Animal Farm

Paperback, 120 pages

English language

Published Aug. 31, 2000 by Penguin Books.

4 stars (22 reviews)

'It is the history of a revolution that went wrong – and of the excellent excuses that were forthcoming at every step for the perversion of the original doctrine,' wrote Orwell for the first edition of Animal Farm in 1945. Orwell wrote the novel at the end of 1943, but it almost remained unpublished. Its savage attack on Stalin, at that time Britain's ally, led to the book being refused by publisher after publisher. Orwell's simple, tragic fable, telling what happens when the animals drive out Mr Jones and attempt to run the farm themselves, has since become a world famous classic.

3 editions

reviewed Animal Farm by George Orwell

Tragically Amusing

5 stars

Every time I re-read this book a new golden nugget appears, which is incredible considering how succinct the fable is. This time I found specially amusing the cat's engagement on the re-education committee and found myself laughing at the clever writing multiple times, like remembering old morbid humour jokes that still warrant a nose exhale.

Orwell's goal of putting to pen in simple terms a trajectory from democracy to authoritarianism through revolution is achieved with flying colours, but it is also quite tragically amusing how his work is mostly interpreted nowadays as a critique of anything anti-capitalist as a whole - despite Orwell himself being a democratic socialist. Given how far we are in the current globalized economy from the possibility of further communist revolutions and how close we became with strongmen nationalism, I'd say reading modern takes on authoritarianism like "How Democracies Die" by Ziblatt & Levitsky is more …

A book that hits a little too close to home in our present day reality.

5 stars

I've been meaning to read Animal Farm by George Orwell for a couple years and finally sat down and gave it the attention it deserved. Animal Farm is a book I think everyone should read at least once, because there are so many lessons in this book that are valuable and worth reflecting on as our world is rapidly changing.

My biggest message taken away from this book that I'd really like to share, is remember who you are, and don’t be afraid to stand up for truth, for freedom, and for what’s right. Speak up, even if your voice shakes, because once freedom is gone, it is not so easily regained.

Have you read Animal Farm by George Orwell? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

See my review of Animal Farm here: thecozy.cat/blog/animal-farm-by-george-orwell-book-review

Revisting this Classic

4 stars

I first read this in year seven or year eight at secondary school. Back then, we would stop after each chapter and analyse what we had just read. I think back to those classes with much intellectual happiness and greatly miss being able to hear everyone's opinions about the different characters and their narrative directions. I asked a group of my friends the other day what they thought about Orwell and none of them knew who he was. I, then, mentioned Animal Farm and 1984 and got the same response. I'm not writing this to speak negatively on them (for I, still, have not read 1984) but I just think it's an interesting direction that society may be going towards. On another analyse of this same situation, I think it's also fascinating to understand the different books everyone had to read during their schooling. For me, it was predominantly Animal …

Clearly a preceeding work from George Orwell, reminiscent of his hit, 1984

5 stars

A much shorter and maybe even slightly more relatable dystopian story about a micro-society of intelligent farm animals turned authoritarianism. The story walks you through a process starting with great ideas for the common good, slowly perverted into one "persons" will.

A great, easy read that complimenets or perhaps precedes 1984. At least sets up the "early phase" of what 1984 portrays.

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