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Book Review: Animal Farm by George Orwell

Title: Animal Farm

Author: George Orwell

Publisher: Harcourt, Brace and Company

Genre: Allegory, Satire

First Publication: 1945

Language: English

Major Characters: Snowball, Napoleon, Clover, Boxer, Old Major, Muriel, Jones, Squealer, Moses the Raven, Benjamin

Setting Place: A farm somewhere in England in the first half of the 20th century

Theme: Revolution and Corruption, Totalitarianism, Power, Soviet Union

Narrator: Third Person narration

Book Summary: Animal Farm by George Orwell

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.

Animal Farm by George Orwell captures the themes of oppression, rebellion and history repeating itself. Animal Farm begins like an ambitious children’s tale: After Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm, falls asleep in a drunken stupor, all of his animals meet in the big barn at the request of old Major, a 12-year-old pig. Major delivers a rousing political speech about the evils inflicted upon them by their human keepers and their need to rebel against the tyranny of Man.

Shortly after, when Jones forgets to feed the animals, the revolution occurs, and Jones and his men are chased off the farm. Manor Farm is renamed Animal Farm, and the Seven Commandments of Animalism are painted on the barn wall, the most important being “ All animals are created equal “, which is later changed into “ All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. ” Through the revision of the commandments, Orwell demonstrates how simply political dogma can be turned into malleable propaganda.

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

Animal Farm by George Orwell maybe not really children’s book material! There’s some heavy stuff. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. He believed, the Soviet Union had become a brutal dictatorship, built upon a cult of personality and enforced by a reign of terror.

“I meant the moral to be that revolutions only effect a radical improvement when the masses are alert and know how to chuck out their leaders as soon as the latter have done their job. The turning-point of the story was supposed to be when the pigs kept the milk and apples for themselves.” – George Orwell on Animal Farm

In his essay Why I Write (1946), he wrote that Animal Farm was the first book in which he tried, with full consciousness of what he was doing, “ to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole “. In my humble opinion, he mastered that with flying colors.

The revolt of the animals against Farmer Jones is Orwell’s analogy with the October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution . The Battle of the Cowshed has been said to represent the allied invasion of Soviet Russia in 1918. The pigs’ rise to pre-eminence mirrors the rise of a Stalinist bureaucracy in the USSR, just as Napoleon’s emergence as the farm’s sole leader reflects Stalin’s emergence. The pigs’ appropriation of milk and apples for their own use stands as an analogy for the crushing of the left-wing 1921 Kronstadt revolt against the Bolsheviks, and the difficult efforts of the animals to build the windmill suggest the various Five Year Plans.

“The only good human being is a dead one.”

I am not a history buff and I wasn’t acquainted with all of the historic events mirrored in Animal Farm, nonetheless, Orwell’s narrative remained accessible, since it can not only be coined to the Russian Revolution but to revolutions and change in leadership in general. Animal Farm by George Orwell details the history of humankind on this planet. History repeating itself. People being driven by money and profit.

Animal Farm by George Orwell closes with the pigs and men in a kind of rapprochement, reflected Orwell’s view of the 1943 Teheran Conference that seemed to display the establishment of “ the best possible relations between the USSR and the West “—but in reality were destined, as Orwell presciently predicted, to continue to unravel. The disagreement between the allies and the start of the Cold War is suggested when Napoleon and Pilkington, both suspicious, “ played an ace of spades simultaneously “. Of course, only one of the two is technically cheating, but Orwell does not indicate which one because such a fact is unimportant.

Another theme of Animal Farm by George Orwell that also strikes a satiric note is the idea of religion being the “ opium of the people ” (as Karl Marx famously wrote). Moses the raven’s talk of Sugarcandy Mountain originally annoys many of the animals, since Moses, known as a “teller of tales,” seems an unreliable source. At this point, the animals are still hopeful for a better future and therefore dismiss Moses’ stories of a paradise elsewhere. As their lives worsen, however, the animals begin to believe him, because “ Their lives now, they reasoned, were hungry and laborious; Was it not right and just that a better world should exist somewhere else? ”

“Man serves the interests of no creature except himself.”

Here, Orwell mocks the futile dreaming of a better place that clearly does not exist. The pigs allow Moses to stay on the farm — and even encourage his presence by rewarding him with beer — because they know that his stories of Sugarcandy Mountain will keep the animals docile: As long as there is some better world somewhere — even after death — the animals will trudge through this one. Thus Orwell implies that religious devotion — viewed by many as a noble character trait — can actually distort the ways in which one thinks of his or her life on earth.

In conclusion, Animal Farm by George Orwell is a novel that completely shook me. A novel that will haunt and accompany for the rest of my life, and that I will continue to dread and look forward to picking up again and again and again.

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A Summary and Analysis of George Orwell’s Animal Farm

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Animal Farm is, after Nineteen Eighty-Four , George Orwell’s most famous book. Published in 1945, the novella (at under 100 pages, it’s too short to be called a full-blown ‘novel’) tells the story of how a group of animals on a farm overthrow the farmer who puts them to work, and set up an equal society where all animals work and share the fruits of their labours.

However, as time goes on, it becomes clear that the society the animals have constructed is not equal at all. It’s well-known that the novella is an allegory for Communist Russia under Josef Stalin, who was leader of the Soviet Union when Orwell wrote the book. Before we dig deeper into the context and meaning of Animal Farm with some words of analysis, it might be worth refreshing our memories with a brief summary of the novella’s plot.

Animal Farm: plot summary

The novella opens with an old pig, named Major, addressing his fellow animals on Manor Farm. Major criticises Mr Jones, the farmer who owns Manor Farm, because he controls the animals, takes their produce (the hens’ eggs, the cows’ milk), but gives them little in return. Major tells the other animals that man, who walks on two feet unlike the animals who walk on four, is their enemy.

They sing a rousing song in favour of animals, ‘Beasts of England’. Old Major dies a few days later, but the other animals have been inspired by his message.

Two pigs in particular, Snowball and Napoleon, rouse the other animals to take action against Mr Jones and seize the farm for themselves. They draw up seven commandments which all animals should abide by: among other things, these commandments forbid an animal to kill another animal, and include the mantra ‘four legs good, two legs bad’, because animals (who walk on four legs) are their friends while their two-legged human overlords are evil. (We have analysed this famous slogan here .)

The animals lead a rebellion against Mr Jones, whom they drive from the farm. They rename Manor Farm ‘Animal Farm’, and set about running things themselves, along the lines laid out in their seven commandments, where every animal is equal. But before long, it becomes clear that the pigs – especially Napoleon and Snowball – consider themselves special, requiring special treatment, as the leaders of the animals.

Nevertheless, when Mr Jones and some of the other farmers lead a raid to try to reclaim the farm, the animals work together to defend the farm and see off the men. A young farmhand is knocked unconscious, and initially feared dead.

Things begin to fall apart: Napoleon’s windmill, which he has instructed the animals to build, is vandalised and he accuses Snowball of sabotaging it. Snowball is banished from the farm. During winter, many of the animals are on the brink of starvation.

Napoleon engineers it so that when Mr Whymper, a man from a neighbouring farm with whom the pigs have started to trade (so the animals can acquire the materials they need to build the windmill), visits the farm, he overhears the animals giving a positive account of life on Animal Farm.

Without consulting the hens first, Napoleon organises a deal with Mr Whymper which involves giving him many of the hens’ eggs. They rebel against him, but he starves them into submission, although not before nine hens have died. Napoleon then announces that Snowball has been visiting the farm at night and destroying things.

