The story is well described in the other reviews, especially in the first one above from the professional reviewer, but I do find it necessary to point out a few observations:

First: George Orwell is a literary genius. There's a reason why he graces the cover of the book: Don't Weep for Me, America: How Democracy in America Became the Prince (While We Slept). If you liked "Animal Farm", "1984" is going to knock you into another thought paradigm.

Secondly, and more important: Whether you read about "Animal Farm" from the professional reviewers, Cliff Notes, or in the introduction to the book itself, there is one self-imposed "limitation" that stays consistent throughout, and that is the sovereign state Orwell has in mind when he wrote "Animal Farm" (or "1984" for that matter)is the Soviet Union. While this may be true, the bigger and more relevant point is getting missed. This bigger and more relevant point is that for ANY sovereign nation, when there is a change of power in its governance (for its betterment), it is ALWAYS the case, I repeat, it is ALWAYS the case that the new governance will gradually become the same as the one it replaced. Look no further than the United States of America. The 1776 rebels overthrew the British tyrant, King George III, mostly due to oppressive business practices, taxes and lack of representation. And look where we are today, in 2008! Corporations rule. Taxes, which we already fought one war over, are exorbitant, and Congress is simply a millionaires club representing the wealthy.

How do we know that George Orwell saw this happening? Because he worked in the BBC and the BBC was spewing the SAME propaganda that the Soviet Union was using. How do we know this? Because writer Martin Esslin worked at the BBC at the same time as Orwell and he wrote that this was the case! For further reference, see my review of the book: U.S. Television News and Cold War Propaganda, 1947-1960 (Cambridge Studies in the History of Mass Communication).

So the point, as is the point with ALL my reviews is this: Become a CRITICAL THINKER!

The book was in great condition and was promptly delivered. I highly recommend using you guys again.

George Orwell's classic novel, Animal Farm, is basically a book that shows the reader all of the problems with communism. Animal Farm first addresses the problem of how tempting communism sounds to the uninformed, and in some cases uneducated, ear. Doesn't it sound nice that everyone pulls their own weight and everyone reaps the benefits? It did to the animals of Manor Farm. At first it was great without those pesky humans around; the animals ate all of the food and got to keep their children. However, it quickly became very obvious that this system wasn't working. The pigs, the smartest of all the farm animals, began to take over led by Napoleon and Snowball. Soon after the establishment of Animal Farm (formerly known as Manor Farm) seven commandments were set forth such as "no animal shall sleep in a bed", "no animal shall kill any other animal", "all animals are equal", etc. After Napoleon ran Snowball off the farm with vicious dogs, Napoleon claimed full leadership of the farm and its animals. One by one, Napoleon modified each of the seven commandments to fit his liking such as "no animal shall drink alcohol to excess." In the end of the book it is impossible for Clover, a horse of Manor Farm (formerly known as Animal Farm and more formerly known as Manor Farm), to tell the difference between the pigs and humans while they are playing a card game.
I would recommend this book to the reader that loves irony. Throughout the story I kept wondering who was going to be the first animal to figure out that in order get rid a tyrant (Mr. Jones the farm owner) they acquired another ("Comrade" Napoleon). Alas I was relieved when a horse realized that Napoleon was changing the commandments for his own benefit. However, when the horse kept this knowledge to himself I was angry at him. I asked myself, "Why wouldn't he show the animals who Napoleon really is?" I never figured it out but for the reader who loves character analysis, this is the book for you! However, this book isn't written for the people who want everything spoon-fed to them. But for the reader that feels the need to read between the lines Animal Farm is full of mysteries for you to figure out.

Animal Farm begins as a tale of triumph over the human race for animals. Yet as it continues you realize the humans never really left. The pigs take over and become the one thing they swore they hated. The worst part is the other animals don't do anything about it and suffer, and whether they do in the future or not we never find out. If happy endings are your thing, forget about this book, because it only represents the cruelest and hardest parts of life, from where there is no rescue. It is disappointing in happiness, yet you cant leave the book unsatisfied, for it does contain a powerful message,we all need to learn whether we like to hear it or not. Life is not all sugar and gumdrops, it also contains Brussels sprouts and tripe, and some people only get the sprouts and tripe, when most of us have the sugar and gumdrops. Orwell is an amazing author and the book is amazing, but for a mature audience( such as myself).

Blood, violence, revolution. As an allegory of the violent Russian Revolution, George Orwell's Animal Farm is a call back to the fairy tales of times past. Animals that possess the ability to think and act in a humanlike manner are the main characters, and their personalities and the events of the story directly parallel the events of the Bolshevik take over--and that is all. By sticking so closely to the original proceedings, Orwell has failed to create a story with any sense of originality.
In Animal Farm, the animals of a man named Mr. Jones have grown tired of the cruel way he treats them and decide to revolt. Gaining their ideas from the teachings of a pig named Old Major and their leadership from two pigs named Napoleon and Snowball, the animals successfully take over the farm. Over the course of the book, the animals fight amongst themselves and against the humans, work to achieve prosperity, and eventually end up in a situation very similar to where they started.
The animals of Animal Farm are so similar to famous figures in the Russian Revolution that it becomes possible to predict what they are likely to do next. It is easy to get caught up in looking for parallels between the animals and the Bolsheviks, rather than read the story for its own sake. To look at only the pigs, Old Major, with his talk of "Rebellion! I do not know when that Rebellion will come, it might be in a week or in a hundred years, but I know, as surely as I see this straw beneath my feet, that sooner or later justice will be done," and point of addressing the other animals as `comrade', is a clear parallel of Karl Marx, from whom the Bolsheviks gained their ideas of socialism. Snowball and Napoleon, also, with their arguing and the eventual forced exile of Snowball, strongly resemble Trotsky and Lenin.
For a reader looking to read about the Russian Revolution in a format more interesting than typical nonfiction historical accounts, Animal Farm is a good start. It is also good for a quick read, particularly if one wishes to learn a bit more about Orwell's writing style and perspective on socialism. It is not, however, a book that will appeal to a reader wanting to read an entirely unique and creative story.

