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theslowreadernumber5's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Death, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and War
samdalefox's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It will come as no surprise to people that I'm a fan of Orwell's work. He uses clear and simple language and imagery to paint an accessible political picture Totalitarianism. Despite being written at the end of WWII and is clearly a scathing mockery of Stalin's USSR, I believe the 'Animal Farm' fable is increasingly relevant today.
The story describes why Totalitarianism/Authoritarism occurs (those selfishly seeking power and those unable or unwilling to stop this power) and how it occurs (violence, gaslighting, exploitation, scapegoating). The story highlights that Totalitarianism power is morally the same irespective of original economic ideology (Communist vs Capitalist), and in my opinion gently endorses Socialism and Community through The Major, the first year of the farm, and the 'Beasts of England' song. Different Totalitarian states have different justifications for their rule, but Animal Farm suggests that all totalitarian regimes are fundamentally the same: those in power care only about maintaining their power by any means necessary, and they do so by oppressing the individual and the lower classes. Orwell therefore very clearly highlights the importance of an educated and critically thinking lower classes. Another StoryGraph user 'humlejenta' has a longer review that covers these points in greater depth.
The famous ending"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.β neatly summarises the horror and is still relevant to this day. All of us are under some sort of economic oppressing class. Britian in particular is currently sleepwaking towards Authoritarianism and has deeply embedded capitalist class divisions. I am reminded of two quotes which summarises the spirit of Animal Farm: "For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others" - Nelson Mandela. And, "The oppressed, instead of striving for liberation, tend themselves to become oppressors.β - Paulo Freire. Becoming the new oppressing class is not freedom. Being oppressed by a different ideological regime is not freedom.
I recommend this book to everyone. Recognise the danger signs and act quickly. Embrace socialism and your community. Ask questions, educate yourself, and think critically of those in power.
The story describes why Totalitarianism/Authoritarism occurs (those selfishly seeking power and those unable or unwilling to stop this power) and how it occurs (violence, gaslighting, exploitation, scapegoating). The story highlights that Totalitarianism power is morally the same irespective of original economic ideology (Communist vs Capitalist), and in my opinion gently endorses Socialism and Community through The Major, the first year of the farm, and the 'Beasts of England' song. Different Totalitarian states have different justifications for their rule, but Animal Farm suggests that all totalitarian regimes are fundamentally the same: those in power care only about maintaining their power by any means necessary, and they do so by oppressing the individual and the lower classes. Orwell therefore very clearly highlights the importance of an educated and critically thinking lower classes. Another StoryGraph user 'humlejenta' has a longer review that covers these points in greater depth.
The famous ending
I recommend this book to everyone. Recognise the danger signs and act quickly. Embrace socialism and your community. Ask questions, educate yourself, and think critically of those in power.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death and Death
haylethal's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, War, and Classism
solouncapitulomas's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
βMan is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished forever.β
yeah, right
boxer deserved better!
yeah, right
boxer deserved better!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Slavery, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism, Suicide, and Alcohol
emmathebookworm's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Gore, and Gun violence
tomtomonomtom's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Jfc, Orwell delivers. Everything hits the fan, no object misses, not even one. I read this novel because I am a fan of Orwell's essays and his writing style, I want to see in turn how he writes a novel.
Took me a surprise that's for sure, but the novel did carry along with it the typical Orwell political topics (as it did with 1984). Least to say, this novel is depressing as hell and I was already in such a crisis before reading this.
The characters, because of their way of portrayal as animals, works wonders when it comes to symbolizing their role in the mad house.
Took me a surprise that's for sure, but the novel did carry along with it the typical Orwell political topics (as it did with 1984). Least to say, this novel is depressing as hell and I was already in such a crisis before reading this.
The characters, because of their way of portrayal as animals, works wonders when it comes to symbolizing their role in the mad house.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Deadnaming
f18's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Police brutality, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty and War
Minor: Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
jodi_xo's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, and Violence
utuisuus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
gaslighter pigs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death
Moderate: Violence and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism, Slavery, Suicide, and Alcohol
ravenclawgrl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars.
W. O. W
This story scared me from the very beginning. The pigs were a red flag from the start. I appreciate the way that this book makes you think in regards to politics and economics on a simple farm setting and it's a great introduction for anyone who wants to learn more about that but I recommend knowing the basics of the USSR before reading this.
The death of certain animal towards the end destroyed me. I appreciate the way that George Orwell does not glorify Mr Jones or what I can assume Mr Jones stands for, which is capitalism. It is made clear that the animals suffer tremendously under Mr Jones as well as under the regime of the pigs.
It's easy to think that the animals were stupid or naive or not strong enough to prevent the pigs from exploiting them and the farm but if you think about it, this is a reflection of the world we currently live in.
The abuse of power, the deliberate spread of misinformation, the manipulation and the gaslighting are used by governments and individuals in every country. The animals starting to doubt themselves and allowing themselves to be manipulated is something that our own media facilitates quite frequently.
I appreciated the fact that this novella, despite being a classic, had quite accessible language compared to *cough cough* Dickens (who wrote much earlier than Orwell, I know). There is none of the typical frustrating writing style of classic novels like extremely long sentences or outdated cultural references that modern readers cannot understand.
