Animal Farm

When I first started in the human services, way back while still at Uni, I was schedulled to work overnights for a while at a group home. I read this novel my first night. There are more symbols than I'd like to admit in my subsequent career. I've read three times since and remain amazed.

interesting analysis of socialism and greed. particularly given the publication date of 1946

Amusing. Totalitarianism.

this book is about a group of animals who live on a farm and they go against humans.

awesome reflection of human nature in a way that can be comprehended by all ages

A must read

What a strange story and kind of creepy.

Quite the interesting read. It is obvious what Orwell was talking about, but still, it is a new and interesting way to display it.

Overall, probably also due to the nature of the protagonists of the book, it did not have the same effect of shock that 1984 had. In any case, it is a good book, a quick read (took me about two hours), and well worthy of a place in your bookshelves, next to 1984, Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World (which I will read next).

A fairytale of how the Russian revolution was betrayed by its leaders, principally Stalin but also those who stood with him. It's not, I think, an indictment of communism, as the communist idyll imagined by the revolutionaries was strangled at birth, replaced by the changling of state capitalism. The story, and the historical country, start and end with the capitalist exploitation of the people by a socio-political elite. A rather grim fairytale.

oh how familiar the story line is to our own lives.

An animal farm teaches us about life and politics who'd of thought it. A must read if you haven't already.

I'm not actually going to write a review, as such. What could I say about this peerless book that hasn't been said before? As a satirical allegory and analysis of human power structures it is the most perfect book I've read. I first did so when I was thirteen or so and didn't really understand the historical/political context but I was still gripped by the power of the storytelling, reading it in a single sitting, and have revisited it numerous times since. You couldn't change a single word to improve it.

So why bother to add words to the 40,000 Goodreads reviews? Because I noticed that it's Goodreads rating is under four-stars. 3.89. What? How is that even possible? A quick comparison - 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' (4.62), 'A Storm of Swords' (4.54), 'The Hunger Games' (4.33), 'American Gods' and 'Kafka on the Shore' (4.14)... I despair for the future of the book...

I've heard that this book is about the negative aspects of socialism, but really I think it's more about how easy it is to dominate a country that is either not educated or "selectively" educated, meaning their information is filtered. To me it doesn't really illustrate how socialism is wrong. This book didn't move me on a personal level, so I probably would've given it a 3 star, but I gave it an extra star because it reminds me of North Korea and it was written before North Korea got to be the way it is now.

The history of the soviet union is loosely translated into a childish code.1/4 (Bad).I stopped after half the book. I just can't think of anything I could possibly get out of finishing it.

Disturbing allegory about the Russian revolution and how it went awry.

I can't believe I made it through High School and college without reading this one. Glad I finally did - quite a good message for today (especially in this political climate), don't you think?

A great read with a simple point.

What a great book. I can't believe I haven't read it before.

Written at a time when the evils of communism hadn't been fully exposed and some still thought it could work in practice, Animal Farm was sure to be an eye opener. With the famous quotation

All animals are equal but some are more equal than others

The setting is a "normal" farm--controlled and managed by humans. But one day the animals have had enough of being oppressed and abused as human slaves. They rise up and take over the farm. Their goal is for all animals to be equal--to work for the good of the farm and for the sake of their community. Communism in action, in theory. But what will happen in practice?

I can see why this book has become a classic. It demonstrates that all ideas based around a communist model are doomed to failure from the outset. Humans are basically selfish due to sin--they cannot motivate themselves to work for the good of the masses. There will always be dictators who will rise up and seek to control the workers. Who will make the rules if everyone is equal and how will they be enforced? What happens to those who depart from the agreed standards?

I wasn't expecting a short read like this to cover so many aspects of life. Previously accepted historic facts are airbrushed out of existence, and the animals in time become convinced that they have imagined things. It reminded me of those who seek to deny the Holocaust or even the death and resurrection of Jesus--both historically proven but now widely doubted or ignored.

The animals are kept superfically satisfied by being inundated with statistics, facts and figures. These tell them why they are better off than they used to be and how things are improving all of the time. Of course, this is not how the animals actually feel--they are hungry and miserable. But, the facts don't lie, right? Ceremonies and certificates galore compensate for the meaninglessness of the animals futile daily activity. I witnessed this exact phenomenon whilst serving in the police--statistics can be manipulated to say exactly what the powers that be want them to say. A community feels that their neighbourhood is becoming more dangerous and that crime is on the rise. But, have you ever heard a politician or a police chief say that? Of course not, crime is always falling, unemployment is going down and the cities are safer than ever......