Deemed a classic by modern day scholars, George Orwell's Animal Farm is a must read. It is a humorous yet realistic satire on Soviet Russia. Although never specifically named as the target of Orwell's story, much controversy has come about from Animal Farm's similarities to the Russian Revolution. Telling the story of animals who are tired of suffering under the oppression of humans, it brilliantly illuminates the struggle of the common man against tyranny. Old Major, a prize winning boar who has the revolutionary spirit of Karl Marx, tells the animals of a dream he has had of a utopian farm where animals have the power. After winning over the emotions of most of the farm animals, Old Major dies and the pigs (Napoleon and Snowball) take over the revolution. Napoleon forces his way into unquestioned power using underhanded tactics and clever slogans like "Napoleon is always right" and "Four legs good, two legs bad." Addressing his fellow animals as "comrades" Napoleon is reminiscent of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, covering up the corruption of the farm by saying it's all "for the good of the animals." As conditions worsen and support for the revolution dwindles, the power is questioned and the animals wonder what happened to their dream of equality.
The allusions pour out of this seemingly elementary story, every action was masterfully planned by Orwell to emulate history. For readers who enjoy history and contextual significance, Animal Farm is perfect. Even readers with no knowledge of the political importance behind this book would still find delight in this whimsical story of animals that kick the humans off their farm and try to set up their own government. It is an extremely simple concept, yet is speaks volumes about revolution gone wrong. George Orwell's progressive eccentricity mixed with his classy criticism makes Animal Farm perfectly poignant. This reader would recommend it to all ages!

Animal Farm is about a group of animals who decide to overthrow their master, Farmer Jones, because he has become drunk and does not give them food. This book is even more enjoyable if you know your Russian History because they go hand in hand. Farmer Jones represents Czar Nicholas the Second and the Animal Revolution represents the Russians kicking out the czar. There are many more similarities that you can come up with and it ends the same way the Russian one does. Another thing about Animal farm is that Orwell had some magical ability to predict the cold war. This makes that book enjoyable and something that I would recommend. When I read it in seventh grade, I could easily pick out the similarities and differences. If you look closely, the flags are also similar and you can see the effort that Orwell put into to this to show the world what was going on.

I read this book back in freshman year of high school and later saw the movie since I liked it so much. Orwell's idea was fresh and intriguing. What if animals decided they wanted to be dominant and overthrow mankind? The moral, under the tale, is what gives this book a five star review.

It is human nature to do what we can to remove anyone who is oppressing us. People like to be free to make their own decisions and pursue their dreams. Such was the case with the animals. They got rid of the human and set up their own laws. At first, things were great. But the pigs took over and became just as corrupt, if not more so, than the human they hated. The important thing to consider in any situation is when you get rid of one bad influence, you need to replace it with a good influence or you'll end up in the same situation as before. This book was very well done!

My teacher is using this book in a ESL class of writting. This book is very good and easy to read.

I see why this book is such a classic! It is so short, I'd call it a short story rather than a novel. It is a quick read, and very hard to put down. I highly recommend this book.

Before reviewing the content, let the reader beware that this novel is competely allegorical and SHOULD NOT BE READ WITHOUT PROPER AQUAINTANCE WITH THE HISTORY OF THE USSR. That being said, I read, prior to rereading this work, Ronal Grigory Suny's works on the USSR, which were a bit thick (over 500 pages each). This is necessary for a proper appreciation of the work. Every character is representative of a historical personality. If you don't know who Molotov, Stalin, Trotsky, Hitler, Nicholas II, Stakhanovites and Pravda are, then you should find out BEFORE reading this work to properly enjoy it. If you read the book for a moral message, you miss a major point of the work; you can get the moral message "Don't become what you hate" through reading any other book without these allusions. This entire novel is built off of allegory.

Now, that being said, there are a few flaws that need to be discussed. Orwell treatment of the USSR can be simple and bias, and its unfortunate. He is at least accurate in depicting the accuracy in the rise of literacy of the Soviet peoples, but his treatment of such a complex subject in a 90 page fable isn't going to be comprehensive. Still, there is demonization at work to quite an extent, and it must be realized that READING THIS BOOK WILL NOT MAKE YOU AN EXPERT IN SOCIALISM.

Some of the introductory comments were extremely irritating. The notion that the collapse of the USSR was "unavoidable," that the USSR hardly did anything good for the Soviet people and the idiotic analysis of Hitler's invasion of the USSR was seriously irritating. If you aren't a history fanatic you will miss these points, but seriously, COMMUNISM IS NOT RED FASCISM.

I read this over 20 years ago in highschool and loved it then. Reading it again now...I still loved it. This is such a great book for young minds. Not only to learn the sense of communism, rebellion, fear and tyranny but also to fall in love with symbolsm. This little book with so few pages and words is filled to the brim with symbolic moments and matter. It is timeless.

Definitely a piece of its time. When I first read this its effect was like that of a children's tale not because of the animal characters but because children's tales have a dark moral built into them to warn children not to talk to strangers or to go to strange places by themselves. I could picture the readers of its time feeling very much cowed (pardon the pun) into the kind of thinking that perhaps led to the hardening of the cold war. Today, the value of this piece is akin to say, an impressionist painting by what they have contributed to their respective fields.

