-provoking take on Communism gone wrong
Review: While not as essential and disturbing as Orwell's other classic 1984, Animal Farm is most certainly an excellent book well worth a read. It is funny, yet has an important political underlying aspect. To use a cliche (sorry!) the book can be enjoyed on more than one level.
It demonstrates how Communism, originally designed to aid the working class, can work against them, and its analogies work well and hilariously, such as how you can't tell the difference between the pigs and the humans at the end. Animal Farm exposes the naivity of the Communist system without being anti-communist entirely. It just makes the point that it isn't very practical, which is a fair point.
The funniest thing I found about this book is the animal analogies to the leaders of Communism. You've got your Stalin and Trotskey, both in the form of pigs and you've got many other well-realised analogies. Animal Farm is very good at demonstrating how Communism can work out unfairly for those who really work to make it function correctly. It also can provide a basic introduction to the issue surrounding Communism and early 20th century Russia to a young reader. Or, if you are not concerned with its relevance to political systems, it is still a fun and entertaining read.
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Summary: You can see them little piggies (with their piggie wives)!
Review: This is THE edition to own of Orwell's classic (and haunting) "fairy story". Not only Ralph Steadman's vitriolic pen is masterfully honed to the book's wit, mood and characters, the editors have also included an essay, by Orwell as well, about the fredom of the press, which in my opinion is worth the price of the book alone. Buy it and read it at once, and for chrissake, don't even think of skipping this book by watching its dreadful film versions!
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Summary: Totalitarianism Unveiled
Review: In this classic novel, many lessons can be learned about the nature of totalitarianism, which is present at both the beginning and the conclusion of the novel. At first, a group of animals dream of scaring away their authoritative master, Mr. Jones, in hopes of abolishing totalitarianism in favor of democracy. Once Jones is gone and a de facto revolution is underway, however, an innate lust for power puts the pigs in charge of the new government. After that, it was only a matter of time before a pig named Napoleon climbed to the top of the hierarchy and unofficially established himself as the new dictator of Animal Farm. This rise to power reinstated totalitarianism on the farm, and several characteristics of this type of government became apparent. Many citizens in a totalitarian government unwittingly aid the dictator by pledging allegiance while walking around with blinders on. For example, Boxer's pithy maxims, "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right," add fodder to the cannons that Napoleon thoughtlessly fires back at the animals. For those who will not give their careless assent as Boxer the horse did, the totalitarian regime is always eager to spew propaganda left and right. Squealer, Napoleon's spin doctor, successfully convinces many animals that their memories had failed them as he twists the facts in Napoleon's favor. There are a few intelligent others, though, that will not be completely convinced by propaganda. Animals like Benjamin the donkey and Clover the horse are not fully trusting of Squealer's truthfulness, but Napoleon's vicious guard dogs scare away any thought of dissension from the animals. By censoring their speech with the eradication of all discussion and altering their thoughts with force-fed propaganda, Napoleon has complete control over the animals' lives. Besides being a wonderful piece of literature, this novel is also a brilliant political satire that will teach lessons about how power corrupts and how absolute power corrupts absolutely. Orwell wrote the novel as a parallel to the Russian Revolution, so it also reinforces a history lesson. Most importantly, though, Orwell teaches that political awareness and action by the populace are vital to the success of any democracy -- the leading cause of oppression is apathy. Even if you don't read it in high school, it is a worthwhile experience to read "Animal Farm." In decades past and for years to come, this novel has been and will continue to be used as a primer for studying political thought. If nothing else, it is certain to make you a more alert, conscientious citizen.
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Summary: Why can't a man share his opinion without being insulted?
Review: I am tired of people complaining and saying horrible things about George Orwell because he made a social commentary about the Russian Revolution or Capitalism or whichever political movement Animal Farm was based on. I believe he was deliberately criticizing the Socialist revolution, but what right do others have to say his opinion makes him a bigot or a "madman", as some reviewers have in this forum said. Can't an author make an (howbeit biased) opinion without being horribly scrutinized for it? Animal Farm is not even a SEMI-historical account: it's a biased allegory. People do have the right to disagree, but its Orwell's opinion. It doesn't have to be someone else's, and Orwell definitely doesn't deserve the insults I've read here.
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Summary: Required reading for Revolutionaries
Review: Anyone thinking of starting a revolution should READ THIS BOOK!
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Summary: A clever parody
Review: George Orwell's second classic, "Animal Farm" is a witty jab at socialism being used as an excuse to create a dictatorship. Especially, it is targeted at Joseph Stalin. Its famous maxim, "All animals are equal, some are just more equal than others" is sadly applicable to any society, and not limited to totalitarianism. This is certainly a worthwhile read.
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Summary: On Animal Farm
Review: For anyone reading Orwell or the classic novels, Animal Farm is a must read. While not as complex or intriguing as 1984, Animal Farm nonetheless is worthwhile in its own right. The book is essentially an argument against Totalitarianism or Communism delivered through an allegory of a group of animals on a farm. The dynamic between the animals and the farmer is the medium Orwell uses to make his case. Although it is a relatively simple and short story, it conveys a powerful message. The book was written after "Homage to Catalonia", Orwell's autobiographical description of his participation in the Spanish Civil War and indeed takes on new and greater meaning when read after HtoC.
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Summary: Easy Orwell
Review: Animal Farm is a cute little book great for combined 6th or 7th grade studies in English and History. It tells the story of the Russian revolution (1917) and its aftermath through George Orwell's Trotskij-stained glasses. The analogies are so easy to notice that I, personally, got tired of reading the book after just a few pages. But the book isn't entirely crappy. It can be used as great entertainment for kids. Because however involuntarily amusing it is in this wrapping, the Russian revolution definitely was action-packed. You can also choose to read the book without considering the historical framework. When that is done the book gains a lot and actually ends up seeming quite cute. George Orwell is a great writer and he surely had great reasons for writing "Animal Farm". It can be read as an introduction to some of his other work. But if I was you I would jump right on to 1984.
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