Animal Farm Review
Cameron Ogletree, A reviewer, 06/30/2008

If anyone is looking for a creative and enjoyable book to read, they should take a look at Animal Farm by George Orwell. This book is about a group of farm animals who are mistreated and abused by their owner, Mr. Jones. One day, the animals on Mr. Jones' farm rebel and exile him and all of his workers out of the farm. The animals run the farm together and start a Marxist lifestyle, dividing the work equally, making fair rations and deciding on farm issues as a whole, with all of the animals equal.. However, the pigs, led by two named Napoleon and Snowball, begin to gain control by slowly building up support. Napoleon, due to vast disagreements with Snowball, runs him out of the farm and takes complete control in leading the animals. From this point on, the lives of the animals, especially the pigs, change forever. Napoleon becomes a dictator, and nothing is the same, or for that matter, ever will be. This book is very unique. Unlike many books where the author has you following one or a few key characters, George Orwell tells the story of the farm as one. There are still main characters, but you are not necessarily following that one character throughout the entire book. One of the main characters is the pig Napoleon. He is very much like a dictator. Much like Stalin, he works his way into power by lying to gain support. Once he has that power, he takes total control of the farm and forces the other animals to follow him and do as he says through fear. The story of the animal farm reminds me of the rise of the Soviet Union: communism turning to totalitarianism. I enjoyed greatly Animal Farm. George Orwell uses very strong language and the storyline really draws you in. I also thought that the way he made his entire book a metaphor of the Soviet government was incredibly creative. The characters are quite similar to regular people in their personalities and speech except that they have several views and reactions that you might expect an animal to have as well as hatred towards humans and the way of life. His concept of animals running a farm on their own is very unique. Because this concept is so unusual and intriguing, the book is somewhat difficult to comprehend, reminding me of my experiences with Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. These two authors put ideas into each of these books that are so far off from the norm that it is hard to see what it would be like to live in the book. You could describe Animal Farm is a mix between the uniqueness of Fahrenheit 451 and the theme of talking animals in Babe by Dick King-Smith. I would recommend this book to people that enjoy fables, especially ones involving politics. If you like books like Fahrenheit 451, you will enjoy this Animal Farm by George Orwell.

Animal Farm
A reviewer, A reviewer, 06/30/2008

To begin, Animal Farm isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill fairy story. Animal Farm’s meaning is much deeper than that. Animal Farm is a brilliant work of art--a masterpiece, rather-- that satirizes totalitarianistic societies. Animal Farm begins on the Manor Farm, where an old pig named Major calls an assembly to talk about his dream, a dream in which all animal are equal and that animals rule England and roam free within its boundaries. After Old Major dies, his thoughts and ideals are compiled into a philosophy aptly named Animalism. They condense the main principles of Animalism into Seven Commandments and inscribe them upon the walls of the barn. Afterwards, the animals run the owner off the farm, changing the farm’s name to Animal Farm. His successors, Napoleon and Snowball, teach other animals the fundamentals of Animalism. After much arguing, and through a strange and surprising turn of events, Napoleon has Snowball expelled from the farm, naming the pigs unopposed decision-makers. This sets the stage for Napoleon to take over the farm and warp its ideals. In the months following Snowball’s expulsion, the animals elect a leader. Since Napoleon was the only one running, he was chosen unanimously. Then, he set himself up as a dictatorial figure, having absolute power over the other animals. Napoleon purges any animal he perceives as a threat to him, or his position of power. This is one of the most interesting books I have ever read, despite having political meaning. Orwell’s book is a powerful attack on the political, rhetorical, and military powers which seek to control human beings unjustly. Animal Farm’s most important theme is that those who espouse the most virtuous ideas tend to become the worst enemies of the people whose lives they are claiming to improve. To conclude, Animal Farm is definitely worth the read. At ten chapters, it leaves nothing to be desired. If you want to read it for fun, the small amount of chapters may be a bit of a disappointment, but the story contained within those chapters won’t be. If you are reading it for a class, like I had to, it will surprise you. George Orwell was a literary genius and he will always be remembered for his two greatest works: Animal Farm and 1984. Orwell’s genius lies not only in his choice of words, but also in his superb story-telling ability.