From a Christian perspective there is much to be learned also from Animal Farm. We know that communism will fail because of human nature towards selfish behaviour. Those who believe that the early believers in Acts were practicing a form of communism are forgetting that the text tells us that they voluntarily shared their possessions with each other. There was no force involved. Even then there were leaders who instructed the people and organised them. That is the way society has become since the original fall of man--there will be some rich and some poor. The Christian life is about what we do with the resources, talents and abilities we have been given by God, we can use them to bless others. Assuming that a common level of limited wealth would lead to satisfaction is a gross error because it removes our innate desire for innovation and to carry out a hard day of work and reap the benefits. To be able to share with others out of our abundance or even in our poverty.

It amazes me that despite the numerous (and tragic) failures of communist countries worldwide there are still so many people that think it can work. They point to an insignificant aspect of each dictatorship as the reason for the demise ignoring the obvious--communism will never work no matter the circumstances or favourable conditions because it is not part of God's plan for mankind which has been clearly laid out in the Bible.

I recommend this book to all readers.

A good socio-political commentary that may fly over the heads of some readers, but should be required reading nonetheless.

This is nothing short of brilliant satire. This delightful read is excellent for modern, western minds to read to remind us of the many dangers of a government with few checks and balances. There are many witty ironies in this book but to me, one of the most profund is the use of animals to portray human nature. Orwell seems to have a dim view of humanity and seems to highlight the reality that humans tend to naturally be self-seeking and easily corruptible. Though this stands in stark contrast to the ideals of the Enlightenment, the WWII context for this book revealed that humans are capable yes of amazing achievements yes, but equally capable of horrific atrocities. An additional high point for this reader is the display of the power of strong rhetoric, even if it is in the form of propaganda. This book should be read by every American and I would imagine would serve to protect and preserve the ideals of a free-market democracy.

An allegory using farm animals as a society experimenting with socialism, and realizing too late the mistake they have made in accepting it.

As a picture of the danger Mr. Orwell saw in the Communist East, "Animal Farm" is pretty flawless. I particularly enjoyed the animals he chose to represent different roles that are filled in a tyranny. Overall, the story is depressing - humankind is so easily misled and duped and oppressed. All you need is illiteracy, suppression of free speech, and a group of people who will loudly insist on the "party line".

A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned--a razor-edged fairy tale for grown ups that records the steos from revolution against tyranny to a totalitarianism just as terrible.

This book is a fast, enjoyable read. The story is very simple but the message is riveting. Orwell, with the use of barn yard animals, reveals the ruthlessness and control of the communist government. It shows us how powerful leaders can stir up the people to blindly follow them and how people fail to think for themselves. I would highly recommend reading this book as it still has a relevant message even for today.

Power corrupts the pigs. When it becomes one pig who rules them all, there will be bacon to pay...

Orwell's famous fable, always makes me think of the end of the Who song "Won't Get Fooled Again"--"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

I found this to be very thought-provoking as well as sad. It was interesting how the society of animals started out with the socialist ideals only to evolve into communism and then it to a totalitarian tyranny. It was sad that virtue did not triumph - you were only rewarded for treachery and scheming.

A good read - I recommend it.

My son is reading this for 8th grade English, so I read it to discuss with my History-loving son. Way back when I read 1984 by Orwell for high school English, I thought it was a great book. I reread it last year and was not as impressed as the first time around. This book has stood the test of time much better. And, I am really enjoying discussing the political motivations behind this classic with my son as he discusses it at school!

Let's get this out of the way immediately: Animal Farm is not a satire of socialism as a concept. It's clearly not. That it was ever taken as such (as I was taught in middle school) is an example of exactly what it and 1984 warned against: the dissemination of an outright lie for political purposes, believed by sheep. It's the same book 1984 is: it warns against totalitarianism, the corruption of the democratic socialist ideal that George Orwell fervently believed in. It's a critique of Stalin.

Whew. Jeez. We'll never bother to have that debate again, okay?

Unfortunately, it's also not a very deep book. It's blatantly manipulative. The use of animals as stand-ins is a manipulative tactic; of course you feel for the poor dumb hard-working horse. It's a lazy allegory, too; it's not like Orwell has to write an extra sentence or two to clue us in on what role a flock of sheep might play in a story.

When you have a raven as the prophet of a false God, and then just in case you didn't get it Orwell names the Raven Moses, you are not dealing in subtlety.

1984 is Orwell's masterpiece; it's a work of vision, daring and originality. This is the kids' version. That doesn't mean it's not valuable! Read it to your kids. You don't have to talk about totalitarianism or socialism. They'll get the message they need to without any discussion at all of imagery. It's a very nice children's book. It is not for grown-ups.

And it's not about how Socialism doesn't work, jeez.

Wow. I just read this book for the first time, and I can completely understand why it's required reading in so many high school assignments. What a great explanation of politics, corruption and apathy. Sadly, much of what Orwell wrote in the 1940's, still applies today.