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Summary: book review writing assignment
Review: I absolutely adored this book. I loved the character portrayal of historical figures like Josef Stalin and Trotsky. In this book review I will tell you about my favorite and least favorite characters, what I liked and disliked about the book, how I felt about the author, what I learned from reading the book, what I thought about the ending of the book, and questions that I have about the book.
My favorite character, without question, is Boxer. His gullible personality and work ethic really appealed to me. I enjoyed reading about him waking up earlier and going to bed later than any other animal on the farm. My least favorite character was Squeeler. He was deceitful with his untrue speeches. A henchman is just as bad as a villian.
Although there was only bad news for the animals, I really like the whole plot of the story. It delivered a message to anybody who read the book. Although I did not like the ending, just because it made me sad, I thought it was important to end as it did with the animals unable to tell the difference between pigs and humans. It delivered a message that communism can't ever work because power changes anybody who touches it.
I appreciated the author's point of view. He had the courage to explain the cons of communism. It was bold of him to write such a book in the middle of the cold war and the end of World War II. I don't doubt that it offended more than a few people.
I learend from the book that power can change anybody. It totally changed the pigs. Not only did they revise the seven commandments a few times, but also they changed their titles and made the animals treat pigs better than all the others.
A few questions left unanswered for me in the book include: Did Snowball really knock down the windmill the first time? Is Snowball really dead? Did the animals really commit the crimes they admitted to? Or did Napoleon tell them to admit these crimes for effect? I might be reading into the book too much on the last question.
I was very skeptical of the ending of the book. I didn't like how Snowball vanished and never came back. I do feel that there was good purpose for the ending. It is important for pigs to end up ruling the farm unjustly - just as it was before - otherwise there would be no satire, allegory or theme.
I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. First of all, it is a short book which can be read in 2 hours. But it is also a good story, delvering a good message.
I highly recommend this book. It is a must read for all high school students - teaching readers about greed, power, and change. If you don't read this book, you are missing out on life and you won't understand the true meaning of comradeship.
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Summary: Pigging out on the very symbolic Animal Farm
Review: Pigs, of course, are the typically greedy animals. Seldom do we have the chance to see in such detail this quality of them as in Animal Farm, by George Orwell. This book was a unique insight into farm life, on a farm that is itself quite unique. Although it frustrated me to no end, I really enjoyed reading Animal Farm. Perhaps somewhere between the animals learning to write and Boxer being taken away for glue, I began to see them as more than simply animals. Of course, George Orwell didn't mean this book to be taken at only its surface value. I give high praise to him for creating such an interesting plot line, while modeling it directly after actual events. I think it is brilliant to represent views on a topic in such an appealing way. From reading this book, I learned much about the totalitarian system in Russia in the early 1900's. Since the events in the book so closely paralleled the actual Russian revolution, it was easy to make connections between, for instance, Bolshevik's Revolution and the overthrowing of Manor Farm.
My absolute favorite part of the book is the ending. It was satisfying for me, having the pigs end up as humans. I couldn't stand having them representing their fellow animals. Although they were just as horrible as humans, I felt better that they were separated more from the animals, and at least the animals wouldn't still be deceived into thinking they were all equal. One part I disliked was when Boxer was taken away and killed. I couldn't stand when Squealer came back with his blatant lies, and the animals were too stupid to see it. Except, of course, Benjamin. He was my favorite character. He saw what was going on, and in his wisdom, knew he couldn't stop it. Until one of his best friend's life was threatened, he refused to be involved. I was very impressed by him.
So as a whole, although the despicable pigs caused me much anguish in their actions, I enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to a friend, and would like to read other books by George Orwell. Hopefully they will catch me up in the story, as this one did. I might like them better if they had less pigging out though!
Rating: 
Summary: Animal Farm
Review: Throughout the book, Animal Farm, George Orwell keeps the reader guessing and analyzing. Will the animals revolt and if so who will be the leader? This is an example of the endless possibilities of the plot. It is also well thought out and has many deep and descriptive allegories. With a little background on Russian history, I could see that an animals actions well describes the person in real life. Napoleon, also Stalin, is very greedy for power and manipulates the beliefs of the animals to get what he wants. Some examples show how wrong and ridiculous Stalin's actions were such as Stalin's Great Purge. Boxer, representing the working class was subject to Napoleon's propaganda and was taken advantage of many times. George Orwell often showed his point by creating interesting characters.
