Rating: Summary: Animal Farm Review: Animal Farm witten by George Orwell is a very good book. The way that Orwell wrote this book makes it feel as if your a part of it. The deceitful ways of Napolean and the pigs almost pisses you off as if you are being deceived. Orwell's view of communisim in Russia is one that must be respected. I would reccomend this book to anyone that is intersted in history and/or government. As well as to anyone that enjoyed Orwell's book 1984. Which was another genius peice that he has written. The way Orwell showed how the pigs changed all of their commandments and then fooled the other animals into thinking that they are too stupid to remember what the commandment actually said was genius. As well the pigs convincing the other animals that everything they are doing is for the benefit of the public. Orwell really reflected the way things were with communisim in Russia, he criticized it pretty accuratley. He exposed it's flaws, how better could it have been done than the line saying that "all animals are equall but some are more equal than others" Once again I feel it is an important book to read. It is always good to hear others views and this a good chance to be able to do that, while reading an entertaining story as well.
Rating: Summary: Oh my goodness----just... No Review: I personally hated this book. I found it thouroughly boring it's tone was intolerqbly bleak and epressing--and poor Boxer! This book was such a bummer. I highly suggest AGAINST reading this book. I'm sure some people enjoyed, but most of my English class and I disliked it. I'm sure the author was a wonderful person, but this was just not a good book. Read something happier like, oh I don't know, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It's amd excellent read, and with the Holidays coming up, everyone wants to feel happy.
Rating: Summary: Good, quick, and easy Review: This book was a good one that went by in no time, the plot was simple, and the writing was easy to understand. To understand this book in depth you must know your history quite well. But overall if you want a fun read thats not meaningless mind candy, then read this. This book is very amusing and is definately worth you time.
Rating: Summary: ...But Some are More Equal than Others Review: "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others," is the baffling commandment written on the barn wall at the end of Animal Farm. It is not understood until the reader has made his or her way through the satire, encountering the feats and challenges of Naploean, Snowball, and the other animals living on the farm. Animal Farm is a witty, yet critical story of the farm animals on the former Manor Farm, overthrowing the human owner, Mr. Jones. The old boar, Major, professes that humans are the root of all evil and the animals must rebel and take control of the farm. His goal is to spread this message to animals everywhere, and eventually animals will take control over humans entirely. Finding that each event and character relates to an aspect of Russian history, reading Animal Farm became not only an irresistible book to put down, but a continually unfolding story of Russia in its totalitarian state that Orwell, the author, so despised. The excitement of the rebellion of the animals creates a vivid picture in my mind, as does the animals' confusion of the totalitarianism that begins to form. As the pigs continue to gain power and the animals continue to be convinced that it is for beneficial reasons, I cringed at their stupidity, which was probably Orwell's intention. As the story unfolds, it becomes predictable in a good way, as to how the animals will react to Naploean's incessant rise in power. Throughout the novel I found Squealer to be my least favorite character. Representing the propaganda viewed by the public due of Stalin's (Naploean) orders, Squealer makes speeches to the animals, lying to convince them that Naploean's power- hungry ways will positively affect them. This becomes very frustrating when the animals continue to believe Squealer's nonsense about things that obviously aren't true. His way of manipulating the animals is very perplexing and evil, making him my least favorite character, yet most intriguing. Animal Farm is very original in the sense that it is not only an enjoyable, leisurely read on its literal level, but creatively educates readers about Russian history at the same time. George Orwell cleverly created characters and a whole story about animals on a farm that symbolize figures and aspects of the rise of communism in Russia. Animal Farm is witty in the sense that these Russian leaders he is critical of represent pigs, and extremely critical of totalitarianism, which Orwell strongly despises. At some points during my reading of Animal Farm, I was confused as to why and how the animals could possibly believe the outrageous lies that Squealer spoke of. It just didn't seem believable that they would be this gullible. However, knowing that this novel is a satire, I learned that satires often exaggerate points to make the reader more critical of an aspect of society. Orwell most likely exaggerated the animals being this gullible and the egregious stories Squealer made up, making me much more critical of totalitarianism. I would definitely recommend this book to all of my friends or anyone wanting a fun read. I would also recommend it to anyone looking to teach or learn about Russian history. I would love to read other works by George Orwell because he puts aspects of society into a whole new perspective. Not only does Animal Farm represents aspects of Russian history through animals and their life on a farm, his opinions are very strong, and seem to grow throughout the book. It would be interesting to see what else he has to say in his other books. The end of Animal Farm is the most clever and witty part of the entire book and leaves the reader laughing and stupefied at the same time. What I love about the ending is the complete irony it presents. Orwell remarks at the end of Animal Farm that the story ironically ends almost in the same state it began. The problem at the beginning becomes the problem in the end; it went full circle. The difference between man and pig is incoherent. Just read it. You'll love it.