Napoleon also claims that Snowball has been in league with Mr Jones all the time, and that even at the Battle of the Cowshed (as the animals are now referring to the farmers’ unsuccessful raid on the farm) Snowball was trying to sabotage the fight so that Jones won.

The animals are sceptical about this, because they all saw Snowball bravely fighting alongside them. Napoleon declares he has discovered ‘secret documents’ which prove Snowball was in league with their enemy.

Life on Animal Farm becomes harder for the animals, and Boxer, while labouring hard to complete the windmill, falls and injures his lung. The pigs arrange for him to be taken away and treated, but when the van arrives and takes him away, they realise too late that the van belongs to a man who slaughters horses, and that Napoleon has arranged for Boxer to be taken away to the knacker’s yard and killed.

Squealer lies to the animals, though, and when he announces Boxer’s death two days later, he pretends that the van had been bought by a veterinary surgeon who hadn’t yet painted over the old sign on the side of the van. The pigs take to wearing green ribbons and order in another crate of whisky for them to drink; they don’t share this with the other animals.

A few years pass, and some of the animals die, Napoleon and Squealer get fatter, and none of the animals is allowed to retire, as previously promised. The farm gets bigger and richer, but the luxuries the animals had been promised never materialised: they are told that the real pleasure is derived from hard work and frugal living.

Then, one day, the animals see Squealer up on his hind legs, walking on two legs like a human instead of on four like an animal.

The other pigs follow; and Clover and Benjamin discover that the seven commandments written on the barn wall have been rubbed off, to be replace by one single commandment: ‘All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.’ The pigs start installing radio and a telephone in the farmhouse, and subscribe to newspapers.

Finally, the pigs invite humans into the farm to drink with them, and announce a new partnership between the pigs and humans. Napoleon announces to his human guests that the name of the farm is reverting from Animal Farm to the original name, Manor Farm.

The other animals from the farm, observing this through the window, can no longer tell which are the pigs and which are the men, because Napoleon and the other pigs are behaving so much like men now.

Things have gone full circle: the pigs are no different from Mr Jones (indeed, are worse).

Animal Farm: analysis

First, a very brief history lesson, by way of context for Animal Farm . In 1917, the Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, was overthrown by Communist revolutionaries.

These revolutionaries replaced the aristocratic rule which had been a feature of Russian society for centuries with a new political system: Communism, whereby everyone was equal. Everyone works, but everyone benefits equally from the results of that work. Josef Stalin became leader of Communist Russia, or the Soviet Union, in the early 1920s.

However, it soon became apparent that Stalin’s Communist regime wasn’t working: huge swathes of the population were working hard, but didn’t have enough food to survive. They were starving to death.

But Stalin and his politicians, who themselves were well-off, did nothing to combat this problem, and indeed actively contributed to it. But they told the people that things were much better since the Russian Revolution and the overthrow of the Tsar, than things had been before, under Nicholas II. The parallels with Orwell’s Animal Farm are crystal-clear.

Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution and the formation of a Communist regime in Russia (as the Soviet Union). We offer a fuller definition of allegory in a separate post, but the key thing is that, although it was subtitled A Fairy Story , Orwell’s novella is far from being a straightforward tale for children. It’s also political allegory, and even satire.

The cleverness of Orwell’s approach is that he manages to infuse his story with this political meaning while also telling an engaging tale about greed, corruption, and ‘society’ in a more general sense.

One of the commonest techniques used in both Stalinist Russia and in Animal Farm is what’s known as ‘gaslighting’ (meaning to manipulate someone by psychological means so they begin to doubt their own sanity; the term is derived from the film adaptation of Gaslight , a play by Patrick Hamilton).

For instance, when Napoleon and the other pigs take to eating their meals and sleeping in the beds in the house at Animal Farm, Clover is convinced this goes against one of the seven commandments the animals drew up at the beginning of their revolution.

But one of the pigs has altered the commandment (‘No animal shall sleep in a bed’), adding the words ‘ with sheets ’ to the end of it. Napoleon and the other pigs have rewritten history, but they then convince Clover that she is the one who is mistaken, and that she’s misremembered what the wording of the commandment was.

Another example of this technique – which is a prominent feature of many totalitarian regimes, namely keep the masses ignorant as they’re easier to manipulate that way – is when Napoleon claims that Snowball has been in league with Mr Jones all along. When the animals question this, based on all of the evidence to the contrary, Napoleon and Squealer declare they have ‘secret documents’ which prove it.

But the other animals can’t read them, so they have to take his word for it. Squealer’s lie about the van that comes to take Boxer away (he claims it’s going to the vet, but it’s clear that Boxer is really being taken away to be slaughtered) is another such example.

Communist propaganda

Much as Stalin did in Communist Russia, Napoleon actively rewrites history , and manages to convince the animals that certain things never happened or that they are mistaken about something. This is a feature that has become more and more prominent in political society, even in non-totalitarian ones: witness our modern era of ‘fake news’ and media spin where it becomes difficult to ascertain what is true any more.

The pigs also convince the other animals that they deserve to eat the apples themselves because they work so hard to keep things running, and that they will have an extra hour in bed in the mornings. In other words, they begin to become the very thing they sought to overthrow: they become like man.

They also undo the mantra that ‘all animals are equal’, since the pigs clearly think they’re not like the other animals and deserve special treatment. Whenever the other animals question them, one question always succeeds in putting an end to further questioning: do they want to see Jones back running the farm? As the obvious answer is ‘no’, the pigs continue to get away with doing what they want.

Squealer is Napoleon’s propagandist, ensuring that the decisions Napoleon makes are ‘spun’ so that the other animals will accept them and carry on working hard.

And we can draw a pretty clear line between many of the major characters in Animal Farm and key figures of the Russian Revolution and Stalinist Russia. Napoleon, the leader of the animals, is Joseph Stalin; Old Major , whose speech rouses the animals to revolution, partly represents Vladimir Lenin, who spearheaded the Russian Revolution of 1917 (although he is also a representative of Karl Marx , whose ideas inspired the Revolution); Snowball, who falls out with Napoleon and is banished from the farm, represents Leon Trotsky, who was involved in the Revolution but later went to live in exile in Mexico.

Squealer, meanwhile, is based on Molotov (after whom the Molotov cocktail was named); Molotov was Stalin’s protégé, much as Squealer is encouraged by Napoleon to serve as Napoleon’s right-hand (or right-hoof?) man (pig).

Publication

Animal Farm very nearly didn’t make it into print at all. First, not long after Orwell completed the first draft in February 1944, his flat on Mortimer Crescent in London was bombed in June, and he feared the typescript had been destroyed. Orwell later found it in the rubble.

Then, Orwell had difficulty finding a publisher. T. S. Eliot, at Faber and Faber, rejected it because he feared that it was the wrong sort of political message for the time.

The novella was eventually published the following year, in 1945, and its relevance – as political satire, as animal fable, and as one of Orwell’s two great works of fiction – shows no signs of abating.

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Book review: “Animal Farm” by George Orwell

“Oh, I read that — in high school, I think,” the waitress said as she saw me with George Orwell’s 1945 novel Animal Farm .

“Yeah, I might have even read it in grade school,” I said. “It’s different reading it now. Back then, it was all about Communism. Now, it’s about….well, everything.”

Animal Farm was less than two decades old when I read it sometime in the early 1960s, but it was already a classic. That was, in part, because it was heavily promoted by our elders as a total indictment of the Soviet Union and its totalitarian form of Communism.

There’s no question that Orwell, who died in 1950, patterned the events in his short novel on the Russian Revolution and on the resulting government that evolved into a top-heavy, brutal regime based on lying and terror. It seemed made-to-order for the rabid anti-Reds in America in that era, and Orwell’s fable-like simplicity in telling the story meant it was assigned to an entire generation to preteens and teens.