By reading Animal Farm, I learnt lots about the rise and flaws of totaltalarism. It began with the people being mistreated, as the animals were by Mr. Jones. Then they developed an idea for a revolution, as Major did, and later carried it out. Once their empire was established, it seemed to be perfect. In Animal Farm -the animals had the food they wanted, the freedom they wanted, and controlled their lives. However this utopia did not last and soon flaws begin to appear. Stalin and Trotsky fight for power and eventually Trotsky, Snowball, is thrown out. From there on Stalin's power only gets greater and by the end the way the animals lived is back too or even worse then before the revolution began. The book Animal Farm shows the reader how the totaltalarism system rose and defeated its purpose.
The book was enjoyable because it was interesting and easy, being able to relate to everyday life, while making a strong point. I could picture the animals have daily jobs such as weeding the fields or harvesting the crops. This was a lot easier than reading about a society and time that was a lot different than today. I also liked the development and depth of each of the characters. For example, although old and quiet, Benjamin lived long and always seemed to be unchangeable I his view. Boxer was a hard worker that, although not very smart, cared about his farm and comrades. Animal Farm, easy to relate to and having deep characters, taught me a lot.
While reading Animal Farm the events and characters change my feelings and emotions towards everyone. At first I favored all the animals hoping they would rebel and live a successful happy life. However as Napoleon became over-powerful and created an unpleasant life. By the end of the book I felt that the farm would be better still under the control of Mr. Jones. Napoleon, my least favorite character, did not have dignity or honor. He took advantage of the animals, who couldn't read or write and worst of all, sold the life of Boxer for money. Overall Napoleon was an untruthful character that only cared about himself.
Although the book was well concluded, displaying the main point of the book, it was very unpleasant to think of all the good things wasted and turned bad. All the work the animals completed, all the energy and sacrifices made, their goals and dreams, disappeared. I felt bad for the animals such as Boxer who were made to believe that everything they did helped themselves when it really only made things worse for them and better for the cruel leader. However this sad ending wrapped up the entire story. I would recommend this book to any friend, George Orwell presenting the information of Russian totaltalarism in a very interesting and intriguing way. I would also read other novels written by the author because he was very creative in this writing. Animal Farm, even though presented in a silly way, was very informative and influential.
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Summary: 5 bonus points: Animal Farm
Review: The title may be a little deceiving; Animal Farm is no children's fairy tale about a farmer happily living in symbiosis with his animals. Animal Farm's main objective proves to be a satire about the totalitarianism and an allegory to the communist rise in Russia. Through surreal circumstances, George Orwell conveys the development of a totalitarian society on a farm in England. The animals oust the farmer while the pigs, which are the cleverest and wittiest animals, assume power, just as Stalin took hold of Russia after the fall of Tsar Nicholas II and death of Vladimir Lenin. Throughout the book, unexpected and deplorable events plague the farm, as the animals are mistreated unknowingly through the use of propaganda. Orwell keeps the reader engrossed in the novel as events are ceaselessly happening at every twist and turn. A perfect villain, the pig napoleon, portrays Stalin and slowly destroys the moral and the will of the animals through perpetual and ever growing subtle oppression and manipulation. Napoleon was the obvious choice for least favorite character, while Benjamin, the old donkey added to the novel with cynical comments and remarks foreshadowing of events, was a favorite character. I liked the constant action and flow of events, as well as the underlying morals and messages conveyed through the animals' actions. It was also interesting to trace Russian history with the events of the book, and one will find that Orwell slyly incorporated many events into the book, such as the exile of Trotsky and the formation of the KGB. However, the ending, although politically satisfying to the satire aspect of the book, leaves much to be desired about the well-being of the farm; for Orwell closes with the animals unable to distinguish the pigs between the humans, whom they were trying to liberate themselves from in the first place, yet the future of the farm appears just trail off spiraling downwards. Also, the fate of Snowball, the pig who assumes the allegoric character of Trotsky, is left unknown. Orwell mentions Snowball's whereabouts in passing and many times it is possibly misconstrued through Napoleon's propaganda. Through reading the novel, I gained erudition in the area of Russian history as well as knowledge into the character of humans and the corruption that can be caused by power. I also learned much about the concepts of propaganda, totalitarianism, and communism. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books with profound philosophy towards the character of humans or those who enjoy political satires. For those just looking for an entertaining story, Animal Farm does not lack in a compelling storyline, but has symbolism that is much deeper than the literal action. This being my first George Orwell novel, I would look forward to reading any other books written by him, for I enjoy his style of writing and enjoy the greater morals dealing with society and human character. Though ironic that such a profound lesson can be taught through the simplest of creatures, this book is another reminder that sometimes the simple things in life are the most important.