I enjoyed this book when I read it in high school, but at the time I thought it was a satire of communism in general. After a recent second reading, however, I believe Animal Farm isn't a criticism of leftist thought so much as a charming (but ruthless) satire of the USSR in particular. In fact, to me the book ultimately makes the point that, if revolutions are to succeed and tyranny is to be avoided, the people must learn to chuck their new leaders as soon as the revolution has been accomplished, otherwise the result is totalitarianism (as Orwell himself put it). So it wasn't the revolution or the initial principles of "animalism" that Orwell was warning against...it was the fact that the revolutionary leaders inevitably abused their power, manipulated information, rewrote history, and perverted the principles underpinning the revolution until the animal regime was far more brutal and oppresive than Farmer Jones had been. (It helps to remember here that Orwell was a self-described democratic socialist.) But in the final analysis, I believe Animal Farm has a broader application: it seems to suggest that this kind of thing could happen under any political system if power goes unchecked or unmonitored for too long. Highly Recommended.

I enjoyed this book when I read it in high school, but at the time I thought it was a satire of communism in general. After a recent second reading, however, I believe Animal Farm isn't a criticism of leftist thought so much as a charming (but ruthless) satire of the USSR in particular. In fact, to me the book ultimately makes the point that, if revolutions are to succeed and tyranny is to be avoided, the people must learn to chuck their new leaders as soon as the revolution has been accomplished, otherwise the result will be totalitarianism (as Orwell himself put it). So it wasn't the revolution or the initial principles of "animalism" that Orwell was warning us against...it was the fact that the revolutionary leaders inevitably abused their power, manipulated information, rewrote history, and perverted the principles underpinning the revolution until the animal regime was far more brutal and oppresive than Farmer Jones had been. (It helps to remember here that Orwell was a self-described democratic socialist.) In the final analysis, though, I believe Animal Farm has a broader application: it seems to suggest that this kind of thing could happen under any political system if power goes unchecked or unmonitored for too long. Highly Recommended.

Originally written as Orwell's warning of the emerging Fascist nature of the Soviet Union, then operating under the guise of being a "Socialist Democracy of the Proletariat," this ideological satire about anthropomorphized animals, has become a metaphor for all forms of "State run," oppressive and Fascist-leaning governments that use guile, slights of hand, propaganda, lies, "double talk," "double think," and the rewriting of history, to wrest away "power and freedom" from "the people."

Eric Blair, who wrote under the pseudonym, George Orwell, fought in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Republicans, and early on distrusted Stalin's government - even when it fought along side the West, in helping to defeat Hitler. Like Churchill, Orwell (through this novel, and his "1984") was a prescient voice of reason about the true nature of Communism.

The key to the story is not so much the revolution that takes place, in which the animals uproot and run "the man" away, but in the generalized way in which revolutionary governments, once they assume power, in due course, tend to become nothing if not, oppressors by a new name. The common motif and paradigm of these erstwhile champions of the revolution is that they quickly learn "the ways of corruption and anti-democracy:" That is, they learn how to disrespect the truth, reject true equality and moral principles, and arrogate power unto a smaller and smaller elite group or ruling clique among themselves. They then begin to subtly bend and then change the Constitution and other rules so that in the end those instruments only favor and benefit their own cliques. Power is maintained in the hands of the new ruling cliques, first by rallying the masses to heroic efforts in the name of the original revolutionary causes, and then as power is siphoned away from the people, in the name of its more hollow and propagandistic symbols. Overtime all thoughts of the revolution grow dim and so do the people's freedoms. Cuba has been the classic case in point.

Events of today however would suggest that it is again time to pull out and reread Orwell's warnings, only this time as they apply to the American Revolution, whose luster, under the present Republican administration and democratically run Congress, is not just beginning to fade, but has begun to take on the color and character of Orwell's Animal Farm.

Our politicians have learned all too well how to show us the same kind of disrespect as did "Napoleon" in Orwell's tale: They lie to us and can no longer be believed; they use our national symbols to whip up emotions, send us into unnecessary wars, and to keep us divided; corruption among a smaller and smaller circle of elites is rampant; in the face of corporate money and the money of lobbyists our democratic freedoms including voting, are slowly slipping away and are being rendered meaningless. We are rapidly becoming a democracy in shell only. Another pretext, like a second 911, and we could see the final glimmer of the light of the American Revolution go out altogether. A "Fascist America" is no longer a distant thought.

"Four legs good, two legs bad or conservatives good; liberals bad?"

Five Stars

After reading "1984" I made it a goal of mine to get my hands on everything that George Orwell has ever written if possible in my life time. So immediately after finishing "1984" I went to the book store and was able to find "Down and Out in Paris and London", "Animal Farm" and "Keep The Aspidistra Flying" which I still have to read. But staying on topic, "Animal Farm" is nothing short of pure GENIUS! It grabbed me from the first lines and had me disappointed when it ended so quickly because it is a very fast read, but totally enjoyable through out! If someone had told me to think quick and name a book where animals are depicted as having human personalities prior to reading this book, my first response would have been "Charlotte's Web." Now however, it is definitely "Animal Farm!"

It starts out with Old Major, a prize boar having a dream and wanting to communicate that dream to the rest of the animals on the farm. From there all the animals are filing in and it is totally apparent in his descriptiveness that not only do they each have very distinct human personalities and quirks, but that the story itself is going to be a Master Piece! Which it is! I wouldn't want to ruin it for any one that hasn't read it but the song that Major (The Prize Boar) sings called "Beast of England" sets the perfect back drop for the story to unfold. And also all the various slogans that he coins are as powerful today as they were when they were written. "Four legs good, two legs bad!" is just one of the things that will stick with you long after the book has been read.

From the stand point of a politically educating work, this book should be required reading for any one who just doesn't quite get "politics" whether they care for them or not. It's laced with serious issues like life and death, betrayal, patriotism and an entire gamut of beliefs that are of course far better understood from the inside out. Meaning those who acquire power ultimately end up being like the ones that previously had the power they didn't have, but once coveted. Witty, serious, comical and again, as important now in today's world despite when it was penned as anything ever was! Buy this book and visit "Animal Farm!" It will surely be a place that stays with you long after you have closed the book and will perhaps have you in search like me, of other things written by George Orwell, one of the best writers in my opinion of all time!
Your Chance to Hear The Last Panther Speak

Everyone has to read this book! It's short and easy to read, it's funny, and it makes you smarter!!!