Rating: Summary: Great Quick Read Review: Animal Farm is a book that makes you think about what you are reading. I felt claustrophobic when I was reading this book because every time the pigs were acting like hypocrites, the other farm animals would just go with it. The pigs always had Squealer to rely on to convince the other animals who were stupider than the pigs. My favorite character was Benjamin, the donkey. He was my favorite because he just sat back basically and watched everything happen and didn't do anything stupid about it. If he had spoke out and protested against the pigs, he would have been killed. If he tried to keep a rebellion quiet and just talk to the other animals about rebelling, the animals would have been stopped and punished. I liked the book because it showed me a different perspective on communism and how it can come into power. Using animals instead of people was brilliant, I thought, because it's something that not only adults can relate to. I give praise to the author George Orwell because he constructed this masterpiece over fifty years ago and students in schools across the nation are still reading it. The book is still being read and learned from after all these years. I learned from this book about Russian history and how people like Stalin and Trotsky came into power starting a communist reign. I also learned a bit about Orwell and how political he really is. I thought the ending of the book was very good. How the pigs were acting more and more like humans everyday when all they told the animals was to be against humans, because this is why they rebelled in the first place. In the end, the pigs couldn't even tell the difference between the pigs and the humans because they were so alike. I have no questions about the book, and if there are things left unanswered then I think that they were meant to be unanswered by the author. I think if they were answered that it would only detract from the book. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend because it's such an enjoyable quick read. I would like to read 1984 by George Orwell after reading Animal Farm because I enjoyed Animal Farm so much. All in all, Animal Farm was a very enjoyable read and I recommend it to anyone who can obtain the book.
Rating: Summary: Animal Farm Review by JFalc Review: If history is your thing, you enjoy reading, and you live on a farm, Animal Farm, by George Orwell is definitely the book for you, my friends. This is a classic novel written during WWII that follows the occurrences during the rebellion of communists in Russia. This satire can be directly matched up with the actually happenings dealing with the Soviets and their rebellion against capitalism. Throughout the book I was captivated and forced to read more and more. When I began reading, I liked all the animals the same but about halfway through the book I began to dislike the pigs and feel sorry for the other animals being put to work like the pig's servants. I liked the fact that this book had understandable language, was short, and the story was easy to follow. The story never got boring at a single point throughout. George Orwell did an excellent job writing the book to fit the story of the rebellion of the Soviets. The story from the Jones' farm matched well with the story of the Russian rebellion. I enjoyed reading this book and I would probably recommend this book to a friend because it is a quick read, but it is also quite interesting and intriguing. I would also probably purchase another one of his books and see if his great writing style is evident in his other books. At the beginning of the story, I liked every animal the same. I did not like one more than the other. As the story progressed, I began to dislike Napoleon. Napoleon, like many leaders, got power-hungry. He continued to desire more and more power as the book progressed. The more power he achieved, the worse his decisions became. He put the other animals to work as if they were his slaves. He changed their seven "unchangeable" laws. Many other things were done by Napoleon because of the power that he had and the bad judgment he possessed. Napoleon's power hunger made me realize that too much of a good thing has a bad outcome. His power got into his head and thereof controlled his mind. When things like power and wealth are excessive, something needs to be done. If no action is taken, excessive power and wealth can lead to harmful consequences. The end of the book was very interesting. Napoleon, the leader of the rebellion against human beings and the enforcer of Animalism, has become completely humanlike in his behavior. Napoleon ends up making peace with the humans who were once enemies of the animals on the farm. This ending is very odd considering the stance of Napoleon early on in the book. The ending was quite unusual and unexpected, but overall this book was excellent. I recommend it to anyone who desires a righteous, reputable read.