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Summary: "Pig"-headed Beasts
Review: Animal Farm, a book full of "pig"-headed beasts! When reading this book my emotions ranged from being sympathetic with the animals in the beginning to pitying the animals for their stupidity. I felt bad when Mr. Jones would work the animals hard and only feed them enough to get by. But my sympathy turned to pity when the animals fell for Napoleons propaganda (squealer's speeches). After finishing the book I realized how bad totalitarianism is and despised Napoleon for becoming such a power hungry "pig".
My favorite character was probably Clover. She was my favorite because she was pretty smart and didn't always agree with Napoleon right away. She questioned his and the other pigs' behavior. She was the only animal that would realize every time Napoleon changed a commandment. She was also very nurturing and mother like towards the other animals.
I really liked how everything in the book paralleled something in Russian history. It was really interesting to try and figure out what everything meant. I also really liked the book because it was an easy read and I had no trouble trying to figure out what happened.
George Orwell did a wonderful job showing how totalitarianism is bad and eventually will not work in favor of the people or animals in this case. I really enjoyed how he used a story about animals to explain the effects of totalitarianism. It turned something that otherwise could be a boring subject into a story about a farm.
I learned a lot about totalitarianism in this book. I knew that it was bad prior to reading the book but I had no idea how it affected the people the so badly. I always used to wonder why the people never fought against a dictator but after reading this book I realize that sometimes the people don't even now how bad they have it.
I thought that the end of the book was sort of disappointing. I wanted the ending to include a big downfall of Napoleon since he was such a horrible leader to the animals. But instead the book ended with Napoleon being happy and still in control.
There are a few things I still don't understand. I don't know what the windmill in the book represents in Russian history. I also didn't understand the ending. Why couldn't you tell the difference between the pigs and the humans? and What does that represent in history?
I would definitely recommend this book. It is a very interesting book to read in either an English class or a history class. I wouldn't recommend this book to someone to read outside of school because the book is much more interesting when you can compare it to the Russian history.
I don't know if I would read another book by this author. This particular book was interesting because it was so accurately representing an actual country's government. I might read another book by this author if there was another book that included this quality.
Overall Animal Farm is an "oink"-ing good time to read!
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Summary: Animal Farm
Review: "Four legs good, two legs better!"
While reading the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, I was bewildered and enlightened by the historical significance of his representation of key figures in Russian history with animals on the farm. He used these animals to portray the evils of a totalitarian government, and what happens to society under one. He was also able to explain many other issues such as the use of propaganda to deceive the lower class, which is what my opening quote is an example of.
I'd have to say my favorite character in the story was the faithful horse Boxer. He was not the brightest of animals, but worked as hard as he could down to his dying breath. He may not have been working for the right reasons, but he always did the best he could no matter what. His motto was "I must work harder" which is a perfect example of how he always tried to do his best.
My least favorite character, on the other hand, was the horse Mollie. Mollie was too interested in the affairs of humans, and was not very faithful to her companions on the farm. She was easily lured into slavery again by being bribed and petted by a farmer. She did not really like life on the farm without Mr. Jones because she was unused to not having any care or assistance from humans.
I like Animal Farm a lot. Not only was it a good story, but it also provided some excellent examples of the totalitarian government at work. From previous discussion, I was able to associate the animals with the specific historical figure they represented, which made my reading much more interesting.
I think George Orwell is an excellent storyteller and his writings have great influence on people, even today. His expertise and writing satires and allegories are apparent in Animal Farm, which pokes fun at the totalitarian governmental system, and each character and event in the story is representative of something deeper than the literal meaning.
I learned much about the history of Russia in the early 1900's and the rulers that took power. I also learned about key figures such as Josef Stalin and Carl Marx, and their political backgrounds. All of this information I would have never known and never researched had I not read Animal Farm.
I thought George Orwell did an excellent job of creating a cliffhanger to end the story. The way he ended it may be interpreted as incomplete to some, but really it represents how the cycle of revolutions continue, because cruel leaders continue to take power and oppress the people (in this case, animals).
I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in history or politics because of its political and historical content relating to Russian history and the Soviet Union.
I think I would definitely read more books by George Orwell because he is brilliant when it comes to using his imagination to recreate past events in history in different scenarios, like he did with the animals on the farm.
Animal Farm is an excellent piece of literature and should be read by everyone interested in politics.