I suspect, however, that, had he lived longer, Orwell would have been chagrined at how his novel had been pigeon-holed as an anti-Communist tract — because it isn’t.

How power corrupts

Orwell’s simplicity of language isn’t a dumbing down of the story to make it palatable for children. There is genius in the way he walks the reader through the tale, and, if it seems easy to read, that, I’m sure, is because Orwell wanted everyone, including adults, regardless of their education, to be able to take it in.

It is a modern fable, a parable, a story to teach a lesson. And the lesson is about more than Russian Communists.

It’s a lesson about how power corrupts, no matter the situation.

In the novel, the animals on Manor Farm revolt against Farmer Jones and win possession and control of the farm. And, the next day, they gather on a knoll from which they can see their shared domain:

Yes, it was theirs — everything that they could see was theirs! In the ecstasy of that thought they gamboled round and round, they hurled themselves into the air in great leaps of excitement. They rolled in the dew, they cropped mouthfuls of the sweet summer grass, they kicked up clods of the black earth and snuffed its rich scent.

Echoes any revolution

Over the next hundred pages, the pigs who led the revolt — Napoleon and Snowball, and their spokesman Squealer — gather more and more power unto themselves. The two leaders have a falling out, and Snowball is chased away, lucky to survive with his life. The Seven Commandments that were promulgated in the aftermath of the rebellion are increasingly adjusted to the benefit of Napoleon and the other pigs, and their dog allies.

One of the most shocking developments is the line of animals who are forced to confess to crimes against the farm and are immediately executed. Then, Boxer, the steadfast, salt-of-the-earth workhorse, breaks down with age and overwork and is sent off to the knacker’s to be killed and turned into glue.

The story fits the first half century of the Soviet Union, but it also echoes what happens in any rebellion, whether the French Revolution or the American Revolution or ones still to come.

The idealism at the beginning of a revolt has to do with equality, but that equality will soon fade away as those with power use their power. As Napoleon eventually tells the other animals in the form of a new commandment that replaces the earlier ones:

“ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.”

As Animal Farm details, those in power keep control by using their power for that purpose. They also use propaganda and terror and statistics and high ideals and outright lies.

Orwell’s novel is not just a fable. It is also a warning to the multitudes of any nation that those in power will do whatever they can get away with in order to stay in charge.

Oh, you may say, it hasn’t happened here in the United States in the way Orwell as written. It won’t happen here. It can’t happen here.

Of course, it has been happening, as anyone paying attention can attest to.

One last note: There’s no happy ending to Animal Farm .

Patrick T. Reardon

Written by : Patrick T. Reardon

For more than three decades Patrick T. Reardon was an urban affairs writer, a feature writer, a columnist, and an editor for the Chicago Tribune. In 2000 he was one of a team of 50 staff members who won a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Now a freelance writer and poet, he has contributed chapters to several books and is the author of Faith Stripped to Its Essence. His website is https://patricktreardon.com/.

ANIMAL FARM

A fairy story.

by George Orwell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 26, 1946

A modern day fable, with modern implications in a deceiving simplicity, by the author of Dickens. Dali and Others (Reynal & Hitchcock, p. 138), whose critical brilliance is well adapted to this type of satire. This tells of the revolt on a farm, against humans, when the pigs take over the intellectual superiority, training the horses, cows, sheep, etc., into acknowledging their greatness. The first hints come with the reading out of a pig who instigated the building of a windmill, so that the electric power would be theirs, the idea taken over by Napoleon who becomes topman with no maybes about it. Napoleon trains the young puppies to be his guards, dickers with humans, gradually instigates a reign of terror, and breaks the final commandment against any animal walking on two legs. The old faithful followers find themselves no better off for food and work than they were when man ruled them, learn their final disgrace when they see Napoleon and Squealer carousing with their enemies... A basic statement of the evils of dictatorship in that it not only corrupts the leaders, but deadens the intelligence and awareness of those led so that tyranny is inevitable. Mr. Orwell's animals exist in their own right, with a narrative as individual as it is apt in political parody.

Pub Date: Aug. 26, 1946

ISBN: 0452277507

Page Count: 114

Publisher: Harcourt, Brace

Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1946

LITERARY FICTION

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BOOK REVIEW

by George Orwell ; edited by Peter Davison

by George Orwell & edited by Peter Davison

by George Orwell

THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD

by Claire Lombardo ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019

Characters flip between bottomless self-regard and pitiless self-loathing while, as late as the second-to-last chapter, yet...

Four Chicago sisters anchor a sharp, sly family story of feminine guile and guilt.

Newcomer Lombardo brews all seven deadly sins into a fun and brimming tale of an unapologetically bougie couple and their unruly daughters. In the opening scene, Liza Sorenson, daughter No. 3, flirts with a groomsman at her sister’s wedding. “There’s four of you?” he asked. “What’s that like?” Her retort: “It’s a vast hormonal hellscape. A marathon of instability and hair products.” Thus begins a story bristling with a particular kind of female intel. When Wendy, the oldest, sets her sights on a mate, she “made sure she left her mark throughout his house—soy milk in the fridge, box of tampons under the sink, surreptitious spritzes of her Bulgari musk on the sheets.” Turbulent Wendy is the novel’s best character, exuding a delectable bratty-ness. The parents—Marilyn, all pluck and busy optimism, and David, a genial family doctor—strike their offspring as impossibly happy. Lombardo levels this vision by interspersing chapters of the Sorenson parents’ early lean times with chapters about their daughters’ wobbly forays into adulthood. The central story unfurls over a single event-choked year, begun by Wendy, who unlatches a closed adoption and springs on her family the boy her stuffy married sister, Violet, gave away 15 years earlier. (The sisters improbably kept David and Marilyn clueless with a phony study-abroad scheme.) Into this churn, Lombardo adds cancer, infidelity, a heart attack, another unplanned pregnancy, a stillbirth, and an office crush for David. Meanwhile, youngest daughter Grace perpetrates a whopper, and “every day the lie was growing like mold, furring her judgment.” The writing here is silky, if occasionally overwrought. Still, the deft touches—a neighborhood fundraiser for a Little Free Library, a Twilight character as erotic touchstone—delight. The class calibrations are divine even as the utter apolitical whiteness of the Sorenson world becomes hard to fathom.

Pub Date: June 25, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-385-54425-2

Page Count: 544

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: March 3, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019

LITERARY FICTION | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP

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SEEN & HEARD

HOUSE OF LEAVES

by Mark Z. Danielewski ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 6, 2000

The story's very ambiguity steadily feeds its mysteriousness and power, and Danielewski's mastery of postmodernist and...

An amazingly intricate and ambitious first novel - ten years in the making - that puts an engrossing new spin on the traditional haunted-house tale.

Texts within texts, preceded by intriguing introductory material and followed by 150 pages of appendices and related "documents" and photographs, tell the story of a mysterious old house in a Virginia suburb inhabited by esteemed photographer-filmmaker Will Navidson, his companion Karen Green (an ex-fashion model), and their young children Daisy and Chad. The record of their experiences therein is preserved in Will's film The Davidson Record - which is the subject of an unpublished manuscript left behind by a (possibly insane) old man, Frank Zampano - which falls into the possession of Johnny Truant, a drifter who has survived an abusive childhood and the perverse possessiveness of his mad mother (who is institutionalized). As Johnny reads Zampano's manuscript, he adds his own (autobiographical) annotations to the scholarly ones that already adorn and clutter the text (a trick perhaps influenced by David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest ) - and begins experiencing panic attacks and episodes of disorientation that echo with ominous precision the content of Davidson's film (their house's interior proves, "impossibly," to be larger than its exterior; previously unnoticed doors and corridors extend inward inexplicably, and swallow up or traumatize all who dare to "explore" their recesses). Danielewski skillfully manipulates the reader's expectations and fears, employing ingeniously skewed typography, and throwing out hints that the house's apparent malevolence may be related to the history of the Jamestown colony, or to Davidson's Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of a dying Vietnamese child stalked by a waiting vulture. Or, as "some critics [have suggested,] the house's mutations reflect the psychology of anyone who enters it."