I read this book for the 1st time last month. It was an easy read and the story moved quickly. The last few pages of the book were absolutely moving!! As the farm animals look on, they can no longer tell, man from pig, pig from man!

A classic tale!

The fable, Animal Farm, has been analyzed and reanalyzed, described and summarized. For all of those things I can add nothing. Instead of that I'm going to make this book review about me and what Animal Farm did to me - what it made me think - how it made me feel.

Orwell's genius is in simplification, while his passion was to anti-authority. He wrote a simple story about animals in a farmyard and showed that authoritarians come in two types, those who abuse authority and those who are victimized by them. His simple truth is that individuals fall into their same roles regardless the government or organization that surrounds them.

It made me think about what kind of authority I crave and what kind of authority I'd be. A book that can prompt that kind of introspection is a special book indeed. Unfortunately I've read Animal Farm a dozen times and I still don't have suitable answers. But I don't think answers are what Orwell had in mind. I think the import of the book was to raise the questions, to get people to think about it, and to get them to talk. If you're aware of your tendencies as individuals and as communities and as nations, then you can resist the slide into familiarity and disaster.

Animal Farm taught me to question authority and to make decisions for myself. It taught me to learn things for myself and to never believe what I'm told by a single source. It taught me that "for my own good" rarely is.

It's an important book to read and even more important to understand.

- CV Rick, March, 2008

Ever since its first publication in 1944, George Orwell's "Animal Farm" has been recognized as a brilliant satire by millions world-wide. In the beginning of this wonderful novella, an old pig, Major, incites the animals to insurrection against the oppression of their human master Jones. Major dies a few days later and a week or two after that the animals revolt and declare their freedom from the human race. However, it doesn't take long for another oppressor-- a pig named Napoleon-- to arise and lord it over the rest of the animals. Eventually, Napoleon makes treaties with neighboring farms and turns into something very much like the animals' old master, Jones. This is an imagery of what Hitler, Stalin, Napoleon, and countless others have done throughout history, and serves as a valuable lesson for humanity. This book ends on a note of despair: another government has failed in its attempt to create a perfect society. Our nation would do well to heed the lesson of this story if it wants to prosper in the years to come. Any government that substitutes its own laws for the law of God and depends upon itself for sustenance will become crushed beneath the weight of its own false independence. It is only by following God's laws that a nation can be blessed to prosper in its ambitions. Ultimately, without Christ, there is no freedom.

"Animal Farm" by George Orwell

One night on Manor Farm, a farm owned by Mr. Jones, all of the animals gather in the barn for a meeting. Word had gone around earlier that Old Major a prize Middle White Boar, had a strange dream whose meaning he wanted to explain to the other animals. Major is so highly regarded by the other animals on the farm that everyone was happy to show up.

Major tells the other animals that his time on earth is short and that he will be dieing soon but that he feels compelled to pass on the wisdom he has gained. Major points out to the animals that there life is one of misery with most of their time devoted to the gain of others, primarily Farmer Jones. Major tells the animals of his vision of a farm not run by humans but instead by animals. In this utopian society, no animal will be over worked or under fed because all of their toil and work will be for their own collective gain. Major advises that sometime in the future, the Animals must band together and make the utopia a reality, and that is just what the animals do......

Animal Farm is an allegory about communism as viewed through the eyes of George Orwell (Eric Blair). It has been rumored that the two conflicting leaders on the farm young boars named Snowball and Napoleon are actually based off of former Russian leader and Politician Joseph Stalin and Politician Leon Trotsky. Like Stalin and Trotsky Snowball and Napoleon are at constant odds and are always trying to move the farm in opposite directions with the price for their bickering being bore by the other animals on the farm.

The Good: This was a good short read lending insight to how Communism can and did unfold. I think "Animal Farm" provides readers with the most painless and to the point outline of Stalinist Russia available even though it is in allegory form. It isn't trying to point out all the details but just trying to show you the briefest version of the big picture.

The Bad: Nothing really comes to mind. It certainly isn't the most action packed book but that doesn't really appear to be what Orwell was aiming for.

Overall: Give "Animal Farm" a try. It is a quick, enjoyable read with a real moral behind it.

A sister of sorts to Orwell's monumental 1984, Animal Farm is an engrossing, entertaining, at times hilarious, and utterly scathing satire, a brilliantly aimed, razor-sharp literary poisoned dart. Although its target was Stalinist Russia (anybody who even paid a little bit of attention in their European History class could see the parallels), specificity hasn't dated this novel by an instant; As a darkly moralistic fable, its message still resounds with crystal clarity to this day (and all the days to follow, I imagine, until humanity falls off the face of the earth). What we have here is a depiction of hope at its most naïve, revolution at its most futile, fascism at its most dangerously subtle, and human (er, animal) nature at its most dangerously human. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the story is both hilarious and heartbreaking, full darkly skewed fairy tale dynamics and all-too-human characters. Plus, you can read the whole thing in one or two sittings. If they didn't make you read this in high school, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.

This political fairytale is absolutely amazing! It is not so often that one can read about drunken pigs in the true sense of the word.

Even though the end of the story shows the pigs and humans playing cards together, a handful of human heroes believe, that the farm would go bankrupt sooner or later and pigsticking can't be avoided. And they are right, even despite the pigs beginning to walk on their hind legs, thus completing their transformation into undistinguishable creatures. Orwell in a masterly way leaves it for a reader to decide at the end, whether this transformation has been made into Homo sapiens or Homo sovieticus.

I'd heard many passing references to this 1945 classic, but somehow never in a context sufficient to wake me up to it's timeless political theme. (I think I vaguely confused it with Animal House, and I'm not interested in bratty frat boys.)

