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(Mass Market Paperback - 50th Anniversary Edition)
| More Formats | Online Price |
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| Hardcover | $21.99 |
| Paperback | $24.95 |
| Audio - Unabridged, 3 cassettes, 4 hours | $24.95 |
| Compact Disc - Unabridged | $36.00 |
| MP3 on CD - Unabridged, 3 hours | $24.95 |
| Audiobook MP3 - Unabridged | $9.91 |
Orwell's classic political fable is often cited as simply a condemnation of Stalinism, which it certainly was, but its political relevance is both wider and more enduring, as novelist Ann Patchett notes in her introductory essay to this new edition. Among the lessons contained in its pages is the need of politicians for "The Enemy" (think Axis of Evil) and the dangers of individuality to oppressive political order. A previous edition of this book was cited in the third edition of Books for College Libraries Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Absolutely first-rate...comparable to Voltaire and Swift. -- The New Yorker
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July 03, 2009: It is the time of the Pig Regime! Animal Farm is about the animals working together to overthrow their often drunken and oppressive owner, Mr. Jones. Their action is inspired even more by Old Major, a prize winning pig, who ends up dying just before the animals' revolt. Later on, the pigs are given power over the other animals because they are thought to have more intelligence than the other animals. The choice that the animals make to put the pigs in charge symbolizes the rise of communism in Russia after the 1917 revolution. The animal that I admire most in the novel is Snowball. The reason why I admire Snowball so much is because he is such a good speaker and is so interested in making the animals' lives better by trying to educate them and pass his knowledge on to them. Snowball's beliefs represent the start of communistic beliefs, similar to those of Leon Trotsky, and Old Major's beliefs are similar to those of Vladimir Lenin. When Snowball is overthrown and exiled by Napoleon, a power hungry Berkshire boar, Napoleon himself takes over the Animal Farm and changes its name to The Manor Farm. Napoleon rules like a dictator and tyrant, and his actions and character traits are an allegory of Joseph Stalin during his rule of the former Soviet Union. Napoleon twists and turns the original rules that were there before his regime to support his wants. When the animals try to revolt against Napoleon or make any uproar about his judgment, they are killed, exiled, or both. After a short period of time, the animals realize that Napoleon is truly a cruel ruler.
I recommend this novel for people who enjoy reading fictional books that are based on true life history. The use of animal characters to represent people and the heavy use of symbolism make Animal Farm an educational book. Animal Farm is also a book about the struggle for independence, freedom, and justice. Some of the main ideas in Animal Farm can even be used in real life situations. Animal Farm enforces this belief that, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Under Napoleon's regime, things become absolutely corrupt and cruel for the other farm animals. Most of the farm animals believe Napoleon at first when he says they will have a more productive and better life with him as their leader than they would have had when Snowball was their leader. Napoleon's actions and those of the remaining pigs, however, prove to be different than what the other animals expect.Reader Rating:
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July 03, 2009: this novel is about a farm were the animals are dictated over by humans. the animal want to escape the unfair treatment so they rebell. they over thrw
throw their goverment, and then create their own.this book was very interesting by the way things went about.the book overall was neat, the point that george is trying to get across is very clear.