Pub Date: March 6, 2000

ISBN: 0-375-70376-4

Page Count: 704

Publisher: Pantheon

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2000

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Animal Farm

By george orwell.

George Orwell’s 'Animal Farm,' often misunderstood to be Children’s Literature, is a political satire on Stalin Russia. The novel projects how the people of Russia fall prey to a totalitarian regime when they were dreaming of a more free country of equality for all.

About the Book

Article written by Mizpah Albert

M.A. in English Literature and a Ph.D. in English Language Teaching.

It is an allegorical novel that deals with the Russian revolution through the animals in the manor farm who protests against their human masters’ tyranny. Unfortunately, when they feel like they have attained freedom, they become the victims of a power-hungry pig, Napoleon. He becomes a totalitarian dictator and rephrases the ideology of Animalism from “All are Equal” to “All Animals Are Equal / But Some Are More Equal Than Others” oppression.

Key Facts about Animal Farm

Title: Animal Farm, though initially known as Animal Farm: A Fairy Story
When/where written : Orwell started writing the novel in 1944
Published: First published in England on 17 August 1945 and in the U.S in 1946
Literary Period: Modernist period
Genre: Political satire; AllegoryPoint-of-View: Third-person through an anonymous writer
Setting : Mr. Jones’ Manor Farm
Climax : The Climax of the novel appears in Chapter V, where Napoleon runs Snowball off the farm, to secure power.
Antagonist: Napoleon

George Orwell and Animal Farm

George Orwell was a committed socialist , who expressed his strong views through his intellectual engagements. He has clearly portrayed his dissatisfaction over the dictators and megalomaniacs through his writings. If one observes his works clearly it could be clearly seen how he has dealt with socialism as something more than an emotion. Moreover, he has identified the Spanish Civil War of 1936 as some kind of defining moment in his career. For, he too has taken part in the war which unfortunately incapacitated him.

‘Animal Farm’ depicts the agony of Orwell as a Socialist as he sees the way Socialism has been deformed by Stalin. Orwell deliberately mocks and criticizes the Russian leadership under Lenin using Animals in the novel. It is evidently his disappointment exhibited through the simple story that shares his detailed perspectives on the Socialist Revolution. Orwell in his ‘ Animal Farm’ explains the Russian Revolution as a history of a revolution that went wrong through the animals’ attempt to attain freedom and equality which unfortunately leads to dictatorship. Initially, when the animals secure their freedom they form a utopian society, but soon they fall prey to the dictatorship of the pigs which were the brightest of other animals. The course of the story stands for The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the early years of the Soviet Union. While concluding the novel Orwell honestly illustrates the miserable impact of power in the life of comrades who become tyrannical dictators who initially fought for a cause quite opposite.

Animal Farm by George Orwell Digital Art

Books related to Animal Farm

‘Animal Farm’ is a widely read allegorical novel of George Orwell set in a dystopian world. It is a political satire in all its form on the negative result of the Russian Revolution and Stalin’s dictatorship. Though Orwell is a believer in socialism, he warns people against the dangers of Communism and totalitarian states, which was spreading rapidly in Europe with the possibility of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany coming to power. Similar to Orwell’s Animal Farm, there are works intended as a political satire by different authors at different periods. These allegorical novels serve a moral or political idea woven into a fictional story.

Some of the novels that follow the setting and the theme of ‘ Animal farm’ include Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World , Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 , Golding’s Lord of the Flies, and Orwell’s famous dystopian novel 1984 . Bradbury in his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 written during the 1950s, at the height of McCarthyism in America, explores the dangers of rejecting knowledge in his. Similarly, Golding’s Lord of the Flies, written in 1954, examines the anxieties of society post-world war. Also, Aldous Huxley in his Brave New World deals with a futuristic world where the citizens are genetically modified to uphold the authoritarian regime. In contrast to ‘ Animal Farm,’ 1984 is set in a futuristic world and explores the effects of totalitarianism and warns the world against it.

The Lasting Impact of Animal Farm

‘Animal Farm’ though a short book is one of the few books that are featured as favorites by most people since its publication. Still in 1945, when Orwell tried to publish the book, it wasn’t a cakewalk for him. The publishing houses in Britain were hesitant for it was criticizing the Russian government, which was an ally then. Even, T. S. Eliot, who was a director of a publishing firm, rejected stating that it is “good writing” and still “not convincing.”

In this allegorical novel, Orwell makes one experience all the human emotions through the animal characters in the novel. Orwell attacks on Stalinism in Russia through the characters of ‘ Animal Farm.’ The dominant figures of Animalism, The Old Major, Snowball, and Napoleon represent Karl Marx, Leon Trotsky, and Stalin respectively. Napoleon driving Snowball out of the farm is based on Trotsky, who was expelled from the Communist Party, deported from Russia, and murdered by Stalin’s order.

The novel in all its significance speaks about power and corruption and how a democratic farm turns into a dictatorship. Even after decades of its publication, it stands as evidence of the political system’s universality. Napoleon uses propaganda, fear, and force to accomplish his motive. Similarly, this is a happening of all ages. It could be relevant to all periods wherever the dictators take advantage of the human desire for a better world for their own selfish interests. Thus, reading ‘ Animal Farm’ will remain an eye-opener for the generations to come as a manual to question power and hold leaders and the government responsible for their acts. In the end, the key characters not only represent the dictatorial regime of Stalin but also of any regime that tries to hold ultimate power over its subordinates.

Thus, all the unique features of the novel as mentioned stand as evidence for the long-lasting impact the novel has created in the past decades.

Animal Farm Review ⭐

George Orwell’s novel ‘Animal Farm’ opens with Old Major’s dream for a free world of animals. He shares his dream with the animals on the farm.

Animal Farm Quotes 💬

In ‘Animal Farm’ George Orwell tries to picture an ideal socialist nation through the image of Russia’s failed socialism. From the Pigs to the Horse to the smallest of the animals are used to explain his ideology.

Animal Farm Character List 🐖

George Orwell wrote ‘Animal Farm’ to express his critical perspective on Socialism, Dictatorship, and Totalitarian based on his observation of the Russian Revolution.

Animal Farm Historical Context 🐖

George Orwell’s 1945 novel ‘Animal Farm,’ is a political fable that satire’s on communism that turned out to be a dictatorship. The novel is based on the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Animal Farm Themes and Analysis 🐖

‘Animal Farm’ is a political allegory based on the events of the Russian revolution and the betrayal of the cause by Joseph Stalin.

Animal Farm Summary 🐖

‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell, an allegorical novel, tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human masters to create a society of equality and freedom.

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Animal farm, common sense media reviewers.

Classic satirical allegory about the abuse of power.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

George Orwell's novel, about totalitarianism in ge

The main message of Animal Farm is pretty bleak, i

Many of the characters in Animal Farm care about t

The animals rebel against their human master and c

Even though the use of alcohol is prohibited on th

Parents need to know that Animal Farm is a biting satire of totalitarianism, written in the wake of World War II and published amid the rise of Soviet Russia. Although it tells a fairly simple story of barnyard animals trying to manage themselves after rebelling against their masters, the novel demonstrates…

Educational Value

George Orwell's novel, about totalitarianism in general and Stalinism in particular, is one of the most famous satires in the English language. It comments on Soviet Russia specifically and human folly in general.