What amazes me most is how universally applicable its lessons are. One cannot help but see a parallel in the gradual watering down of the 7 commandments to today's Bush Neocons slowly but methodically dismantling the great principles of our country's foundation (USA) and our great social structures, little by little. Before long, what was utterly unthinkable a while back is considered, accepted, embraced. Likewise, we continue to see, as in Orwell's day, the rewriting of history through a sinister use of language and phraseology to deceive and control. But without a valuable awareness of the past, we have no reference point and we are easily duped.

This book should be required reading for every human being, especially during this time of dangerous apathy. Even students, once relied upon to be the cutting edge of protest, today rally behind the hit song, "Waiting for the World to Change," just waiting it out instead of participating.

Truly there is nothing new under the sun, as Orwell's allegory illustrates. We just need to be aware, and there is enough history behind us that we could easily BE aware. If we're not, woe are we.

We were forced to read this in school, though I forgot which grade. Well, I was surprised that I couldn't actually put it down and read ahead of the class, finishing it up before anyone else. It really is a great and true classic. Everyone should read this. On the surface you may think it is just as the title suggests, a book about animals who take over a farm from their humans. However, if you look deeply, you will see that it is much more. Allegory upon allegory is subtley thrust at you, some I got, some only after my teacher explained things furthur for us. I read this years ago and still remember everything. It is quite fascinating when you actually think about it. You just need to take a closer look. For a short, but powerful book, everyone should read it.

George Orwell was a socialist who found the "socialism" of the USSR shockingly abysmal and nauseating. To the author, they were not following the "true" tenets of socialism. So much so that the country was spiraling towards two polar opposites: depravity, despair, greed, frugality, sated, starving. Such is the truth, and story that the author so greatly transcribes in Animal Farm. The book is astounding in its simplicity. However, the simple story is a profound one. The book is far from boring, and grips you with curiosity as to what on the farm will happen next. Every person should read this short work of art.

This is one of those "must reads". There is no excusing the reading of this book since it is only 139 pages. The lessons learned are invaluable and anyone who cares about their own nation should take the time to see the wisdom contained inside this novella. What is frightening to me is it makes me wonder who really won the cold war.

It's the classic everyone knows: a disillusioned Orwell satirizing socialism/communism. But it can more broadly be labeled a criticism of human nature - avarice and our quest for power. It can be applied to all states throughout history of every economic and political system. Read it as a response to the promise of the American Dream and general prosperity and equality, and it still works."

Animal Farm by George Orwell

I first read this book 10 years after I was out of high school. I remember my high school english instructor saying something along these lines, "I see no reason to have you read Animal Farm." Of course this was the same instructor pushing Clinton/Gore bumper stickers on us for extra credit (kind of like telling kindergardners you'll give them as many Jolly Ranchers as they want if they vote clinton/gore). I was young, impressionable, and living with two far left parents (they both voted for Mondale for God sake). Years later I was actually listening to Michael Savage while in grid lock traffic. He was talking about our current political climate and discussing it in relation to Animal Farm (I had no frame of referance). I was still a far left little wacko myself and was only listening to Savage so I could argue with him (Portland Oregon has a way of doing that to impressionable youth). This was the moment I started to awake from my fog. I decided to purchase this fine book (got it used right here on Amazon for less than a dollar).

If you want specifics about the story this is the wrong review for you. Instead I am going to focus on what this story did to open my eyes. I began to read this book and amazingly my entire political universe changed. Why did my high school teacher decide this book wasn't important. If anything the story is historical in that it describes the reality of the American mind during the cold war. How was this book tossed aside so easily by teachers who were supposed to be teaching me to think for myself? The clouds started to lift from my eyes. I began to realize that I had been blindly following like the rest of the sheeple. That's when I started reading, thinking, not believing statements just because so and so said so.

I eventually gave this book away at a garage sale. It was hard for me to part with this tathered old library copy of Animal Farm. The old horse (Boxer was his name right?) who kept trying to work harder for the Marxist Pigs; only to be sold for slaughter once his usefulness to the Pigs had come to an end. It reminds me of the middle class who say to themselves "I must work harder" in our current society to maintain their current standard of living. Will we as Americans end up at the financial slaughter house because of the free trade practices of semi socialist government? Most don't realize that Marx expressed the need for free trade in letters to Engels in order to bring down the bourgeois.

The pigs preached in the beginning that "four legs good, two legs bad." Sounds like the nonsense that disseminates like a disease from the Repugnicans and Demoncrats. They both spew their hate and promise change. Yet somehow just like the pigs they both end up walking on two legs in the end. The end of the book states that men were with the pigs (playing cards I believe). They started to fight and their countanences were the same.

This book is a must read if your teacher just so happened to leave this off your high school reading list. Originally written to depict communism. How sad that you can see communism spreading into our own society now.

There are some books I feel every teen should read. Especially in light of recent current events. Today's children & teens sometimes have no real concept of how lucky they are to live in a free society.
This in such a book to remind them that things could be so different!

The subtitle is "A Fairy Story" but that is wrong. The ten chapters of 128 pages is far too long for the classic fairy tale that has a few pages, occurs in a short space of time, and has a moral. The original fairy tales were often quite gruesome and were bowdlerized for children so they wouldn't ask embarrassing questions. You can read the original "Hansel and Gretel" and compare it to 20th century stories.

The story about a society with hunger, hardship, and disappointment could be true of much of world. Does a society with plenty of food produce happier people? Disappointment, the result of not getting what you want, is ever part of human nature. The "Santa Claus" legend may teach children to live with disappointment. George Orwell's death of TB suggests a failure to eat nourishing food (like butter and eggs) or get proper medical care.