Rating: Summary: Animal Farm 101 Review: When reading the title Animal Farm on a blue book that has a picture of a pig and a horse on it, many questions come to mind. After reading the back of the book, which contained the summary, it made things a little clearer and only makes you want to read more. This is exactly what I thought when the book was assigned for me to read. Usually books that are chosen for school, I don't really like, or they don't hold my interest very well, however Animal Farm by George Orwell was an exception. Overall I thought the novel was a nice, easy read, that kept me involved and at times left me wanting to read on. The book paralleled Russian history, and told a tale of two pigs that over threw the farmer, and then they took control of the farm. They developed a new source of government called animalism, which was a spin off of communism. The two pigs in charge were Napoleon and Snowball, but symbolically they were Trotsky and Stalin. Throughout the whole course of the book it showed how Napoleon became power hungry and over threw Snowball. It also told of the struggles and hardships that the animals went through, with their new government and new leaders. The book taught me different lessons about how being power hungry could corrupt one. This lesson was displayed throughout the book, mainly by the character Napoleon. He is a strong leader and wanted everything to be his own way, no one else's. He displays this characteristic about himself by the ejection of his right hand man, Snowball. After Snowball has been removed from the picture, Napoleons power really gets to him. He starts creating all of these crazy work hours, which force the animals to work long, hard hours, with little food. While Napoleon and the other pigs eat feasts and drink beer as much as they please. All of this shows how power can go to a pig's head. The reading of the book Animal Farm, really brought out different emotions in me. There were times when I was reading, that I just felt like yelling at the animals for obeying Napoleon's absurd rules for so long and never questioning it. Then at other times I was proud of all the hard work the animals did, and how they accomplished all of their goals without the help of humans. When Boxer died, I felt as though I could cry, and I probably would have if I didn't have to stop to tend to something else, which took my mind off of the book for a second. So for anyone who plans on reading the book they should be ready for their emotions to be going in all different directions, because mine certainly did. My favorite character throughout the book was Boxer, the carthorse. Boxer was a strong worker, always willing to do more and wanted what was best for the animals and the farm at all times. Throughout the book he had a motto, "I will work harder", which eventually evolved to "I will work harder" and "Comrade Napoleon is always right." Those words that Boxer lived by showed how dedicated he was to the farm and his leader, Napoleon. Up until the very last moment of Boxer's life he was always helping and working his hardest. Another reason he was my favorite character was because his personality was very loveable. Even though he worked from sun-up to sun down, he was still pleasant and considerate around the animals. Always helping and showing the animals, especially Clover, his tender side. As a whole I thought the book was very well written and think it was a very creative idea that George Orwell came up with. However if there were one thing I could change, it would have to be the ending. I thought that book ended abruptly, almost like it was a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter, leaving you wanting more. The end described how half a dozen farmers and half a dozen pigs were all sitting around a table, drinking beer, and discussing the success of Animal Farm, while little do they know, the animals are right outside listening to them. Although it was a thought provoking ending, it left me unsatisfied and wondering what was to become of the animals, and if there would be another rebellion. If I were George Orwell, I would have had Snowball come back and take over the farm, leaving the reader feeling content about the book and knowing that the animals would have a good life with a worthwhile leader. I would recommend this book to a friend, because it is an easy yet thought provoking read. On the contrary I don't think I would read anything by Orwell again. The reason I feel this is way is because he writes mainly on things that have some sort of political meaning, and the political world doesn't interest me. Although if you are a person who really enjoys that particular kind of writing then by all means George Orwell is an author who deserves your time for his books. Now when I go to turn in my copy of Animal Farm, all of curiosity will be cured, all of the unanswered questions will now be answered. The book with the horse and pig on the front now tells a story within itself. After reading and doing my final analyzation on Animal Farm, I don't know if I will ever be able to look at a pig the same way again.
Rating: Summary: animal farm Review: "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others." That is the theme throughout Animal Farm. The book Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, entertained me throughout its entirety; because of the straightforward writing style and the way he compared totalitarianism to a group of farm animals. My favorite character in the book was Napoleon. He was the leader of all the animals on the farm, because he was the smartest and most manipulative. He had the ability to make people do what he wanted them to do regardless of whether or not they wanted to do it. The character that I disliked the most was Boxer. Boxer took everything at face value and was extremely gullible. The thing that I liked most about the book is the simplicity of the book and straight forwardness of the book. The author did an excellent job in writing the book by making it simple and to the point. From the book I learned how easy it was for Stalin to manipulate people and keep them on the side of communism. The one thing that I did not like about the book was that you don't find out what happened to the farm and the animals at the end of the book. Animal Farm is a book that I would recommend to a friend because it is an easy read and once I picked it up I could not put it down. I would read other book by George Orwell because of how much I liked Animal Farm. Animal Farm is an excellent book, written with great description. "The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but it was impossible to say which was which." This book is truly a great read.