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Summary: Animal Farm Review
Review: Have you ever seen a horrible movie, watched a great movie or even read a repulsive book, or read a breathtaking one? You can always have ideas or feelings on what you watch and read. These feelings are known as movie or book reviews. After reading the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, I have many different feelings on this book, which is going to be known as my book review. In the process of reading this book, I have various emotions on the book and the author. George Orwell brought the real life events into a book by relating the books characters to those of real life. I feel this was a spectacular way to teach readers about outside events that were occurring. Each character mirrored a real life human or a representation of an event. Examples of this are in Russian History there were leaders of communism and that all people were equal. Leaders of communism were Carol Marx, Lenin, and Trotsky. In Animal Farm, a pig known as Snowball mirrors Trotsky. Lenin and Marx were both represented by the boar named Old Major. Overall, I feel that George Orwell was a good writer in being able to mirror real life events. Throughout the whole book, I could realize as the reader what point George Orwell was trying to get across. To any upcoming reader, in giving advice I would definitely brush up on some Russian History between the times of 1850's - 1900's.
I had many emotions for this books text. At the beginning of the book when Animals took over I really enjoyed reading of the leadership skills and what happened around the farm. After everything during the middle of the book, I noticed this book was very page turning, which led to me being frustrated of what were the upcoming events. In the middle-end part of the book, when Napoleon took over I noticed what was happening to the animals and it caused me to feel very heartbreaking and discouraged of the way they lived. Generally, the book made me have various emotions. For the ending however, it was a very different ending then most books, which made this book exciting, you basically had to think like you are in the authors mind. I liked everything about this book, except that for some parts where it tended to drag onward and left the readers confused in the path that is going to lead ahead. This frustrated me, but probably for most people made the book more exciting.
I learned actually a lot from this book, in first learning about the Russian History before I read about it and then knowing that the animals were reflections of real people. I could actually feel and relate to how they must have felt during the time of dictatorship. If someone didn't understand clearly about this portion of Russian history they learned about, then Animal Farm was a good way to clear up any not knowing or mystification. I would surely recommend this book to anyone that likes books that relate to real life. There also was a bit of humor, and eye events that caught me tight into the book. If you do not like to relate things to real life, this definitely would not be a book for you to read because personally if you didn't like to relate to real life events you would be left in confusion of where the author was going with the book.
This book was difficult to pick a favorite character because some characters were not explained well, or didn't have enough information to grasp about that character. Personally I feel my favorite character was Mollie the mare. She loves being pampered and groomed by the humans and didn't like the change of the new farm. On some aspects, but not all I am like Mollie. I don't like change what so ever and when I get used to something I have difficulty in liking the change. Another character that I liked was Snowball the pig because he shows many leadership qualities and knows when to take charge. My least favorite character was Napoleon since he was so power hungry. In life I dislike any person that is so power hungry that they don't care of aspects or other people beneath them, which shows they are not true heroes. Specifically, I had a clear understanding of the book, which didn't leave me with any questions what so ever on the novel. But, I would have had a difficulty understanding if I didn't comprehend the types of meanings George Orwell was trying to give to the book. I would without doubt read another book by George Orwell, if they had the same aspects of Animal Farm. I enjoyed reading the book, knowing and grasping the aspects of real life to the book. Books are your own opinion if you are going to like them or not, it all depends if you like how the author writes. The books I like mostly relate to reality, and as Oscar Wilde once said, "The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame."
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Summary: AMAZING Animal Farm
Review: A book focusing on the cruel injustice of totalitarianism through talking animals: this sounds more like an adult's Charlotte's Web to me. But as it turned out I couldn't put the book down! I'd sit down expecting to have to force my eyelids to stay open for at least ten pages and an hour later have finished five chapters.
Besides being glued to the page, I learned a lot about Russian history along with how a government functions. This simplified form of communism turning into totalitarianism helped me understand the uses of propaganda, secret police used by such leaders as Hitler and Stalin, and how the public is kept in the dark. When the sheep and horses were so blind to the slavery they were being forced into I at first felt angry, but realized that this is how many societies function. Ordinary, innocent people can become Nazis or can starve under a gluttonous ruler if they don't care enough to pay attention to what leadership is doing.
My favorite character in the book changed as the story progressed. At first I felt intrigued by the pigs Snowball and Napoleon, amused by devious tricks and ideas. But as Napoleon become increasingly brutal I found that I liked Benjamin, who seemed to be stubborn and "unpatriotic", but turned out to be foreshadowing the end result of Animal Farm. I especially was moved by his display of emotions towards Boxer towards the end.
While at the end I wanted to dislike the book's abrupt and rather depressing ending, I realized that it was the most appropriate ending and got Orwell's point across. Obviously the book could not have a happy ending since Russia's history of monarchs to communism to totalitarianism was itself depressing. It also left you questioning if the animals would rebel yet again or fall under the rule of the pigs.