Like "Brave New World" this book has a reputation in excess of its real value. The story where changing propaganda sways popular opinion to align with current government policy is never ending. Remember Reagan's sale of poison gas to Saddam Hussein and Bush's 1991 war on Iraq? I think Sinclair Lewis did a better job attacking the corporate state ("It Can't Happen Here"). Orwell's moral seems to be "politics doesn't matter" or "be happy in your work".

God, I loved this book so much. I finished it in one day. Seriously. It was such a great way to look at how the people who wanted the revolution turned the farm into exactly what it was before. Just an amazing book on totalarianism. Orwell is a genius.

This book continues to shine as a classic due to its originality and depth. Orwell's work was very bold and daring for its time and had much to say about the social and political milieu of his day. This book sparked much controversy due to its anti-Russian sentiments (it was rejected by Orwell's regular publisher). High schools continue to make this book required reading because it shows perhaps more than any other book how a story can be used as a platform for social commentary. I recommend this book highly. You will do yourself a favor if you freshen up on the events leading up to and during the Stalin's rule before diving into this one (here is a starting point: wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalin_era).

As I post this, there are over 1000 reviews, so I doubt I can add anything else to directly assist the potential reader on the merits of the actual story. Any story with that many reviews speaks for itself. What I would like to contribute is that of all the books I was assigned to read when I was in high school, this is one of the few that I can't wait until my kids get assigned. Although I will try and read any book they have for homework, this is one I know I'll read. Playing devil's advocate, picking actual people to fill the roles in the book, all will be great fun and contribute to some excellent family discussions. Can't wait! THAT is how good this story is and how well it stands the test of time.

Not much to say about Orwell's bitter and brilliant little gem. While not aimed at adolescents, AF appeals well to the 13-15 year-old bracket, presenting totalitarianism is a readily comprehensible way. Of course, AF is not just about politics, but about human nature, the way very ordinary, not deliberately Machiavellian people take advantage of any situation. Nice read and this is a very nice paperback edition.

Animal Farm David Romanowicz
Mod 4

This story is about how animals took over a farm and how they maintain it. The leaders of the farm are the pigs, they are the smarts and they us there brains to use the other animals.
My favorite part of this book is when the pigs sell Boxer to the glue making place. The pigs try to trick the other animals by telling them that he is going to the hospital. But the wise old billy goat read the side of the van and figured out that Boxer was going to be killed. So he tells the other animals about what's going on and they all start to chase the van but don't catch him. After that there pissed at the pig that smooth talk there way out of the trouble.
This is one of my all time favorite books. It's one those books that you can read over and over and find new details that you did not find the last time you read it. This book is short but very hard to read, Orwell buts in a lot of details and parts that make you think about how these animals are so clever or stupid.

Excellent, well written. I bought it for my kids, but I also learned a lot.

Having read Animal Farm in one sitting, i feel that it transcends the obvious allusions to communisms and the likes to something far more poetic. Human nature, it seems, has a very deceiving quality to it. Orwell made it clear that the book was parallel with real life (Russian Revolution and such) and similarities are easily made between characters in the book and real life people. Although i'd say the biggest lesson learned is the power of mind-manipulation and how few can control many through fear.
Simply put, you can call it a process... Bad people reign--good people overthrow bad people---hunger for power consumes a handful of the good people---manipulation/propaganda is instilled and WAHLA ---Once again Bad people reign... It's a sad cycle that this book has beautifully portrayed.
Definitely worth a read, especially if you are "into" politics.
Lucas.

Just before he dies, Old Major, an old pig, shares a dream he had with the animals of Manor Farm. In the dream, he saw a future where animals were no longer the servants of man but enjoyed the profits of their own labor.

His dream became reality much sooner then he imagined, however. Shortly after his death, the animals spontaneously revolt against the farm's owner, Jones, a mean drunk.

With the humans gone, the animals start working the farm together, anxious to enjoy the rewards. They also form their own government, a complete democracy where every animal has a say. They create seven commandments that they will all live by to make the newly renamed Animal Farm an even better place to live.

It isn't long, however, before the pigs begin to take a place of leadership because of their superior intelligence. Two in particular, Snowball and Napoleon, rise to the top and always take opposite sides on every issue.

The first year, things go smoothly. But the second year, things begin to fall apart and a leader emerges, slowly gaining more power. Will the other animals go along with the changes?

Having heard about this classic all my life, I finally decided it was time to become acquainted with it. I can see why everyone talks about it so much. It is a powerful allegory about the dangers of Socialism. And, while some of the commentary directed squarely at the USSR may be lost on today's readers, anyone familiar with the history of that country or the other communist countries in our history will certainly get the point. It's amazing how accurate George Orwell was years before things got bad in Russia.

While it did take me a few minutes to truly get the ending, it was very chilling.

The best part is, the book is fun, too. The story moves quickly and the animal characters are so well drawn it's hard not to get pulled in to the story. I was hooked and couldn't wait to see how it ended.

Some classics are boring and hard to get through. This isn't one of them. Don't fear the classic label, but pick this up and read it today. You'll be glad you did.

Animal Farm is a strong metaphor for the rise of tyranny using the model of a failing communism after the deliberate overthrow and subsequent breakdown of capitalism and democracy. In Orwell's story oppressed farm animals rebel against their masters only to find themselves falling prey to the inherent problem of an escalating despotism following emancipation that culminates in an even vaster gap of inequality between upper and lower classes with the wants of the very few outweighing the needs of a neglected majority that are slowly turned into isolated brainwashed slaves controlled by fear.

The ideology of equality is sound but in overthrowing the ruling elite who cannot say that yet another privileged will not emerge? An even stronger dictatorship that can control the masses with the intimidating thought that if the populace doesn't obey any order then the old ways can come back? What makes Animal Farm so good is that it explains how revolutions designed to close the differences in rank can be easily exploited. This is the inevitable dilemma faced by all civilizations that desire governed order and is especially true of socialism and communism. Nobody has captured the difficulty of the exploitation of trust and power any better than Orwell has done with Animal Farm.