The inclusion of the apathetic animals like Benjamin and the cat was a good reflection of those who show indifference in the face of harmful events or corrupt leaders. To me, Benjamin represents those who have lost faith that things will ever change and so refrain from engaging in politics or protests and the like.
Muriel betraying 'Animal Farm' for insubstantial things like ribbons and sugar and presumably being re-enslaved by humans can represent those who support leaders or figures who are harmful overall to their very own lives but are easily won over or manipulated by empty gestures or less important promises that political figures promise to give them.
It's easy to forget and think towards the end of the book that Snowball would have kept his promises and provided a better life for the animals than Napoleon did, but I think he would have turned out more or less the same exploitative and corrupt leader that Napoleon was.
The sheep, to me, were quite annoying characters especially when they would start chanting pro-Napoleon phrases and drown out the discussion of anyone who opposed Napoleon. In my opinion the sheep represent ignorant people who do not take the time to think out the things that they hear or question the actions of those that they admire. This is especially harmful when "the sheep" in real life undermine or drown out actually useful discussions/debates that people have when questioning their leaders or the way things are run. Without this discussion things cannot change, as shown by the fact that the animals are stopped from protesting after the pigs walk out on two feet.
We can clearly see that the ignorance of the animals and their inability to read is a huge weakness that the pigs take advantage of. We can apply this to our own lives, where education, knowledge and critical thinking can be a protection from manipulation and exploitation from other humans, the media or dishonest politicians.
The slow progression of the pigs' abuses of power and manipulation of the animals felt realistic in the story. The pigs slowly becoming more like the previous human exploiters they despised was jarring especially when they began walking on two feet and when the novella ends with the animals no longer being able to tell the difference between humans and the pigs.
This is clearly shown in the cyclical nature of the story where the pigs treat the other animals worse than Mr Jones did, eventually renaming the farm 'The Manor Farm', symbolising a return to the old ideals upon which the farm was run.
"All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. "
W. O. W
This story scared me from the very beginning. The pigs were a red flag from the start. I appreciate the way that this book makes you think in regards to politics and economics on a simple farm setting and it's a great introduction for anyone who wants to learn more about that but I recommend knowing the basics of the USSR before reading this.
The death of certain animal towards the end destroyed me. I appreciate the way that George Orwell does not glorify Mr Jones or what I can assume Mr Jones stands for, which is capitalism. It is made clear that the animals suffer tremendously under Mr Jones as well as under the regime of the pigs.
It's easy to think that the animals were stupid or naive or not strong enough to prevent the pigs from exploiting them and the farm but if you think about it, this is a reflection of the world we currently live in.
The abuse of power, the deliberate spread of misinformation, the manipulation and the gaslighting are used by governments and individuals in every country. The animals starting to doubt themselves and allowing themselves to be manipulated is something that our own media facilitates quite frequently.
I appreciated the fact that this novella, despite being a classic, had quite accessible language compared to *cough cough* Dickens (who wrote much earlier than Orwell, I know). There is none of the typical frustrating writing style of classic novels like extremely long sentences or outdated cultural references that modern readers cannot understand.
The inclusion of the apathetic animals like Benjamin and the cat was a good reflection of those who show indifference in the face of harmful events or corrupt leaders. To me, Benjamin represents those who have lost faith that things will ever change and so refrain from engaging in politics or protests and the like.
Muriel betraying 'Animal Farm' for insubstantial things like ribbons and sugar and presumably being re-enslaved by humans can represent those who support leaders or figures who are harmful overall to their very own lives but are easily won over or manipulated by empty gestures or less important promises that political figures promise to give them.
It's easy to forget and think towards the end of the book that Snowball would have kept his promises and provided a better life for the animals than Napoleon did, but I think he would have turned out more or less the same exploitative and corrupt leader that Napoleon was.
The sheep, to me, were quite annoying characters especially when they would start chanting pro-Napoleon phrases and drown out the discussion of anyone who opposed Napoleon. In my opinion the sheep represent ignorant people who do not take the time to think out the things that they hear or question the actions of those that they admire. This is especially harmful when "the sheep" in real life undermine or drown out actually useful discussions/debates that people have when questioning their leaders or the way things are run. Without this discussion things cannot change, as shown by the fact that the animals are stopped from protesting after the pigs walk out on two feet.
We can clearly see that the ignorance of the animals and their inability to read is a huge weakness that the pigs take advantage of. We can apply this to our own lives, where education, knowledge and critical thinking can be a protection from manipulation and exploitation from other humans, the media or dishonest politicians.
The slow progression of the pigs' abuses of power and manipulation of the animals felt realistic in the story. The pigs slowly becoming more like the previous human exploiters they despised was jarring especially when they began walking on two feet and when the novella ends with the animals no longer being able to tell the difference between humans and the pigs.
This is clearly shown in the cyclical nature of the story where the pigs treat the other animals worse than Mr Jones did, eventually renaming the farm 'The Manor Farm', symbolising a return to the old ideals upon which the farm was run.
"All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. "
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism