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Animal Farm by George Orwell


"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums."

3 Stars. 

Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. 

Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. 

Full Review: 

When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animals are equal, balanced and joyous. 

They write out seven sacred commandments and demand that all the animals learn these commandments and live their lives as set out by them. Of course, the fact that only the Pigs manage to learn how to read, makes it easy for those in charge (the pigs) to re-write and edit the Commandments as they see fit. The animals work hard, trusting in their leaders, two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball to take care of the matters of running the farm, while all the other animals do the actual manual labor. But when the construction of a windmill is planned, it all comes to a head when Napoleon claims that Snowball has been commiserating with the neighboring farms, speaking to humans, a terrible sin, and he is chased out of the farm, giving Napoleon and his faithful followers, all the power. 

It's dubbed a Fairy Tale but it's not hard to see that Orwell was being painfully sarcastic when he wrote that. Since he wrote this book shortly after escaping Stalin's Russia, it's not hard to see the similarities between Communist Russia and Animal Farm. Those in charge will do whatever they want, while all others must work to earn their keep. As it's said in the novel, "all animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others." 

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