Positive Messages

The main message of Animal Farm is pretty bleak, in essence, "Don't let this happen." Most of the animals mean well and want their farm to succeed, but none are a match for the treachery of their leaders.

Positive Role Models

Many of the characters in Animal Farm care about their community, but few are intellectually equipped to see how they are being exploited until it is too late. For example, Boxer the horse is steadfast in his support of the farm and pushes himself to great acts of strength for the good of all. But even he is unprepared for his ultimate fate once he is no longer needed.

Violence & Scariness

The animals rebel against their human master and chase him from the farm. When Farmer Jones returns with his neighbors, the animals attack the intruders and inflict various bites and cuts on them. Later, the pigs use their guard dogs to keep order on the farm. Some animals are executed for crimes for which they have supposedly confessed. The violence in the novel is not described in detail, but its emotional implications might be upsetting to some readers.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Even though the use of alcohol is prohibited on the farm, the pigs eventually feel free to get drunk whenever the mood strikes them.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Where to Read

Community reviews.

Parents say (15)
Kids say (124)

Based on 15 parent reviews

ANIMAL FARMIO

Epic rap battles of history : squealer vs. joseph stalin, what's the story.

After years of oppression by Farmer Jones, the animals on his farm rise up and chase him away. They plan to run the farm themselves, for their own benefit. At first, the animals are able to work together and support each other. Gradually, however, the pigs begin making helpful suggestions about how the farm should be run. Before long, the pigs are at the top of the social ladder and the rest of the livestock are wondering what happened.

Is It Any Good?

The story and language are very simple, but Orwell is unnervingly precise in the way he depicts each step on the road from revolution to tyranny. ANIMAL FARM has been popular and highly acclaimed since its publication in 1945. In 2005, Time magazine chose it as one of the 100 best English-language novels, and the book ranks at 31 on the Modern Library List of Best 20th Century Novels.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about what totalitarianism means, how it shaped the 20th century, and whether it still exists today.

As the pigs grow more powerful, they find a number of animals who seem willing to confess to the most horrendous crimes, even though they know they will be executed for their supposed crimes. Do criminal confessions always contain the complete truth? Why might a suspect confess to crime he or she did not commit?

Soon after they take over the farm, the animals agree to follow "The Seven Commandments." The rules seem fairly basic, but they are changed over the course of the novel. How do leaders today change the rules to achieve their own agendas?

One of the novel's most famous quotes is "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." What might that paradoxical statement mean?

Why do you think Animal Farm is often required reading in school?

Book Details

Author : George Orwell
Genre : Literary Fiction
Book type : Fiction
Publication date : August 17, 1945
Number of pages : 128
Last updated : June 8, 2015

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Swearing, rants, reviews, on every level, book review – animal farm by george orwell.

I might as well start off by saying something potentially controversial. I much prefer Animal Farm to 1984 . George Orwell’s classic dystopia may have a much more exciting narrative but his Russian Revolution fable just hits harder. For a start, it’s written better, it doesn’t waste time getting its message across, and follows a clear structure. 1984 is a rambling and slow story with underdeveloped characters. Is it more exciting? At times. Does it have a powerful message? Yes. But was it as successful a whole as Animal Farm ? No. 1984 is undoubtedly a classic but it feels a little indulgent. It’s always kind of bewildered me that 1984 has always been the more popular one. It feels like dystopian fiction just gets more of a pass.

When you really look at it, Animal Farm does almost exactly what 1984 does but in a much cleaner and accomplished way. Instead of looking to the future, Orwell looks to the past. The novella uses farm animals to depict the events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. When the animals of Manor Farm finally have enough of their owner, they come together to overthrow him. Once he’s gone, the pigs start to paint a picture of a wholly equal society and things start off well. Tensions begin rising between the two wisest pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, and the happy society begins to fracture. How long can the animals live together in harmony?

Okay, so there’s no real surprises with this book because we know how Stalin worked out for the Soviet Union. It’s not as if the twists will really shock you but that’s not really the point. This is a story with a powerful message and it works so well. The farm structure reflects Rusian society so perfectly and it really lends itself to the overall message. The way that the hierarchy works within the animals is really clever and the whole concept grabs you from the beginning. And that ending? If the opening line to 1984 is one of the most well-known in literature, the closing lines of Animal Farm have also got to be up there. It punches you in the gut and will leave you with a chill up your spine.

Now, let’s talk about those characters for a second. Can anyone say that they really cared about anyone in 1984 as much as anyone in Animal Farm? I felt like I knew more about the sheep and chickens than I did about Winston and Julia. When you have a character like Boxer, the longer novel can’t stand up. Maybe it helps that the characters are representing historical figures but so what? They are all so perfectly rendered here and you really get to grips with them. You understand who they are and where they’re coming from.

It might sound impossible but turning these characters into animals only makes them seem more human. The tyrants of 1984 are evil, there is no doubt, but there is an emotional connection missing. Their actions don’t have that personal touch because you aren’t fully engaged with the main characters. In Animal Farm there is an added tragedy to the proceedings. We understand these characters and we care about them. It only makes the awful actions of the pigs more emotional for the reader. Not only does this change the way they read but the way the story gets across. The animals really help project Orwell’s argument onto the real world. It is easy to see their behaviour as human behaviour and, therefore, take heed of the message. 1984 is too far removed from reality for that to happen.

I’ll never understand the epic popularity of 1984 . I would happily reread Animal Farm every year but I’d have to push myself to reread 1984 that often. Every line in the shorter book is practically perfect and is there for the right reason. The writing is superior, the pace works, and the whole message is much clearer. There is more balance and lightness in this novel that makes it a much more enjoyable reading experience. I guess its true, “all Orwell books are equal but some are more equal than others”.

Book review: Animal Farm by George Orwell

George Orwell is a name that needs no introduction if you’re a fan of literature and Animal Farm is one of, if not his most, famous books. Animal Farm centres around animals rebelling against humans on a farm and rising up as part of a revolution.

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Animal Farm was written in 1945 by George Orwell and as noted above tells the story of a group of farm animals who decide to overthrow the humans that run the farm with the aim of living a better life. However, in typical George Orwell form, things don’t go exactly as planned and there are huge political connotations throughout the book.

One day Old Major, a boar on a farm in the middle of England calls all of the animals of the farm together and tells them that the reason they live in a life that constantly sees them producing and working to only have their produce taken is away is because they are ruled by humans. They then quickly rebel against Mr Jones, the owner of the farm, driving him out and beginning their own rules on the farm. Everything starts out very well, they set clear rules and guides so that everybody is treated fairly, eats well and contributes an equal amount. However, things begin to change as intelligence, importance and hierarchy are brought into force.

Animal Farm is a book that’s been studied in British Schools for decades due to its social suggestions and political education. George Orwell does a fantastic job in this book of exploring how societies collapse into a dictatorship slowly but steadily via careful planning and building of trust. Animal Farm gives us a simple selection of subjects – animals from a farm. It then uses well-known traits about these animals – horses are strong, pigs and dogs are smart, sheep and ducks are dumb etc to give us an idea of how these people would be represented in society. These animals are literal and metaphorical clones of human beings within society. Along with this, we see Orwell write a story that shows us how certain animals (people) make it to the top of their power tree and then use their intelligence and control to stay there via propaganda and lies.

