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Summary: Fallen Utopia
Review: I have read and re-read Animal Farm since studying ithighschool, and yes it is a heart breaking allegory about the failureof organised idealogy, its also a gripping simply and sharply written story that can engage people on every level of the intellectual food chain. Many readers will start off by pinning the signs on the donkey's backside so to speak i.e. Moses the crow who tells the overworked animals that their afterlives will be bliss represents the church. Benjamin the wise, but silent donkey is the silent intellectuals who could see what was going, but did nothing to save their own skin and so on. It still shocks me how accurate Orwell is, I can recognise a Squealer (the government publiscist talking in fanciful meaningless figures), a Napeloen and sadly too many Boxers in my own country. Strange that what Orwell wrote about the Russian revolution applies to almost any third world country today. The simplicity of the prose of Animal farm is by design, he wanted his book to be accessable to the masses, afterall this is the man who changed his name from Eric Blair to Goerge Orwell just to appeal to the "average Joe". I don't think he would have wanted this book to be discussed by intellectuals, he wanted it to reach you and me. Humanity has learned (in some parts of the world at least) that the only organised idealogy that works is the abscence of an organised idealogy. Utopia can never exist because 1- It can never be defined 2- It is against human nature not to strive to be better, superior, more powerful and richer then others. Unfortunate but true. The character of Snowball is in my opinion the most important of the book. He is full of good intent, he wants to start classes for the other animals to elevate their understanding of the world. He is also a careless and unrealistic character. What Orwell is saying here is that intent without action is useless. A person who cares about injustice and can't do anything about it is no better than a person who doesn't give it a moment's thought. Animal Farm is Orwell's masterwork, it is clairovoyant, the Soviet Union has indeed fallen. I believe the events of 1984 are only a few you years away, the government can already take pictures of your roof top. If you for some odd reason are among the few who haven't read Animal Farm, you must rectify that situation. It will make the inexplicable around you crystal clear.
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Summary: Still my *favorite* after all these years!
Review: Orwell writes one of his best works with "Animal Farm". Supprisingly enough we read this in Economics class in high school and not English! We had fun analyzing the communist meanings in the book (as Orwell was describing). Now that Communism is all but dead this book should be one that everyone reads...it shows how this diseased economic system can easily be instituted and the obivious disasterous outcome, and why it should never be repeated. The book is engaging and fun to read even if economics is not your thing! It's simply a great story with an unusual cast of farm animals as the leads! Buy the book and enjoy!
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Summary: Imagery helps to convey theme
Review: "Animal Farm," by George Orwell, is an eccentric piece about beaten and weary farm animals who take over their drunken owner's farm. After the control of the farm is in the hooves and paws of the animals, they establish certain rules and rights. Throughout the book, the pigs, who are the leaders gain more and more human-like qualities. They go against all their first set rules about no human objects or habits. Towards the end of the story things start going oddly wrong and the pigs' communist cooperative turns into a dictatorship. Things then become weird and confusing for the other animals. George Orwell's depiction of the setting and plot of the story is brought out by the carefully placed imagery. This impressive imagery displays the theme of how life has a certain order and trying to change this will only bring it right back around the circle again. The imagery of the piece conveys how Orwell made the animals seem less animal-like and more like humans. "A pig walking on it's hind legs," the piece states, displaying the human characteristics the pigs were obtaining. The symbolism is not so obvious, but yet simple enough for the reader to catch the idea. The imagery lets the reader knows something is going on (Russian Revolution) but that knowledge of what, wasn't key to understanding the book, for the theme is very universal.
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Summary: Animal Farm-Good fun with fun loving animals
Review: In "Animal Farm" by George Orwell, a rebellion is suggested and acted upon by animals. The pigs take most of the power themselves, believing they are the best administrators of government. Eventually the power corrupts them causing them to turn on their fellow animals, eliminating competitors through brainwashing and bloodshed. In "Animal Farm" George Orwell uses the farm to symbolize the communist system. Though the intention of overthrowing Mr. Jones isn't inherently evil itself, Napoleon's adoption of most of Jones' principles and mistreatment of animals proves that communism is just another form of inequality. Orwell intends to criticize the communist regime using symbolism. The farm represents Russia and the neighboring farms are Germany and England. The pigs represent Soviets and the other animals are workers. The Rebellion can be classified as the Russian Revolution and the whip symbolizes man's cruelty.
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Summary: animal farm
Review: I REALLY LOVE THIS BOOK. THIS IS A BOOK THAT GOES THROUGH ALL STAGES THAT COMMUNISIM DOES,BUT THE DIFFRENCE IS THAT IT IS ONLY ON A FARM. AND DIFFERENT GROUP OF PEOPLE ARE REPRESENTED BY DIFFERENT ANIMALS. I ALSO THINK THIS STORY HOLDS THE POWER OR EXPLAIN THE POWER OF POLITICAL UPRISING. AND I WAS VERY HAPPY AFTER READING IT BECAUSE IT GOES A LONG WAY AND TELLS MUCH ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IN THE RULING OF COUNTRIES.
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Summary: Long Live King Napoleon
Review: Political satire written so simply taht a child could understand. Animals revolt against the tyranny of a farm owner. They set up their own civilization that eventually comes full circle into a society just as oppressive as the one they revolted against. Orwell's symbolisms are simple but effective. Pigs as the ruling class Horses as the working Class Sheep as the peasants.
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Summary: Easy-to-Read and Short, but with DEEP Meaning
Review: Great book...full of symbols and allegory that really tells the story of the Russian Communist Revolution in a different way. There are really two stories going on simultaneously in this book: that of the pigs taking over Animal Farm from the inside, and that of Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin - each of whom is represented by a particular pig in the story. Every part of society, from the working class, to the bourgeoisie, to the religious people, are represented in this novel. What makes this story even better is the fact that it's incredibly short and easy to read.
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Summary: Great Book for everyone
Review: Animal Farm is a great book. Depending on how old you are you will look at this book differently. It can either be seen as a Fairy Tale or Fact. The truth is this book is a great portrail of the Russian Revolution. Its an easy read and can easily be finished in a sitting or two. I recommend that everyone should read this not only because its a great book but at the same time, its part of our history.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Story, Excellent Personification Techniques
Review: This book will be boring for those that hate reading about ridiclous deeds of fable-publicized farm animals. Well, this is political - you can compare it exactly to the Russian Revolution. The account is funny and accurate and will make you flip at some of the ridicolous things get done by dictators. Pretty interesting, but I don't say that it's a must read (it's now a required part of the 9th grade English curiculum in some states).
Rating:
Summary: A nice little political allegory
Review: If you like history/politics and know about the Russian revolution, then you will enjoy this book. It is written in a beautifully satirical manner, somewhat as a children's book would be written. Deeply disturbing, but extremely funny in its exterior. This story actually made me feel ill, when seeing, in this light, the injustices in the Russian Revolution.
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