Animal Farm

I feel like if you don't have the background knowledge of the Revolution you just take it at face value. But if you know about the revolution you are able to understand the story more and all of the symbolism and you are able to have a deeper understanding of Animal Farm. I like how he found a creative way to criticize human actions. George was able to convey his feelings through his writing and i was able to know what the were.

Reader reviewed by nelka35

George Orwell call it a fairy tale, and it is, in a way, written in that style - but it is a political satire, and the style and simplicity of the story make it all the more powerful. Knowing who it was written about(Stalin, Trotsky, and the whole system) is not necessary to understand the book; understanding that this is a description of a political system is. We are responsible for what happens in our society - we are the society. And our actions - and, more often, inaction - have an effect.

Reader reviewed by lilponyrider

This book is about a farm with animals which talk about a rebellion. This rebellion soon happens and the farmer gets kicked out of the farm. Throughout the book it goes through the leaders and what they did with their power. This book it kinda explain the american history because they have battles which they remember, a flag, and song, and many other things.

I thought that this book was very good. It was explaining what power did to people or in this case animals. I thought about the book after everytime I read it. It was a very good book. I would recommend this book to people who like to think about the book.

Reader reviewed by Megan

What would you do if you hated your "Master"? Overthrow him, of course! This is exactly what the animals on Manor Farm do. Once their Rebellion succeeds, they rename the farm 'Animal Farm' and begin their own form of rules. After awhile, the pigs set up a totalitarian form of rule, and eventually begin to be just like humans. Full of symbolism, this book won't fail to please.

Reader reviewed by Anonymous

"Animal Farm" is a political novel. The story begins when the animals in Manor Farm stage a rebellion after a rousing speech from Major, a very respected boar in the farm. They chase their human master, Mr. Jones, away and begin to run the farm themselves.

At first, all are happy. With Mr. Jones gone, the animals believe they now own the farm collectively and that they are all equal. The Seven Commandments is soon set up. Among the commandments are "no animal shall kill another animal", "all animals are equal" and "whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy".

It is soon decided that the pigs are the most intelligent, and shall be the "brainworkers". Among the pigs, two leaders emerge - Snowball and Napoleon. Problem arises when Snowball and Napoleon disagree on the plan to build a windmill on the farm. Snowball, a talented speaker, easily gains support. But unfortunately for him, Napoleon plays dirty and Snowball is chased away from the farm.

From here, everything in the farm starts to change. Public debates are abolished and the animals have to take orders from Napoleon. All the animals, except the pigs and dogs, are made to work, work and work. Their food ration decreases while the pigs grow fatter. Despite this, they are still convinced that life is much better than before.

Everything that goes wrong in the farm is blamed on Snowball. He becomes the invisible enemy whose threat is constantly present. Napoleon is admired and praised. And soon, The Seven Commandments are broken by the pigs, lead by Napoleon. But Napoleon is cunning enough to change the commandments so that the animals, who are generally stupid, never realizes when the commandments are broken. "No animal shall kill another animal" becomes "no animal shall kill another animal without reason".

The animals kept silent when the smallest liberties were taken away from them, and soon, they find that nothing they say matters anymore. They are no longer equals - the pigs have become the masters.

Reader reviewed by Bria

I loved this book. It has one of the best lines every written, all animals are created equal but some animals are more equal than others. I know this line from memory. This battle between good evil is a most read, because good did not win. Evil did. There is a war going on right now and it almost mirrors this book. Both leaders go in with good intentions but fail. I had to read this for school, and I am glad I did.

Reader reviewed by Cowgirl

If you rent this book from the library, once you get it you might think that it dose not look very exciting. It is a older book. However, once I got into it, I really enjoyed it! The story was about a farm and all of the animals decided to take over it. They ran the humans of the land, and controlled it from then and throughout the story. Read the book to find out what works out and what doesn't in the story. Will some of the animals that seemed good turn out to be bad?

Reader reviewed by Flak Monkey

"Animal Farm" by George Orwell was never required reading for me when I was in school, so it took me some time to finally get around to reading it. I found it to be a complete and enjoyable read that had me hooked from the very first sentence. It is an excellent exercise in symbolism and creative imagination. While the book may be a very short read, it brings a whole lot to the table by giving you an interesting take on how history can be reenacted in the most imaginative ways.

The animals on Mr. Jones' farm have had enough of what they deem to be slavery. They're tired of being ordered around by humans while they see no benefits in their daily work. This is all sparked by a dream that the boar, Major, had about a unique place where animals called the shots and never had to be ordered around by humans ever again. He tells them a revolution is very much needed. When Major dies, the animals act quickly and are able to overthrow the alcoholic farmer and his thugs from his very own farm. The pigs are in charge now, as they claim that they are much smarter than the others and know how to lead. What seems to be paradise quickly transforms into another form of slavery altogether enforced by propaganda and threats from the pigs. And yet, the animals do not know any better, as they are deceived by the new system that gives them the illusion that they are better off than they were with Mr. Jones calling the shots.

The book is greatly inspired by real events that went down during the era of communism in Russia, using animals as the actual people. While it helps to know about that time period, the book is written so well that it is easily understood even if you only know a little about what happened during that time. The use of animals was a very creative way to tell this story, as it gives you a big incentive to actually care for these characters. Had this just been about real people, then it would've just sounded like anything you could find in your history books. Orwell finds a much more interesting way of tackling the topic. He gives life to every one of his characters and they all elicit some kind of a feeling from you. There are times when the book is funny, and then there are times when it is just downright chilling (the last chapter will stay in your head for more than a few hours).

George Orwell's "Animal Farm" is a genuine masterpiece that quickly hooks the reader from the very beginning. It's an extremely easy read as well as an enjoyable one--not enjoyable in the sense that this is a "happy tale," but enjoyable in the sense that you really feel like you're reading something great. If you haven't had the chance to check it out, make sure you add this to your reading list. It is something that should be read by everyone at least once in their life, even if they don't end up enjoying it as much as others. I loved every single word that was written in the extremely creative read. This is an important classic in literature that shouldn't be missed for any reason.

OH MY GOD! Just... Wow! This would have been the perfect Halloween read if you ask me. That ending gave me the chills! Terrifying!

Reader reviewed by Matt Hill

Animal Farm is a political novel and an allegory of the Russian Revolution. George Orwell wrote this novel to be seen in two different lights: as a children's story, and a narrative of the Russian Revolution. The animals take over the farm from the abusive humans, and run it on their own for a while, led by the pigs, being the most intelligent animals. But, the animals later they realize that they have been tricked; the Pigs have slowly and slowly taken over the rule of the farm, gradually becoming more and more like the humans they struggled to over-throw. An excellent read, especially in you know anything about the Russian Revolution! Read George Orwell's classic novel today!