I loved this book.

I hate politics and I know next to nothing about it. But I think I actually understood what the book was about (the intro helped a lot).
I was surprised that a society that wanted to be equalitarian achieved corruption in less than a day, and actually lasted for several years without anyone realising it (I think that at least one animal realised it from the beginning but the society as a whole didn't realise it).

I liked the way the pigs slowly bent the rules (actually changing the written rules) and gradually became "men", but the moment of the book was that moment in the end of chapter 2 when even the smallest amount of power (it wasn't even power, just leadership and intelligence) corrupted Napoleon, and made him take the milk for himself...

I was that naive, that I thought the nothing could be that easily corrupted. ( )

Strålende satire om den russiske revolusjon og sovjet. Tidløs harselas med maktmennesker! ( )

Great view. I wonder what Orwell would write about now. ( )

Good audiobook with rich narration. It's amazing how many years I waited to finally get to "Animal Farm." After reading "Homage to Catalonia," I vowed to read more of Orwell's books. This one did not disappoint. ( )

This is one of those classics that I can't believe I waited so long to read. It's funny, imaginative, tragic, and incredibly poignant. Plus, it's sadly still relevant to today's world, which is both impressive and disheartening. Despite being short, the book hooks you right from the start. The setup is so vivid, and Orwell's use of metaphors and allegories, through barnyard politics of all things, adds a playful twist that gradually takes a darker turn. At first, it feels like a straightforward critique of capitalism, but Orwell weaves in complexities that make you pause and think more about the descent from socialism to fascism. It's been almost 90 years since its publication, yet its commentary on current affairs still hits. That, to me, is the real tragedy here—the enduring relevance. If you haven't read it yet, you really should. But let's be real, if you wait another 50 years, it'll probably still be just as relevant. ( )

Animal Farm is among the most important and thought-provoking books ever written. It weaves a tale of greed, naivete, power, memory, change, and corruption that is as haunting and evocative today as it was when it released. In many ways, Animal Farm is hopeless and brutal, and that is what makes it so memorable; it paints an image of totalitarianism so bleak and miserable that the reader feels trapped and unable to escape in much the same way as the animals in the story. Everyone should read Animal Farm at least once for all of those reasons and more. ( )

This was such an interesting book and so relevant. It is such a good picture of how people's ideals can go awry. The original idea that most of the animals get on board with is just a desire for equality.
This sounds great in theory but as we see it doesn't work out the way they think it will and in this case most of the animals end up worse off than they were before.
There are so many important themes in this book:
"The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth." Satisfaction in life is based on attitude. People can find joy even in less than ideal conditions if they have a good attitude, but if you decide that life is terrible, it will be hard to change that perception no matter what happens to you.
"Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever." Looking to place blame for our own unhappiness. If only I could just do so and so than everything would be better.
"Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs or has wings is a friend." Generalizing any group of people is very dangerous. and in this case turns out to be very inaccurate because the pigs they said were "friends" turn out to be worse than the farmer who they had classed as an "enemy"
"Somehow or other, the last two words had slipped out of the animals memory." Re-writing history and trying to convince people it was always like that.

I really enjoyed this book and probably would have rated it higher but it was a bit depressing and didn't end with any hope. I do think that it's a really important read though and would recommend it.
This book was reviewed on The Literary Club Podcast Season 2 episode 11
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1984185 ( )

Damn Pigs! (referring to the actual animal...). I read this in high school, and didn't really like it, but I probably didn't get it. It was the late 80's after all, and what did I know? (Original rating 3 stars).
I had my a-ha moment today - I finally get it. I'm glad I read it again, what an incredible book. I wonder if I have subconscious hate for pigs due to reading this book in high school because I never feel guilty about eating bacon! LOL. ( )

I first read Animal Farm as required reading in high school. I recently re-read Orwell’s 1984 and got so much more meaning out of it that I decided to re-read Animal Farm.

Although Animal Farm was written in 1945 as an allegory regarding the Russian Revolution (1917) where key characters represent Karl Marx, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Czar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra, Hitler, the countries of US and UK, and others, the story can be interpreted generally and still offer a powerful message.

The story begins when the farm animals are suffering under the poor working conditions and neglect of their owner, a drunkard human farmer and his wife. They dreamed of the day where they could work less and keep more of the harvest of their hard work. The farm animals had enough and decided to initiate a Rebellion and expel Farmer Jones and his wife from the property. They met as a group and decided to form a collective and establish agreements.

THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.

All of this sounded great and the animals had a positive attitude about the future of the farm. What could go wrong? Almost immediately, the pigs took over as leaders and little by little, they gave themselves more privileges and forced the rest of the animals to work harder and harder and with fewer and fewer rations. They rationalized it and provided a convincing story to keep the rest of the animals in compliance. Over time, each of the commandments were modified and finally the last one became:

All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.