I loved the plot of this book. It was a true joy to follow the adventures of these animals – how they all dealt with one another and how the story progressed so far in so few pages (it’s only a novella). You’re gripped the whole way through as you can see where you’re being taken but Orwell is doing such a great job of explaining things to you that you’re finding it a joy to be taken there.

Characters – 4/5

I’m not really sure how to rate the characters in this book as none of them fit into my usual brackets of being “good” characters. Plus, as with Orwell’s other books, there isn’t a vast amount of dialogue between the characters. It is written with a very passive voice, often writing about the events happening rather than actually having the characters take part in the event as part of the plot. However, Orwell has a brilliant way of writing this where he combines intelligent language but simple prose so it’s very accessible but also intelligent enough to not feel like you’re reading a children’s book.

However, as discussed above, they each have their own characteristics that make them more suited to the new Animal Farm regime or less suited. The Pigs, deemed the most intelligent, essentially end up running the farm as they are accepted to make the best decisions of the masses. Boxer is a horse, he’s hard-working, quiet and well-loved by many for his dedication. There’s Leonard, a boar who becomes the leader, enforcing new rules as he slowly gains the trust of his fellow farm members. There are some really interesting characters here who you feel could represent people you know or political figures from history. Either way, Orwell has done a great job of simply making each of these characters different. However, I have dropped it one point as this isn’t a character-driven book and so many of them weren’t overly fleshed out.

Animal Farm summary – 5/5

Animal Farm is a wonderful book. It’s the first time I’ve read it and I can see why so many people hail it as such a fantastic piece of British literature. I can also see why it’s been studied in British academia – it’s a book about the power of propaganda and social control. It’s a book that puts into simple terms how your personality, intelligence, ethics and even physical build can affect where you end up in life and your importance to society. We’re very lucky in Britain to live in a society that isn’t centred around those mentioned above to allow you to progress in whatever profession or lifestyle you wish to progress in. However, it’s worth noting that Orwell noted that this book reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union so its messages are very real.

I’d recommend Animal Farm to anybody who is in political propaganda, anybody may well be into a bit of fantasy (it’s a book about animals forming a society) or people that simply want to read an absolute classic of literature.

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Book Review

Animal farm.

George Orwell

Readability Age Range

The novel was originally published in 1945 by London's Secker and Warburg. Many have published it since then, such as Plume, a division of Penguin.
1946 Hugo award for best novella, retroactively awarded in 1996

Year Published

This book has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine .

Plot Summary

Animal Farm is a satirical tale set on a typical English farm. As the story begins, Mr. Jones, the manager of Manor Farm, is drunk and staggering off to bed after forgetting to properly secure his farm’s outbuildings. In the barn, the animals gather to hear a speech by Old Major, a pig who is a highly respected member of the animal community. Old Major knows that he will die soon, and he wants to pass along the wisdom he has acquired over his lifetime. He tells his barnyard companions that humans are to blame for the miserable existence that animals must endure. The life of animals is filled with labor and suffering, only to be cut short when they are no longer useful. Major tells his friends a dream that he had the previous night, a dream of a world where animals are free and treated with respect. Major says that in order to fulfill that dream, animals must unite in a great rebellion against the tyranny of man. This rebellion can only be successful if the animals can band together in perfect unity against humanity, resisting the false view propagated by humans.

The animals start to talk about which animals should be considered comrades, wondering if even rats should be allies. Old Major says that it will be easy to determine comrades from enemies: Creatures that walk on two legs are the enemy, while those with four legs (or wings) are friends. The old boar then reminds the animals that they must never act like the enemy: They must not live in houses like man does, drink alcohol or smoke tobacco, use money or otherwise participate in business and trade, or kill other animals.

Major then teaches the animals a song he created called “Beasts of England.” The lyrics portray a utopian view of what the animal community will look like once it rebels against man and is in control of its own destiny. While singing the song, the animals awaken Mr. Jones, who thinks that a fox must have snuck into the yard. He fires a shot at the barn; the animals stop singing and are silent for the night.

A few nights after the meeting, Old Major dies. Three younger pigs named Napoleon, Snowball and Squealer develop Major’s principles into a philosophy they call “Animalism.” Thus inspired to fulfill Major’s dream, the animals unite in battle against Mr. Jones and his men, managing to drive them off the property. Snowball renames “Manor Farm” to “Animal Farm,” and writes the laws of Animalism on the side of the barn.

At first, all seems to go well. The animals are committed to achieving Major’s utopian dream. Boxer, a cart horse, commits his size and strength to the prosperity of Animal Farm, vowing to work harder than he ever did for humans. Snowball begins to teach other animals to read. Napoleon educates a group of puppies in the principles of Animalism.

When Mr. Jones tries to take back the farm, the animals once again run him off the land in a victory that is to be remembered as the Battle of the Cowshed. The animals take the farmer’s discarded rifle as a trophy. The first harvest is a success. Adhering to the principles of Animalism, each animal works according to his ability, receiving a fair share of food in return.

After a time, Napoleon and Snowball begin to disagree about the future of the farm. They each try to build influence and favor among the other animals to become more popular. Snowball announces a plan to build a windmill that will produce electricity, but Napoleon strongly opposes the plan. At a meeting to vote on whether to build the windmill, Snowball gives a passionate speech in defense of the project. Napoleon gives only a brief response, and then commands nine attack dogs — the puppies that he has “educated” — to go into the barn and chase Snowball off the farm. Napoleon takes over as the leader of Animal Farm and declares that Animal Farm’s community meetings will cease. From now on, he says, the pigs will make all of the decisions for the good of the animals.

Napoleon soon changes his mind about the windmill, portraying the idea as his own. The animals, especially Boxer, devote all their energy to the project. One day, after a night of severe weather, the animals discover that the windmill has crumpled to the ground. Neighboring human farmers laugh at the animals, knowing that they’d made the walls too weak.

Napoleon insists that Snowball returned to the farm to sabotage the windmill. He begins to purge the farm of all the animals he accuses of joining Snowball’s mutiny, focusing on those who have raised any objection to his own leadership. These “traitors” are put to death by his loyal attack dogs.

Napoleon begins to expand his powers. He revises history to portray Snowball as a villain. He also begins to act more and more like a human. He sleeps in a bed in the house, drinks whisky and engages in trade with the neighboring human farmers. Squealer, serving as Napoleon’s loyal propagandist, explains to the other animals that Napoleon’s role as a wise and great leader means that he requires special privileges. After all, he is making things better for everyone. In reality, the other animals are cold, hungry and overworked.

Mr. Frederick, a neighboring farmer, tricks Napoleon while purchasing some timber, cheating him out of a portion of the money. Frederick then attacks the farm and blows up the windmill, which has been rebuilt at great cost to the farm. After the destruction of the windmill, a great battle begins against Frederick’s men. The animals are able to win, but Boxer is seriously injured in the fight. He later crumples to the ground while working on the windmill. When Boxer disappears from the farm, Squealer announces that Boxer has died peacefully in the hospital, praising the rebellion until the very end. In actuality, Napoleon sold his most loyal worker to a glue maker in order to buy more whisky.

Years pass on Animal Farm, and the pigs behave more and more like humans — walking upright, carrying whips, wearing clothes. They buy a telephone and subscribe to magazines. Gradually, the seven principles of Animalism painted on the side of the barn are reduced to one rule: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

One night, Napoleon holds a banquet for the neighboring farmers. A farmer named Pilkington makes a speech praising Animal Farm’s long work hours and low rations. Napoleon declares his intent to ally himself with human farmers against the working classes of both species. He also changes the name of the farm back to Manor Farm, claiming that this name was always the correct one.

