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Summary: Sneaky..
Review: This book is an awesome book. Its extremely clever. When I first picked it up I thought it was a corny book about animals taking over a farm. But as I got more and more into it- I realized it was about types of governments- such as Communism, etc. And Utopia. I think this is an excellent book- but do not start this book thinking that it is all about animals- there is much more behind it. I recommend it to anyone who really wants to read deeply into a book.
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Summary: Funny, Ironic humor. A true timeless American classic.
Review: Just as the title says, you will love this one. I first read it way back in High School; part of my required readings for my English class. There is good reason it is required in many schools- A timeless classic. Makes you enjoy reading.
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Summary: satire at it's height
Review: yes, you guessed it: English class. It took me some time to get the real meaning of this book, but the lessons I learned have been with me ever since. I never really knew what satire was until I read this book and now I applaud it. A terrific read and thoroughly inticing plot. Animals that talk? There's so much more to it than that...a great find.
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Summary: terrific satire
Review: Animal Farm is kind of confusing because of its allegorical-historical nature. It's hard to keep track of the animals and who they really represent, you'd probably have to go back and check who's who (Napoleon = Stalin, Snowball = Trotsky). Also, you have to know a chunk of Russian Communism to get in touch with this. But in essence, this story is brilliant. Orwell is brilliant. He has encapsulated Communism into this dark but hilarious satire. Animal Farm will make you laugh, cry in outrage, and most of all horrify you with Napoleon's blatant hypocrisy (but of course the animals don't notice, ahem). Squealer the pig also topped my list as outrageous. He's like the spokesperson who reports new rules and is the great Napoleon defender (squeal!). The sheep are absolutely funny, who have nothing to bleat but "Four legs good, two legs bad!" until they are trained to follow a new chant: "Four legs good, two legs better!" Makes you think of the masses - they believe anything they are told. Watch out for the wickedly terrific ending. This book is such a riot. It's a hoot. And it was horrifyingly real.
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Summary: A Thought Provoking Classic
Review: "Animal Farm" is starts off a group of farm animals who uprise against their human owner and to make their farm the first to ever be run by animals. The book's main topic is not life on the farm; it is about more worldly topics that unfortunately too many have to deal with everyday: greed, power, and corruption. It is a satire of communism and the Soviet Revolution. A satire not in the sense of poking fun at those events but sharply criticizing them and those responsible. While reading the book, you cannot help but feel the animals who are being governed are partially responsible for the naivety and negligence. My eleventh grade class had to read it as a part of the syllabus and we all enjoyed it. We read it not only because we had to in class but many even went ahead and read it on our own at home. We would often question the animals for putting up with it, but it is hard to realize that so many humans did for so many years in communist countries. George Orwell does not preach in the book and it is not a boring retelling of past events. Amidst all the drama, it had a wry sense of humour to it. This book far exceeded my expectations.
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Summary: Golly it's good
Review: And that's the truth. What more can I say? Buy it, and no points for helpful or not, Ok?
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Summary: Animalism
Review: Through a coincidence of history, Animal Farm appeared in stores the same month that the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The irony of this publication date for one of the most politicized novels of the 20th century did not escape its early readers, or its author. Orwell made no secret of the fact that his writing, and Animal Farm in particular, was single-mindedly focused on the obliteration of totalitarian regimes. Animal Farm, while obviously referring to the general scope of all forms of totalitarian governments, may be seen as a satire of the Russian Revolution of 1917 in particular. Because of this controversial subject matter, British publishing houses were loathe to take on Orwell's work, and he was rejected throughout his entire first round of publishing attempts. Upon the novel's eventual publication in 1945, however, Orwell was instantly famous. Animal Farm is set on an English farm named Manor Farm, owned by Mr. Jones. The fable-like story concerns the rebellion of the farm animals, and is told entirely from their point of view. The story opens with Mr. Jones stumbling into bed, unable to lock up the farm properly after a night of excessive whisky drinking. Old Major, the venerable and well-respected pig, has called all the animals together for a meeting to take place after Mr. Jones has gone to bed, and they gather outside the big barn on the farm. Old Major tells them all that he had a miraculous dream last night, in which he saw his approaching death, and also understood more clearly the life of animals. He wants to impart his realizations to the rest of the animals while he still can, as well as rouse them to take the action that he has come to feel is necessary. Soon after, the animals rebel, and the Animalism regime begins. This book is a definite must-read for everyone and I give it five stars.
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Summary: A chilling allegory that hits close to home
Review: George Orwell's classic political allegory is many times seen as a metaphor for the Bolshevik Revolution, and it's characters are often seen as parallels for Marx, Trotsky, and Stalin. While this is true, Animal Farm is also in part an allegory of the government that can come about. Tyranny is bad, but Totalinarianism is no better, and the hunger for greater power is within us all, even if we begin with good intentions.
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Summary: very thoughtful
Review: this book is written to criticize Stalin and the soviet empire. it shows how the revolution was honorable and positive, but lead to nothing new but the same treatment, just under new leadership. one thing to remember, George Orwell was a socialist. he believed in socialism. but what he saw in the Soviet Union was an aberration of that. the Soviet Union, under both Lenin and Stalin became a totalitarian state--something that Orwell goes into much deeper in 1984--and not worthy of praise as a true socialist empire.
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Summary: still so important even today
Review: "...but Animal farm was written almost sixty years ago!" And it was, written by George Orwell in the onset of the Second World War and the Red Scare the U.S went through. Orwell wrote Animal Farm to express his views on how Communism and idealism and nationalism however good in theory, could not work in practice due to the faults of human nature. Look around you--it is happening today, and the more people who read Animal Farm and understand it's message, the better.
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