As ferociously fresh as it was more than a half century ago, this remarkable allegory of a downtrodden society of overworked, mistreated animals, and their quest to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality is one of the most scathing satires ever published. As we witness the rise and bloody fall of the revolutionary animals, we begin to recognize the seeds of totalitarianism in the most idealistic organization; and in our most charismatic leaders, the souls of our cruelest oppressors.
This is the newest classic in my buddy reads with Mack. Animal Farm was voted next in our book club and, to be honest, I wasn’t really looking forward to this book.
I have only read one other Orwell book and that was his iconic 1984. I personally don’t care for anthropomorphized animals and wasn’t looking at this book as enjoyable. The only plus on this book was that it was a short read.
A seriously short read. A read I could read in one day. Less than a day. I even have time to read another book right now. To give you an idea, it was 3 hours long of audio time.
The shortness of the book doesn’t set aside the impact of the read. I saw clear parallels with the animals of Animal Farm and the political system the book is written about. You can’t tell me it wasn’t about communism. If you look at the history of the Soviet Union and condense it, you will see Animal Farm.
It is almost horrifying to see how it progresses from a utopia to something dark to something very similar to the current government systems. Using animals as the subject matter was a smart move. It set aside the reality of the situation, but still made the story impactful.
Or perhaps, it made it stronger.
I wouldn’t say Animal Farm is an enjoyable read and I wouldn’t say it is a favorite of mine. However, I’m happy that I ended up reading this book. I would probably read it again and I definitely recommend it for people.
Final Rating: 4/5
Casia's Corner 