Orwell presents a powerful story about the dangers and progression of unchecked authority in what seemed to be started as a system of equality.

If you had read Animal Farm in high school, this is definitely worth a re-read. ( )

Не знам дали знаете, но Джордж Оруел, авторът на „1984″ – една от най-известните книги в света изобщо, заклеймяваща социализма и комунизма, е бил… социалист - в началото пламенен, а после... по-скоро разочарован. Творчеството му отразява този житейски и идеен преход.

Поради бедността си, убеден социалист като млад, Оруел се забърква в испанската революция заедно с много съветски, марксистки и какви ли не други организации и има шанса за пръв път да види на живо резултатите, до които водят идеите, за които те се борят и начина на живот в социалистическа комуна в Испания.

Именно на разклащането на виждането му за лявата идея е резултат Фермата на животните, в която животните правят социалистическа революция и изгонват експлоатиращите ги фермери, за да се окажат обаче управлявани от нова затлъстяла класа – тази на свинете-комунисти.

Смята се, че тази книга е критика към СССР и директно към Сталин и начина му на управление, но видно е, че по това време Оруел няма достоверна информация за това което наистина се случва в Съветския съюз, поради което все още храни съществени заблуди спрямо социалистическата система. Няма го кървавото начало на революцията, масовият глад и измрелите по време на Холодомора, тайната полиция и т.н.

Във Фермата на животните социализмът е представен като благороден идеал – след освобождението си добрите животни се трудят неуморно заедно и вярват в светлото бъдеще, и в началото всичко върви отлично, но коварното прасе Наполеон изгонва истинските добри комунисти (прасето Объл, събирателен образ на Ленин и Троцки), установява диктатура и преебава идилията.

Историята обаче показва, че подобно развитие на нещата не е имало в нито една социалистическа/комунистическа държава. Истинските комунисти-идеалисти обикновено умират по време на самата революция и на кормилото на държавата още отначало застават такива като Наполеон. Терорът започва непосредствено след революцията, следват убийства, лагери и затвори, докато противниците на новата власт са избити и нещата се успокояват.

Ленин и Троцки са били безскрупулни палачи не по-малко от Сталин, а не добросърдечни идеалисти. Хората в държавата пък много добре осъзнават какво се случва с тях и много, много бързо губят илюзиите си че „ще стане по-добре“ и започват да си налягат парцалите и да се опитват да оцелеят, налагайки шуробаджанащината, подкупчетата, кръшкането, „мой човек“ и други такива практики като единствен начин да избегнат убийствената глупавите и практически неработещи икономически повели на „великата идея“.

Чак след няколко години, когато научава повече за условията в СССР и вижда последиците от комунистическите революции в източна Европа, Оруел написва „1984″ – брилянтно описание на живота в социалистическото общество, показващо истината за идеите на които то се гради. ( )

I'd read it a long long long time ago, Just re-reading to see if I remember. Yep, it's about what I remember. ( )

Creepy and horrible are words that came to mind after finishing this but a must read for any classic lit lover. ( )

I am not sure why I never read this book until now. Never having lived under a totalitarian government, it is hard to realize how accustomed people living under those conditions can so easily accept the status quo and follow their leaders even when things are not getting better. ( )

TË GJITHA KAFSHËT JANË TË BARABARTA POR DISA KAFSHË JANË MË TË BARABARTA SE TË TJERAT. Kur kafshët e shtypura të Fermës me saraje përmbysin pronarin e tyre, z. Xhounz, dhe e marrin vetë fermën në dore, ato përfytyrojnë se kjo përbën fillimin e një jete me liri dhe barazi. Por, teksa elita dinake dhe e pashpirt që ndodhet në gjirin e tyre nis të marrë kontrollin, kafshët e tjera e gjejnë veten të zënë në grackë pa pasur shpresë për t'u çliruar prej saj teksa një formë tiranie dora-dorës zëvendësohet me një tjetër. Shkruar në fund të vitit 1943, por që pothuajse nuk u botua ngaqë sulmonte Stalinin, aleatin në kohë lufte të Britanisë, “përralla” therëse e Oruellit është satirë e idealizmit të pashkatërrueshëm dhe të përjetshëm që tradhtohet nga pushteti dhe korrupsioni.

This is a really interesting and clever little Novel, I dont know what planet I was on that I am only reading this Novel now, however I am glad that I did as really enjoyed the the whole cleverness of this story. Initially the book was intended as a fairytale with hidden conections to Russian History and Stalin, The story is about animals and is set on a farm, and the animals decide to stage a rebellion and overthrow the Farm Owner and take on the running of the farm themselves. This is a really short Novel and somethimes with classics they can be tedious and hard going but not this one, you will be glad you picked it up. ( )

Yes, I read this brief fable of my own free will several times when I was young. Decided to revisit... still impressed. Five stars because Everyone Should Read It. Enough said.