George Orwell is an amazing writer who has strength in simplifying complex ideas and turning boring, dry history material into amusing fictions. These two gifts have helped Orwell communicate serious problems which need to be addressed to all people (even sheep) and also help people become a little more skeptical of powerful governments.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, even if they were not interested in politics and history. I would also like to read other books by Orwell because of his deep, yet easy to understand context.
I still have some questions from the book: was the Major pig in the beginning Karl Marx or Lenin, or both? While many argue he was Lenin, I am somewhat puzzled by that explanation since the Major was not portrayed as malicious. I also wondered if the animals at the end of the book rise up yet again, or were there none smart enough left to lead a revolution against the pigs. Lastly, would the pigs resort to eating the other animals like humans? Beef-it's what's for dinner on animal farm.
Rating:
Summary: Animal Farm: Worth Reading
Review: Animal Farm could quite possibly be one of the best satires ever written. Published in 1945, Orwell's purpose in writing this book was the abolition of totalitarianism. Through the use of allegories in his writing portraying a farm where the animals rebel, Orwell is able to make logical arguments against the political tyranny happening during his time in Russia. Orwell's work is a very exciting piece of literature. Orwell's genius was able to create a children's book that had a much deeper message than those common to children's books. Orwell uses action to keep his readers involved. Action is constantly happening throughout the book. Every page turn reveals an unexpected twist. Without the unexpected surprises, this book would not be the legend that it is today. My favorite character in Animal Farm is Boxer. Boxer, a horse on the farm, is a very interesting character. While not very smart, Boxer is the workhorse (no pun intended) of the operation. His motto, "I will work harder," frequently inspires other animals to do their part in the operations of the farm. Boxer exhibits qualities that the other animals wish that they had. I also admire the effort and devotion that Boxer puts into his everyday tasks. I learned a lot from reading Animal Farm, especially about the history surrounding the rise of totalitarian governments. It is interesting to parallel the events that occur in the book with events that happened in the real world. From the Bolshevik Revolution to the exile of Trotsky, Orwell doesn't forget any events. The book is written very well and gives a very good lesson at the end. Orwell masterly weaves the book together in the last chapter when the animals realize that they can't tell the difference between their new rulers (the pigs) and their old ruler (Farmer Jones). They realize that they are not better off than they were before their revolution. There is only one question left in my mind. I wonder what happened to Snowball, the pig that represented Trotsky. Once he is exiled, Orwell never mentions his whereabouts definitely.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories with underlying morals. It is amazing how complexly Orwell was able to write this book. Readers will enjoy the parallels to historical events. I would recommend looking over the history of Communism before reading this book; then you will be able to appreciate the great thought that Orwell put into this book.
Although I have not read any other books by Orwell, I would definitely not hesitate to read one. I have heard great reviews of his other books, and am convinced that he is a great author. Just after reading Animal Farm, I would recommend any Orwell books to anyone. Orwell spent much thought when writing this book; don't let this go to waste. Through satires like Orwell's, we may be able to prevent other mistakes from happening in the future. This book has influenced me in more than one way. Not only have I learned about totalitarianism, but now whenever I think about slacking off I remember the words of Boxer and think, "I will work harder."
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Summary: Animal Farm
Review: Animal Farm by George Orwell is a very entertaining, informative book that can be read quickly and accurately.
There were many points throughout the book where different emotions could have been forced upon the reader. There were points
when I felt sad, such as when boxer was taken away to the horse slaughterer, shocked, when the animals were executed, and
happy for the animals after they had triumphed in chasing Jones from the farm. In the end, however, I felt dissappointed in the
way one did not get to see the animals start another rebeliion against the new "humans."
Boxer was my favorite character in the book because of his optimistic attitude towards all elements of Animal farm. His hard-
working attitude is something to be proud of, and is demonstrated through his motto, "I will work harder."
I enjoyed the overall plot line and particularly how simple it really was, in itself. However, when applied to Russian history it requires
a higher level of thinking. The ending did not give too much closure, but the book was written to show the cycle of totalitarianism, and
giving closure would signify that the cycle ends, which is not the case.
By reading the book, it helped me to understand more fully the events in Russian history dealing with Stalin, Lenin, and Trotsky, in
addition to other elements of the situation.
Although it is safe to assume that the animals begin another rebellion against the changed Napolean, it is not specified in the bookwhether they do so or not.
I would recommend this book to a friend and I would like to read other books by this author because of his clean-cut, straight-forward
style, which is a welcome break from more complex books. It is also effective in illustrating not only the events in Russian history specifically, but
also the steps leading to totalitarianism.
If you are reading this review and have not yet read Animal Farm, I urge you to stop reading reviews, go out and acquire a copy and start
reading today.
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