As the animals look through the dirty windows at the party of humans and pigs inside the house, they can no longer distinguish one from another.

Christian Beliefs

Other belief systems.

There is no direct reference to religion, although the allegory has some light references to religious belief. Moses, the farmer’s pet raven, tells stories of a place called Sugarcandy Mountain, a wonderful country where animals go when they die. The political philosophy of Animalism is elevated to a near-religious status, with references to divine leaders and other elements of religious conviction. The principles of Animalism are developed and called the Seven Commandments.

Authority Roles

Inspired by the events of World War II and the Russian Revolution, Animal Farm is a fierce criticism of totalitarianism. The fable shows how a community of well-meaning animals rebel against their oppressive human masters, and gradually surrender absolute power to a new, corrupt leadership.

Profanity & Violence

In various fights, animals attack humans. The animals use their teeth, beaks and hooves. The pig authorities use attack dogs to maintain their rule. Animals are executed for crimes they did not commit. Descriptions of violence are not graphic.

Sexual Content

Discussion topics.

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

You can request a review of a title you can’t find at [email protected] .

Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

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Duplicitous … Ida Regan (centre) in Animal Farm at Octagon, Bolton.

Animal Farm review – Orwell’s unsettling allegory still resonates in the age of Trump, Johnson and Sunak

Octagon, Bolton Iqbal Khan’s production lays bare the uncomfortable parallels between a mid-20th century Soviet Union and today’s marauding politicians

H ow George Orwell would despair at today’s political discourse. His power-grabbing pigs in Animal Farm were an allegorical warning against Soviet-style dictatorship and propaganda. The more unequal the once egalitarian animal collective becomes, the more the ruling pig class rewrite their story.

Today, you do not need to look to totalitarian states to see politicians manipulate the narrative. Consider Donald Trump accusing his enemies of the flaws he himself is guilty of or, to pluck an example out of the air, our own prime minister claiming not to have made a bet we saw him shake hands on. For a generation of post-Johnson politicians, hoodwinking the public has become a reflex reaction.

So even if we no longer feel so keenly Animal Farm’s parallels with a mid-20th century Soviet Union, with the Stalin-like Napoleon banishing the Trotsky-like Snowball, we cannot avoid its resonances in a world of fake news and online conspiracy theories. As Orwell presents it, those who control the narrative are the victors.

This comes across lucidly in Iqbal Khan’s production for the Octagon, Hull Truck and Derby theatre, as the pigs doctor the graffitied slogans on the corrugated-iron pigsty set designed by Ciarán Bagnall. The noble principles of the revolution become compromised and the literature rewritten. Meanwhile, Ida Regan’s Napoleon goes from semi-articulate bystander to duplicitous despot. She is not an obvious candidate for promotion, too timid and uncertain, but is adept at letting her henchmen do her dirty work while she basks in the glory.

Less convincing are the surveillance-state cameras, first overseeing the barn and later forming the features of a human puppet. The implication is plain, but they would be more fitting for the psychological coercion of Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, written a few years after Animal Farm, and add little to a story primarily about deception.

More irritating is the fidgety portrayal of the animals, the six-strong ensemble grunting and hoof-scraping through Ian Wooldridge’s 1982 adaptation like an undergraduate actors’ workshop. The production comes most alive when they trust us to remember who these animals are and let a still chilling story do its work.

At Octagon, Bolton , until 24 February then touring until 13 April

George Orwell

Comments (…)

Review: Animal Farm by George Orwell

When I compiled my list for the Classics Club , I included a couple re-reads. I wanted it to be all new—the idea being to cross things off my TBR list—but there were a few books I wanted to read again. I first read Animal Farm in high school, immediately after 1984 . My initial impression was that it was an off-brand 1984 with fewer layers, more obvious themes, and a gimmick with talking animals. I forgot it soon after reading, but every time someone said they preferred it to 1984 , I wondered if I was missing something. So I decided to read it again. Oh, and it’s short. I needed to balance The Lord of the Rings , Vanity Fair , and two giant books by Dostoevsky.

Animal Farm is a satiric fable in which the animals on Manor Farm forcibly overthrow the humans on their farm. They believe they can run the place more efficiently and more equitably than any human. They’ll eat better, be treated better, and work less, plus the intangible benefits:

But they were happy in their work; they grudged no effort or sacrifice, well aware that everything they did was for the benefit of themselves and those of their kind who would come after them, and not for a pack of idle, thieving human beings. (59)

Despite the animals’ hopes, the longed-for utopia never comes to pass as the pigs seize power and entrench themselves in the farmer’s house, bending rules more and more to their own benefit.

High School Opinion

It was hard to take the animals seriously. The idea of animals manipulating farm tools with hooves and paws seemed too ridiculous. It felt like the allegory/satire was being prioritized over any semblance of story.

Current Opinion

Using animals makes the book more timeless than it would be otherwise. While Stalinist Russia was one of the original targets of Orwell’s satire, it applies to other totalitarian regimes. This book is aging well—surprisingly well. If it felt overly tied to a specific time period or country, it wouldn’t be as affecting.

I do still think that using animals forces the story to be simpler than it might otherwise be. The animals’ hierarchy is determined by the ability of each species to become literate. The pigs have the most power because they read and write most fluently. Though there’s an early effort to educate everyone on the farm, there’s a hard limit to each species’ ability to learn and retain information, so the pigs ultimately rule over an uneducated populace. The strength of any satirical novel lies in its ability to map onto and critique the real world; these limits on literacy help drive the plot, but I don’t know what it’s meant to mean that the working animals are incapable of learning. It would be one thing if they weren’t allowed to be educated, or discouraged from learning to read—but that they’re incapable?

Orwell does such a stunning job of showing how the pigs change the rules, hide their cushy lifestyle from the other animals, and engage in double-speak that it’s not necessary to make the animals unintelligent. In fact, it might have made his point more strongly if some of the animals were intelligent, but still fooled because all of them want so badly to believe that their lives will improve. It’s their hope and misplaced faith that gives the book any emotional resonance at all—otherwise, it would be a fairly shallow study.

It bothered me that Animal Farm lacks a central protagonist. The story felt generic and unfocused.

Animal Farm is stronger for not having a central protagonist. A lot of novels that poke at a society’s flaws have a protagonist that challenges the system. It’s a solid format because it lets the author insert their own commentary in a natural-sounding way, and gives the reader someone to cheer for, but it’s an old format. No single animal is the sole focus of Animal Farm, and seeing the animals be systematically ground down makes the novel’s point clearer than any protagonist’s speech.

Writing the story from a distance also allows Orwell to present each new power grab by the pigs in an interesting way. He writes things so that they’re clear to the reader but obscure for the other animals. At times, he finds a way to inject a little humor by writing this way, and a little levity never goes amiss.

The fate of one particularly hard-working animal is too upsetting to talk about.

Overall: 4.2 (out of 5.0) While there’s not much in Animal Farm that’s subtle, it’s very well written. There’s an odd charm to it, and even some humor. While it sometimes feels like simplified 1984 , it’s a much more palatable story. I don’t know that I’ll ever re-read 1984 —Room 101 shook me as a kid when every book/movie I’d read/seen previously made me think the ending would be different.

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Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm by George Orwell was first published in 1945 and will be celebrating its seventieth birthday next year. It is still a keen area of debate whether it remains relevant for readers of this generation - I certainly believe it is, and the fact that it is still studied as part of the United Kingdom’s English Literature curriculum would add further credence to this opinion. I re-read the novella last night and found its themes and messages just as powerful, moving and relevant as they must have been seven decades ago.