Animal Farm doesn't answer any questions but makes lots of them and is all about awareness of these possibilities, a conundrum born out from our systemic need to consolidate power socially.

Orwell based his work on a combination of the Bolshevik revolutionaries and Stalinism but the overall message is a one of warning about how any system of political control can become corrupt if it is allowed run with carte blanche.

It is also a message about how awareness of one's own strength can suddenly change the balance and for this reason has been seen as subversive material. Animal Farm is often banned by most totalitarian regimes and even some governments had banned it because they didn't understand it or believed that its anti-communism message was considered too strong for public consumption.

George Orwell was not only the author of 1984 but Animal Farm as well as written numerous essays, articles, etc. about his take on politics. In 1984, society was in the future under a totalitarian dictatorship where nothing was sacred or left to chance. In Animal Farm which I think it's more effective and definitely better reading material than 1984 is the story about a farm of animals who take over the farm against Jones, a drunken, abusive farmer and master of Manor Farm. At first, the rules were applied but slowly changed according to the leaders' rules. The animals in charge were symbolically pigs named Napoleon and his right-hand man, Snowball. Napoleon begins breaking the rules by sleeping in the main house and having parties with the other pigs. The rules or commandments are representative of Moses and the Jews when they were going to the promised land and received the ten commandments. Also, the rules begin to change when the pigs in charge become more like Jones by abusing alcohol and even killing other animals when they disobeyed. Slowly, the animals that were once united by their hatred towards Jones were becoming divided again amongst themselves. The story is quite a classic novel and better suited for younger readers than 1984.

Best book ever written. It's important to note that it is not only about Russian Communism but equally about the French revolution. Orwell himself was a disillusioned socialist, so to view this book (as conservatives do) as a simple polemical against Communism is a distortion. Rather it is a tragedy about many years of history.

Orwell correctly never denies that Mr. Jones abused his animals. He correctly recognizes the socialist dream as exactly that. It's worth noting that the theme song of the revolution, "Beasts of England" is an exact parody of the old Socialist poem "Men of England" by Percy Shelley from the early 19th century. The character Napoleon the pig is both Napoleon Bonaparte and Stalin. Orwell's relentless cynicism portrays most of the animals as far too stupid to realize what's happening as the revolution betrays its original principles. The most sympathetic character is the old donkey who knows better, but can only watch helplessly as the dogs and pigs establish their tyranny. Its ending corresponds closely with Napoleon (Bonaparte) crowning himself king.

As far as advice, Orwell offers none. Figure it out yourself.

_Animal Farm: A Fairy Story_, fist published in 1946 by George Orwell (pen name of Eric Blair), is a satirical tale of a farm taken over and run by animals meant to satirize the totalitarianisms of the day and in particular communism and Stalinism. George Orwell (1903 - 1950) was the pen name of the British author Eric Blair, who developed an early enmity towards those in power and their abuses of power. Orwell was a socialist but came to witness the horrors of the Soviet state and the betrayal of his ideals by Stalinists. As such, Orwell came to loathe totalitarianism in general and wrote novels, including this book and _1984_, showing the degrading effects such societies (and in particular the communism of the Soviet state) had on people. Orwell's books are indeed prophetic and show us a world in which the very life-force has been sapped out of mankind by those in power. Orwell imagines a highly efficient totalitarian state, capable of enforcing political correctness at the highest levels, tampering with the memories of men (or animals as is the case in this book), and maintaining a total disregard for the truth. Orwell shows how under such regimes the very notion of truth becomes suspect and the individual can no longer distinguish between fact and state propaganda. This particularly applies to the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin, which is the primary setting for Orwell's stories. During the Second World War, when Stalin was regarded as an ally by many British, Orwell's stories came as a shock in that they showed the vile nature of the Soviet regime.

_Animal Farm_ begins as the Manor Farm of the human farmer Mr. Jones, who the animals believe exploit them. As such, the animals on the farm gather together and stage a rebellion against the human exploiters so that they may together own the farm to work for the benefit of all animals. The story begins as Old Major, a prize white boar near the end of his life, tells of a future society in which animals work together free from the exploitation of man. It has been suggested that Old Major very likely represents either Marx or Lenin, the precursors of the Russian revolution. Following this, all the animals join together in singing the traditional folk song "The Beasts of England", expressing their hope for a better society. Following this, the animals stage a revolt against Mr. Jones and drive him from the farm, assuming ownership of the farm themselves and re-naming it "Animal Farm". In particular, two pigs named Snowball and Napoleon come to play prominent parts as leaders; however, soon there develops rival factions surrounding each of these pigs. Together the animals create the Seven Commandments of Animalism, which maintain that all animals are equal and that those who go upon four legs or have wings are friends while those who go upon two legs are enemies. However, as the story continues, all seven of the commandments are eventually to be broken by the pig leadership. The animals then begin working together on the farm and design their own society ruled by animals. However, a rivalry develops between the pigs, Snowball and Napoleon. Snowball advocates building a windmill while Napoleon opposes it. Eventually, Napoleon and his dogs are to drive Snowball from the farm; however, the memory of Snowball is to forever come back and haunt the animals and he is systematically blamed for whatever goes wrong on the farm. It has been suggested that while Snowball represents the character Leon Trotsky from the Russian revolution, Napoleon represents the vile dictator Josef Stalin. Napoleon then begins consolidating his power and little by little takes over all aspects of the farm. Napoleon also uses propaganda and uses the pig Squealer to manipulate the animals and provide an alternate history which places Napoleon at the center of the rebellion. Other characters on the farm include the work horse Boxer (whose mottos "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right" serve to illustrate his persistence but whose role on the farm is cruelly exploited by the pigs and who is eventually cruelly killed by them - perhaps reminiscent of the Soviet Stakhanovite movement), the horses Clover and Mollie, the sheep (perhaps reminiscent of the proletariat), the raven Moses (who preaches of a "Sugarcandy mountain" in the sky where animals go after death - reminiscent of religion and the churches), the dogs (Napoleon's private guards), the cat, and Benjamin the donkey. As time passes, the pigs led by Napoleon begin abusing their power and breaking the Seven Commandments. They drink alcohol, they have dealings with humans on other farms, the stage a great show trial in which they slaughter animals believed to be spies for Snowball, etc. Throughout the book Napoleon continues to engage in negotiations with human owners of other farms and in particular a conflict develops between Mr. Frederick and Mr. Pilkington, reminiscent of other leaders that Stalin engaged in negotiations with. Meanwhile, life on the farm continues to grow worse and worse, with longer and harder working hours and less benefits, though the animals have forgotten whether life was better or worse under Mr. Jones. At the end, the animals see for themselves exactly what the pigs have wrought, as it is shown that the pigs are no different than the humans. This book also shows the collaboration between the big capitalists and the communist leaders, both of whom plotted against the people to consolidate power in the hands of a few. The book ends on a very disturbing note, in which we see the complete abandonment of the ideals which launched the rebellion by the pigs.

