Rating: 
Summary: Animal Farm
Review: I read this, because my friend told me it was great and said it was hilarius. Well I however disagree. This novel reeked of total sucktitude!! Meaning it sucks!! oh it's true alright, it's true!The novel is so repetitive, and very boring. The novel has its occasional dramatic moments, especially the one with boxer was great, and the battles were well described, but other than that it was just very uninteresting. After a while the slaughtering was over done, and i was thinking, "if the animals know they'll get slaughtered, why are they still confessing?" The building of the windmill just kept repeating and repeating, and it was really dissapointing that snowball didn't return. I personally think this novel sucks, and that my friends, is true!! Oh it's true, it's true.
Rating: 
Summary: A great book
Review: One of my friend's reccommended this book to me and I loved it! It is a quick read (I was able to read it in a few hours) I would recommend this book to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: Animal Farm - The work of a creative genius.
Review: George Orwell's animal farm is a fantastic book written by such a wonderful author. It is a satire based upon the Russian Revolution, dealing with complex political issues such as communism and corruption. In a relatively short story, Orwell not only mocks and critisises different aspects of the revolution, but also explains many political ethics and principles. He creates many thought provoking ideas through such a simple story of farm animal, such as the fundamentals of the communist movement and of equality. It is, ideally, the story of a farm of animals who take over from their human master and revolt against humans generally because of the legacy left to them by their fellow 'comrade' Major. They create commandments and have an official song, these ideas described as showing 'Animalism'. The notion of equality is then established with the reader, and from this point Orwell uses very skilled writing to convey various messages. The farm progresses with the pigs becoming the 'natural' leaders. Conflict then arises between two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball. They both believe in the same principles of equality (or so they say) but have very different ideas for the direction of Animal Farm. Napoleon eventually drives Snowball out of the farm, literally, with the help of his dogs/henchman. After the departure of Snowball, a distinct fear and serparation is created between the pids and dogs and the other animals. Their workload is increased and the animals receive less food whilst the pigs give orders and eat food frivilously and take up residence in the Manor House. It is hear where Orwell most effectively conveys his ideas to the reader, in such a simple yet very ironic way. All animals are equal- these are the animals that revolted against humans to create a life for themselves. They are against human principles but they live in a house, sleep in beds, eat at tables, use electricity and consume alcohol. They claim they are in charge for the benefit of everyone but only truly help themsleves. Animal Farm is a great story, an accurate description of the russian revolution told in an objective yet cunning way, especially with the title - Animal Farm: A FAIRY TALE. The author has used wonderful animal characters to imitate their human counterparts, appropriately named and catergorised. The pigs (stereotyped as an animal to be greedy, dirty and cunning) end up taking full charge of Animal Farm, with Napoleon ( no doubt in reference to Napoleon Bonepart) as their bombastic leader. I recommend this book to anyone particularly interested in the contrast of politics with human morals and ethics. It is a wonderful and easy to read text, written in simple english but with an extremely complex and thought provoking messages. Animal Farm- a culmination of wit, irony, sarcasm and sardonicism in a brilliant satire that relates to real life in so many ways, yet it is written about animals.
Rating: 
Summary: A History Book???
Review: After completing the text, I detested the book. I couldn't see the relation between this book and the world of reality (at this stage I had no knowledge of the Russian Revolution(RR)). But when, after countless hours of studying the book in-depth within class, I finally saw how closely the plot of Animal Farm, mirrored events of the RR, so closely in fact that this book could easily be mistaken for being part of the high school History sylabus for study of the RR. But, as this book carries such in-depth meanings concerning communism and morales, I don't believe it makes a good leisure reading book. In order to benefit most from this book, a general knowledge of events within the RR would be essential either before or after you read the book. Some of you may be thinking, why the hell should we read this book to find out about the RR when we're supposed to know about it anyway, but Orwell has entwined events, his own ideas and displays the problems of communism all within a fantasy world where animals take the place of humans and a farm symbolises the country of Russia anfd this to me makes all the difference between a history book and a novel with a factual background. All begins well when the animals adopt the social structure of communism and the farm prospers. But things start going uphill from there as animals, symbolising the workers and commonfolk of Russia, rebel, produce disapears and all animals except the pigs lose more and more responsibility for the organisation of the farm until at last the pigs, symbolising the leaders of Russia, gain complete control of the farm and begin to strip the farm of its produce. Though I had no background knowledge at all on the RR, I predicted the climax of the book from the end of chapter three. So as I read and read, I felt confined and wanted to yell at the animals as I though it was obvious as to how the book would finish and also that the animals seemed so daft because they let the pigs hoodwink them. Yet though the book was predictable, by the completion of the majority of our study I have to say that I now have readjusted my opinion and POV, and can say I've enjoyed the book.
Rating:
Summary: Comrade Napoleon is Always Right!!!!
Review: Animal Farm is a book that achieves many things, but mostly it is accurate. Author George Orwell has clearly done much reasearch on how the Bolshevik revolution unfolded, and what life in the communist Soviet Union was like. He follows the revolution step for step, up until the late 1940's when the book was written. The careful description of the carachters and the part they play in the story and in history is fantasctic. The carachters such as Comrade Napoleon (representing Stalin) or Snowball (Trotsky) or even Old Major (Lenin) or the dogs (KGB) all act exactly how they are supposed to. This accuracy on Orwell's part makes the book extremely humorous. But, even though Animal Farm is witty, it can take itself seriously. Along with this humorous look at the situaition, there is also a tone of the grim reality of what did happen in the Soviet Union, (i.e. the execution of people opposed the Stalin). The struggle conveyed by the animals is probably accurate as well. With all it's humor, and it's historucal accuracy, as well as George Orwell's writing style and good vocabulary, make Animal Farm a great read. In short, this is one of the greatest, if not the greatest political allegory of modern times. Remember, Comrade Napoleon is Always Right!
Rating: 
Summary: Joel Mason TIGS HOMEWORK YR9 ENGLISH
Review: I have read Animal Farm for a school text and I really was dissapointed by how poor the novel really was. Even though the story was partially based on the Russian revolution I believe the story was very basic and almost childish if you knew nothing about the historic points behind it.But even knowing the historics behind the novel it was boring to the last.To many parts of the story are just recollections of what happened during the revolution and it just reads like it was copied out of a text book and the caracters are added to get the kiddies reding it. The novel was very pradictable and reads like a primary school text. The characters take to many traits from humans and not enough traits from their own species. And another point I would like to add is, who is this story meant for, adults or children, because for me it is to childish for adults(with the use of animals and primary school wording) and to old for the children (the violenceand the actual theme of the story) Thankyou for reading.
Rating:
Summary: Could this be literary perfection?
Review: What defines a good book? How about fluid writing style, a gripping plot, great social commentary, great action, superb dialogue, interesting and dynamic characters, a well presented environment? Well, most books, even my favorites, don't encompass all these qualities. I've finally found a book that does. Knowing nothing about this book, I wanted to start this small classic and finish up in a few days. Less than two hours later I wrapped this book up with my mouth wide open. I could not believe how good a book could be. Basically this book captures the flaws of communism and capitalism in a fantastic fairy tale about one farm rebellion and it's aftermath. It works as a great story, it works as a mirror to modern society, and it works as representation of the Soviet Union. Pardon the cliché, but it works on all levels. Basically, read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Well worth your time
Review: Like most books i end up reading, this one was for my english class. Naturally sceptical at first, considering I'm a sophmore reading what seemed like a silly childrens book, I began reading through the tiny little book. It came to me as a great surprise that this was no children's book at all. The tone it sets is that of an angry old man trying to scare his grandchildren through the medium of a story. That's the great irony in this book: that it seems innocent at first, but then burns communism in such a great way that would make any true capitalist laugh. And since the book's short, your really not losing too much by reading this. its A great read for your time.
Rating:
Summary: A parable of the revolution ...
Review: Like the first books of Gulliver's Travels, where Swift's pointed satire on English-French rivalry have been lost in the striking idea of tiny people and giant people, so this allegory of the 'dictatorship of the proletariat' has quite lost its political point against the power of the story. The equation of pigs with the Bolsheviks, the pig Napoleon with Stalin and Snowball with Trotsky is ultimately quite unnecessary to enjoyment of the story - exactly like 'Gulliver's Travels'. Yet the point was not lost on the people of the 1940s, nor on the oppressed people of Eastern Europe and Russia, who read the book in secret. Nor was the point lost on fellow-travellers in the West who made Orwell struggle to have it published. This is the only English book (along with 1984) guaranteed to have been read by every Russian dissident. That in itself is a monument to Orwell. This book will last as long as Swift's, possibly longer.
Rating:
Summary: Animal Farm
Review: This book is one of the most enspiring novels I've ever read! This book is a mixture of several concepts.There is freedom, life, stupidity , and betrayal.The book talks about a group of farm animals.There is an old man who tries to take away their rights in the story. The man gets some of the animals to help hem on the deal.But the animals won't let that hapen.There is many dramatic moves in the story.I hope you enjoy the book.
|