Reread for group. There I said:

It does help to know some of the history of the Soviet Union and communism. I hope most of us know the basics. I especially appreciated the lies about how successful the farm was, how much food had been harvested even as the animals went hungry, because I remember that problem in the USSR best, as I as a teen in the 70s.

I also was interested to note the revisions of the 'commandments.' It certainly does resemble the rewriting of history in the author's other touchstone book, "1984."

In the intro. to the edition I just finished, the writer says that, because there is no bad rewarded or good punished, there is no moral to this "fairy-story." I cry bs... imo, the moral was unlearned by the characters but still can be learned by the reader, and can very simply stated as "speak up." Pay attention to what's happening, state your objections, protest, fight back. resist. ( )

Definitely a different viewpoint than when I was in high school. Good parable. ( )

Book 77 - George Orwell - Animal Farm

In the dim and distant…I had to read and study Animal Farm…little did I think 35 years later..yikes…I would be reading it for enjoyment and yet here I am having just finished it and loving the depth to which it’s meaning is as relevant today as it was when Orwell wrote it back in the 1940s.

For those unfamiliar with it, it tells the tale of the uprising at the Manor Farm by the animals and the expulsion of the humans. The animals then wish to set up their own state where everyone is equal…for a short time…

The fable reflects what had happened and continued to happen in the Russian Revolution and further into the founding and establishment of the Soviet Union.

As with all ‘good’ revolutions, the head ends up eating the tail…and consuming itself.

Originally described as a fairy tale it is certainly a wonderfully simple book at one level but a deep and meaningful book in the 21st century as it was in the middle of the 20th.

If I could extend the allegory for a minute and if you will excuse this old historian…how often have we continued to see this in local and UK wide politics. You vote for the ‘pigs’ and snouts continue to eat from the same trough.

As the old saying goes…’No matter who you vote for, the Government always gets in…’

Sad…but oh so true… ( )

Starts off cute; ends not so cute. I really loved this little book. ( )

If your precocious nine year old daughter picks up this fairy story, do warn her that the ending is sad; otherwise, she may in fact be horrified and miss appreciating the book for a second (or third) read. I would love an annotated edition of Animal Farm; I feel as though my knowledge of history at the time is insufficient to appreciate the story. At the same time, perhaps the value of the novel as a universal tale may be more apparent as the original history fades.

Like this work, because the way it describe the political view was amazing ( )

*Animal Farm* by George Orwell is a brilliant allegory that highlights how power can be both deceptive and corrupt. In the story, the animals overthrow the humans to escape exploitation, but soon, they find themselves under an even more oppressive regime. This mirrors the situation in many countries today, where power is misused, and some citizens blindly support their leaders due to a lack of awareness or education. Orwell’s narrative sheds light on how unchecked authority and ignorance can perpetuate oppression, even after revolutions.

The novel emphasizes the importance of education and critical thinking, suggesting that without knowledge, people can be easily manipulated. It also serves as a reminder that true freedom cannot exist when individuals or groups dominate and exploit others. Orwell's *Animal Farm* forces us to reflect on modern political systems and the importance of equality, accountability, and justice in society.

This classic book not only critiques totalitarianism but also serves as a timeless warning about the dangers of power and the need for an informed, vigilant population to prevent history from repeating itself. Its lessons are as relevant today as when it was first published. ( )

This book has been on my TBR for quite some time. I finally read it to complete a book challenge, needing a book told from an animal's POV.
This book is an allegory which describes the Russian revolution and the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin. The animals who live on Mr. Jones's farm decide to rebel against the farmer and the pigs assume leadership of the animals. This was begun by Old Major who dies shortly after the rebellion. Then Napoleon and Snowball lead the animals, but have differing ideas. Squealer helps to spread propaganda and turns some of the animals against Snowball.
This was an excellent book - especially putting these historic times into such an easy way to understand for various ages. ( )

Short but sweet. Holds a lot of legitimate power in its allegorical work and symbolism, and it's a message that can be applied to power and government structures generally, not just the Russian Revolution it was commenting on. Orwell also manages to weave some decent characters in as well amongst the political commentary, which helps the readers investment in what's going on, though it's nothing too in depth. Some of the writing is a touch dry and repetitive, but it does what it does efficiently and effectively, and some of it does serve the commentary of its story nicely.

Well deserving of its legacy, I think. ( )

A dystopian novella comparing the Russian Kremlin to that of a drastically mismanaged farm, is nothing short of the most annoying book i have read to date, though I may be biased. I had to read for a class, three different times. ( )