Orwell's books provide classic and disturbing accounts of the horrors of Soviet totalitarianism. They show us an efficient bureaucratic apparatus capable of sapping the life from the very people it claims to represent. As such, they are classic tales of the dangers that lurk behind totalitarianism and the manner in which human idealism is exploited by evil dictators. They are to be highly recommended to each new generation who seeks to understand the world in which we live today.

Postscript: In a truly disturbing fashion, this "Centennial Edition" comes with a pro-communist foreword by Ann Patchett which rails against the evils of "McCarthyism". I believe that this foreword is best ignored in light of the fact that this is an anti-communist work of fiction.

I'm quite old now, but many decades ago I was forced to read this in school. It was the first time I loved a book I was forced to read, and to this day it was the one I enjoyed the most at least until college.

I loved the book Animal Farm, and I bet you will too when you get around to reading it. At first I was hesitant to start reading this book when I heard that it was about politics from a teacher. Classics + politics didn't spark interest in me. And yet when I began reading Animal Farm, I was hooked from the first page. Usually, you can tell how good a book is by what page you really get into the book. For me, Animal Farm grabbed me from pratically sentence one. Mr. Orwell has created a fantastic classic with lots of wit, drama, and meaning. Despite its lack of pages, Mr. Orwell sums up the main message in a way that will never be forgotten. This book left off at a question, and the reader has to decide the ending. Only the best books can leave you thinking, and Animal Farm is one of those rare books.

Despite the fact that Animal Farm is about talking animals that take over a farm, you will be hard pressed to find a book that contains as much truth as this slim novel does. While the book is a pitch perfect allegory about the Soviet Union under Stalin what makes this book so timeless is that it is ultimately about totalitarianism and the corrupting nature of power. The writing itself is brilliant - very simple and straightforward with a compelling plot, yet underneath everything is an insight and intelligence that holds everything together. On top of all that, Animal Farm contains one of the greatest closing paragraphs in the entire canon of English literature. There are small things you could nit-pick about (why is it that the animals suddenly start talking? How does a pig teach itself to read?) but they are irrelevant - Animal Farm is a quick and engaging read, a brilliant allegory, and given the current political climate of the world, it is as timely and as vital as it ever has been. Strongly recommended.

Don't get me wrong, this is a FANTASTIC book. Orwell delivers a spectacular critique of communism. My issue came from the book itself. Though its a "Centennial Edition" the extra price you pay for a fancy cover and a new forward is just not worth the few extra dollars I paid. Save your money and try and get a copy of this great book without all the junk.

As C M Woodhouse profoundly remembered in his introduction to the Animal Farm written in 1954: Winston Churchill eavesdropped on President Truman tipping off Stalin about the great event in history that was destined to etch the triumph of Western genius in the history of the world. As Churchill observed, Stalin "had no idea of the significance of what he was being told... If he has the slightest idea of the revolution in world affairs which was in progress his reactions would have been obvious...". Animal Farm hit bookshelves on the same month as the atomic bombs hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As the undying impact of both events persists in modern times, the jury is still out on whether the pen is mightier than the bomb.

Works of fiction are not only a million times more effective in bringing a political point of view to the mainstream. A work of fiction that does so is a million times harder to conceive and author than millions of political debates that take the form of non-fiction.

Much has been written about Orwell's forewarning of the evils of communist Russia in a time when the celebration of "socialism" was in fever pitch. However, in modern times, it would be shortsighted to assume that Animal Farm's place in history is due to its criticism of communism. What makes Animal Farm an immortal classic is its criticism of totalitarianism. What applied to communism during World War II might better apply today to inward-looking nationalism, hegemonic capitalism, and organized fundamentalist religion.

Power will corrupt. More power will corrupt more. Any system that reaches the state of unquestioned power to a few will deny the right to moral fairness to many. Through the eyes of the fatalist, this is the beginning of the certain and ultimate destruction of mankind. Through the eyes of the optimist, this is the crest of a system that must fall in the interest of humankind, since there is power in chaos. In either case, these are the times when we will remember George Orwell or Benjamin, the donkey, as the one who foretold it.

Did Al Gore direct this? I was just you know, curious because the animals are talking and stuff and they even have like, this hierarchy of power and things don't make sense like that. This is an anti goverment film but all I hear is Total arin ism which gets to be useful when instilled in the drinking water of places like Africa. Well we gave them animals to eat and they just turned them loose in fields and never fed them and they died. This book is co-written I think by Gore and Moore, but who knows I mean anymore you cannot figure out who is who, but I am Cathy and I escaped from Taurine and this is my review of Animal Farm. Oh, and even if you give a pig pickles it will still attack you if it is hungry!