FLVS student
A reviewer, A reviewer, 06/30/2008

Animal Farm is by far the most famous work of political allegory ever written. This animal fable starts out with animals ruling a farm. However, two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, increasingly quibble over the future of Animal Farm, and they begin to struggle for power and influence among all of the animals. Meanwhile, Snowball and Napoleon formulate a philosophy for the farm called Animalism. In addition, the animals come up with seven commandments. The most famous being, “All animals are equal.” Napoleon decides to go ahead with a project that Snowball had created. It is a windmill that produces energy and it would result in less work for all of the animals. As time went on it was destructed during a storm however was rebuilt. During Animal Farm there are many symbolic situations. For example, Animal Farm, the Barn, and the Windmill are all examples. The barn at Animal Farm, on whose outside walls the pigs painted the seven commandments and, later, their revisions, represents the collective memory of a modern nation. The many scenes in which the ruling-class pigs alter the principles of Animalism and in which the working-class animals puzzle over but accept these changes represent the way an institution in power can revise a community’s concept of history to bolster its control. If the working class believes history to lie on the side of their oppressors, they are less likely to question oppressive practices. Moreover, the oppressor, by revising their nation’s conception of its origins and development, gain control of the nation’s very identity, and the oppressed soon come to depend upon the authorities for their communal sense of self. The great windmill symbolizes the pigs’ manipulation of the other animal for their own gain. Despite the immediacy of the need for food and warmth, the pigs exploit Boxer and the other common animals by making them undertake backbreaking labor to build the windmill, which will ultimately earn the pigs more money and thus increase their power. The pigs’ declaration that Snowball is responsible for the windmill’s first collapse constitutes psychological manipulation, as it prevents the common animals from doubting the pigs’ abilities and unites them against a supposed enemy. The ultimate conversion of the windmill to commercial use is one more sign of the pigs’ betrayal of their fellow animals. From an allegorical point of view, the windmill represents the enormous modernization projects undertaken in Soviet Russia after the Russian Revolution. Towards the end of Animal Farm, these pigs begin to act like human beings. Do you think all of the trading of money and meetings with the humans has caused this situation? While you read this book you should realize what message George Orwell is trying to get across to all readers of Animal Farm. I got the message now it’s your turn!

Also recommended: lord of the flies

Tyler, FLVS student, 6/29/2008
A reviewer, A reviewer, 06/29/2008

We may not always make the best choices in life but the choices we do make will always affect the out come! Like in the story Animal Farm the animals on Mr. Jones farm do not like the way they were treated. By forming an alliance together and making a plot to get rid of the farmer and his family. They elect a leader to they’re demise that is exactly what they are trying to get away from. Example Snowball was elected as leader, he helped the other animals learn to write and create the seven commandments that the animals would live by. I believe by electing Snowball as their leader this was one of the better decisions the animals made because Snowball cared about all the animals not just the pigs. He wasn’t overpowering he listen to the other animal’s suggestions. He wanted the animals to step up and help with the everyday running the farm. I believe this was a good decision because this showed the right kind of leadership, promotes a healthy environment, happier animals and/or people, it also shows cooperation and kindness will help in a verity of situation. Unlike when Napoleon, another pig, decided Snowball needed to be ran off the farm so he could take over as leader. I think this was a bad decision because his ideas of the way the farm should be run was he would make all the decisions and his word was final. I believe if the other animals would have stood up to him and and overpowered him they would still have Snowball and not have been subjected to the same mistreatment as they had with the farmer. Napoleon took over he changed the commandments making it better for just the pigs. He also found out that some animals were going to try to overthrow him so he had them killed this shows his power to the other animals. The pigs also learn to walk on two feet carrying weapons, and acting like humans. This shows dictatorship, similar to past history for us, like Hitler and the Jews. The book in my opinion is a really good book because it keeps you interested in what’s going to happen next and the fact they used animals instead of people keeps me more entertained and focused. I like the way the author gives the animals human-like qualities, it makes me wonder if animals could actually take over a farm. To me this book is a good example of power corrupt, miss using trust and authority and how the decisions you make in your life directly affect the outcome.

Animal Farm
Mandy, FLVS Student, A reviewer, 06/27/2008

In the novel, Animal farm, the animals of Manor Farm begin a rebellion to escape the slave work of being owned by humans, and the pigs of the farm are chosen as leaders. Two of the three pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, were always feuding. However, Napoleon sent his dogs after Snowball and ran him off the farm in order to gain full control of it. After Snowball was gone, Napoleon started to build a windmill, using Snowballs old plans. One night, a large storm came and knocked the windmill down, and Napoleon used this as a reason to blame Snowball, and it helped change the way the animals thought of him. This was quite a manipulative and back-stabbing thing to do. The pigs and all animals were supposed to be treated equally, and after Snowball was run off the farm, things started heading down hill for the Animal Farm. Napoleon became a dictator, and removed the animals that he felt threatened by. Another surprising thing that happened was the way they manipulated the fact that not all the animals could read. They rewrote rules in Napoleons favor letting him sleep in a bed, drink alcohol, and spend money. They also changed the rules to allow the two remaining pigs to kill the animals that oppose them without making it look like they were breaking the rules. The pigs were given all power, and in the end, removed all the rules besides one, “All animals are created equal, but some are more equal than others.” Because of this, the pigs were able to control all the animals in their favor, and ruled over the farm just as the humans had. The way the pigs manipulated the animals, allowed them to do things the way they wanted, and it wasn’t always in the best interest in the other animals. Many were killed and others were put to work until death. The pigs acted viciously, and it shows what a dictator could do in real life, as well as in the story. In fact, the book is based on real life events that occurred during the Russian Revolution. The book was ultimately, an allegory unto the Russian Revolution, and helped inform, and educate me on the events that occurred during that time. It was quite informational, and if you are interested in learning about the Russian Revolution, this book, is a good place to start.