Rating: Summary: ANIMAL FARM Review: Take the ideas and concepts of totalitarian governments, write a book with farm animals rebelling against their master, and mix in the events of communist countries around and leading up to World War Two. And the finished product is Animal Farm, the "fairy story" by George Orwell. I had neutral feelings throughout the book except for some important events, such as when Boxer was carried away by the horse slaughterer, and the end scene in the farmhouse. At these points I was very caught up in the story. Overall, I did not enjoy reading the book, but I did not mind it. My favorite character and the one who stood out most to me in the story was Benjamin the donkey. He was the oldest among the animals and the wisest, except for the pigs and maybe the dogs. Even though he knew of the dangers and deceptions, he stood by and let them become slaves to the pigs because he believed life would always be bad no matter what any animal did. Besides these traits, the main one of Benjamin's that I like is that he is the only animal smart enough to see what the pigs and dogs are doing to the animals. This also leads to what I dislike about the book. I did not like how all the animals accepted the ideas and rules of the pigs so easily. This may have been how it was in real life, but I still have a hard time reading the book and watching the characters give up their freedom so willingly. George Orwell is an excellent writer. He managed to portray totalitarian rule in a very original way, with animals on a farm acting out the rise of communism in Russia. He follows actual events well enough that Animal Farm can teach the general history of Russian communism. I learned about the start of communism, its rise and corruption, and what it came to be. The ending of the book was very well done; I could not put the book down for the last forty or so pages. The end scene was especially good. It left me in thought about communism, society, and man in general. I thought George Orwell stopped the story at a good point, even though it left me with many questions about the fate of Animal Farm, also known as Manor Farm. I would recommend the book to a friend because I think everyone should read it once. The book may be an easy read, but it should be read by all because it has higher level concepts and ideas that make it stand out among others of its kind. I am also interested in reading other works by this author because Animal Farm had great style and great ideas. Now that you have learned of George Orwell's great work, it is time for you to witness it for yourself. I dare you to pick up a copy of Animal Farm and see why it is considered a must read in today's day and age.
Rating: Summary: Animal Farm Review Review: Watch out all you 'four-leggers'! Here come the animals of Animal Farm by George Orwell. I can't quite describe how if felt to read Animal Farm. I felt loathing toward the pigs, Napoleon in particular, and deep sympathy for the other animals. Napoleon (and Squealer) took advantage of the power and the trust that everyone, especially Boxer, put into them. It was almost like a movie, when you know something the characters don't, but can't do anything to help them. I found myself telling Boxer to stop working and Clover to realize that the commandments had been changed. Boxer was my favorite character by far. He was old and dedicated, but not the brightest crayon in the box. He represented the stereotypical "person" and was very loyal, even if he didn't know whom he was loyal to. Another reason I loved Boxer was because he always did more than his fair share and took the bulk of the work upon himself. Unfortunately, the system got him. No matter how loyal he was, in the end he got sent to the slaughter house/glue factory. That goes to show that there is no pleasing a totalitarian government. Animal Farm was written very well, and wasn't all that difficult to read. To me, it was a new way of reading, because I had never read a political satire before. It was very interesting, and actually kind of fun to try and decipher the parallels it had to the Russian Revolution. By reading the book, I learned a lot about the totalitarian government system as a whole, as well as some of the tactics the used to keep the "people" at bay. For example, they used propaganda like blaming everything that went wrong on Snowball, who had been exiled from the farm earlier. I also learned a lot from the prologue and the preface both, so I would advise at least skimming them before reading the book. It tells you a lot about George Orwell as well as the background of the book and the time period. I liked the ending because it was thought provoking. I actually had to read it more than once to get the full meaning of it, but the comparison to men and pigs was very creative. I didn't think any questions were left unanswered, but at first I didn't understand what parallel the windmill was. I also wasn't sure what the two farms represented, although I had a hunch they might be the United States and Germany. To anyone who read and enjoyed Animal Farm, I would recommend Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell as well. Nineteen Eighty-Four, while also about totalitarian government, applies more to today's society than Animal Farm did. Truthfully, it was almost disturbing how perfectly parts of the book describe today's culture, especially Big Brother in terms of the Patriot Act. All in all, when you read Animal Farm, I think you'll have a wild time!
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