George Orwell was – and still is - one of Great Britain’s most famous writers and it was Animal Farm, and the dystopian nightmare Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) which first brought him worldwide respect. Animal Farm is set in a farmyard where the animals decide to seize the farmer's land and create a co-operative that reaps the benefits of their combined labours. However, some animals see a bigger share of the rewards than others, and the animals start to question their supposed utopia. Little by little, the rules begin to mysteriously change, and the pigs seem to gain power little by little, making the animals question what society they were striving for in the first place and whether their new-found freedom is as liberating as they might have hoped.

Animal Farm is one of the greatest socio-political works of all time but there is no need for the reader to pick-up on - or understand - any of the allusions to Lenin, Marx, Trotsky or Stalin as the story can be enjoyed as the simple, moving and enlightening parable it essentially is, a story that clearly shows humankind at its best and very worst. For me, it highlights the demons within every human – jealousy, greed, laziness and cruelty born of fear.

The parable successfully shows how the dream that communism in theory could be so easily turns into the nightmare that totalitarianism again and again has proven to be. I have always found anthropomorphism within the animal kingdom to provide an excellent framework within on which to build very serious themes – William Horwood’s Duncton Wood deals with religious intolerance, Watership Down deals with the never-ending struggle between tyranny and freedom. And for some reason, a loyal horse betrayed can become one of the most tragic and sympathetic figures in literature.

Animal Farm is moving, bitter and a warning from history – one of which will of course be ignored, for that is what humans excel at, repeating the errors and misjudgements of the past. It will only take 2-3 hours to read from cover to cover and as I believe it can now be sourced legitimately for free from sources like Project Gutenberg it is a book that anyone could and should read.

10/10 Animal Farm is moving, bitter and a warning from history.

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Review by Floresiensis

43 positive reader review(s) for Animal Farm

Junaid from England

A brilliant and timeless analyse of the mechanics of bureaucracy, ultimate betrayal of the hopes of the people. Let's pray it remains in the curriculum, for this story talks about power and control in general, not only in a communist system. The worst we could do against this book is to keep on saying "it is only about totalitarianism and the history of the USSR"... Not only, not only

The book Animal Farm an engaging and educational must read. I thought it was very interesting how he portrayed the the cycle of revolution turning into tyranny. He describes how easily good intentions can be subverted into tyranny. This book indirectly describes communism and the government and how you can never make everyone happy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Orwell's writing is pessimistic and visual. I recommend this book.

Someone from California

Everyone should read and it is base on a true story. EVERYONE SHOULD READ ANIMAL FARM!

Bita from Iran

One of the greatest book I have ever read. Just a writer can write this kinda book that has a powerful imagination and Mr Orwell was the right person for that. It was months that my friends recommended it to me but I thought that it will be weird and I won't like it but when I finished the book I got that I was wrong whole time.

Arnav from India

Mr. Jones owns a farm in which the animals are treated harshly. This leads to a widespread rebellion of animals and then they overthrow the humans. The main objective of this rebellion is that the animals should lead a life of their own.

Ali from Pakistan

I have recently read the novella "Animal Farm", and I found it as influential as it must have been for the readers who were looking for the masterpiece of English literature. I am amazingly impressed by the plot, and its allegorical flow of theme. All in all, it gets into your and impels you to complete it as soon as one may. Interestingly, I read it for my academic course but it is on the top of the masterpieces I have read it so far. It explicitly indicates what political leaders of modern world brag for, but when they access to the realm of power their hypocrisy is reveled and they leave no stones to fill their buckets with the blood and sweet of the masses.

Thalia from England

I studied Animal Far for my English class and it was an amazingly fascinating book to read, it does well to portray how difficult it must have been to live in the Russian Revolution and it makes me feel very lucky to live today.

Heather from Canada

I am not even finished the book however it is such a joy to read! Knowing the reason why Orwell wrote this book and relating it back to history was so symbolic! Even though some may say that it is difficult for kids under 15, I am under 15 and it is not difficult for me. If you really spent the time devouring every word, this book is such a joy to read. It portrays what happened then and translating it to a perspective we can all imagine as. Animal Farm is an excellent book and everyone must read it at least once in their life!

Anon from UK

A must read book for everyone.

Paul Mendy from Gambia

Very nice book

John from Canada

I I read this book in 1965, and it is still in my library it is an eye opener to readers.

Jeff from Jamaica

I love the book!!!

Sourov Datta Bijoy from Bangladesh

Animal Farm is a great a depiction of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the USSR. It shows how the leaders manipulates public over their believes (sometimes which are wrong).

Professor from UK

Animal Farm is an engaging eye-opening book that highlights the issues about betrayal, greed and inequality in human society. The book is based on the Russian revolution and shows how we are tricked into believing the ideas set by leaders.

Fatemeh from Iran

Such an interesting and symbolic book! I really enjoyed reading this amazing book.

Ibrahima Sanoh from The Gambia

the book shows how humanity is and the book is very nice and sensible.

Rads from United Kingdom

This is the greatest satire of the darker face of modern history which highlights deep issues about trust, betrayal, tyranny and corruption. Orwell's chilling fable is remarkably accurate and gives is one of the best allegories out there to read. It is a book worth reading by anyone who understands its context and structure. This 94-page book is the best book I have ever read and I am glad I read it! A MUST READ!!!!!!

Dali from Africa

So goood!!!!!!!!!

Missu from Canada

Difficult reading, great discussion.

Sky from United States

This book was assigned to me in my senior English class. This book was nothing I was anticipating. I was promised a book with talking animals. I came to find out that it was much more. This book is much bigger than that once you learn the purpose driven behind it. George Orwell uses the animal fable effectively to show the issues of injustice, and inequality in human society/human nature. He tells a story of The Russian Revolution through Animal Farm. He express his opinions on the circumstances, while also exposing the corrupt system in communism. He does an incredible job at this. The theme i received from this story was the corruption in the Soviet Union. I received this through the many issues and conflicts throughout the stories, especially the ones that had to do with the over use of power. All in all, it was a good story with many surprises. Solid 9/10

Ezekiel from South Sudan

Animal farm which was written seven decades ago is still relevant in to day generation. It is a story where animal characters represent humans. Animals fought for freedom and equality which they achieved by seizing the farm land from Jones. At long run the cause of struggle for the like of Snowball was betrayed by tyrant (Napoleon).

Cris from England

I think that this book was outstanding, because it thoroughly describes how communism was acted, in a childish way. I recommend everyone to read this book!!

Joel from Africa

A Book for the Ages Animal Farm is a timeless piece of literature which feels like a modern masterpiece. It tells a deeply engrossing story with many dramatic twists within its relatively small number of pages. This story deals with themes of corruption and utopias in a satirical but immersive way. The fact that Animal Farm is based on the Russian Revolution is no secret, but the use of animals as an analogy provides a different perspective to this historical event. This animal representation is done so masterfully that it works perfectly as a standalone story, without the reader needing any prior knowledge on the topic. Overall, Animal Farm takes creates a unique story and breaks many common conventions to create a compelling narrative. Animal Farm follows the rise and fall of an animal rebellion against the farmer, Mr. Jones. The opening speech given by Old Major creates a vision for the revolution and presents a promising future for the farm. As the story progresses, Jones and other farmers work to fight this revolution in the “Animal Farm.” Along with this conflict, the foundation of this new society where “all animals are equal” (Orwell 14) begins to crumble. At the beginning of the story, the ideas of the revolution seem justified, but the progression of Animal Farm leads to the realization of how flawed this new society actually is. This downfall is coupled with an internal battle for power and control. It is deeply interesting to follow the characters as they each find their own way to cope with this changing environment. Ultimately, this is a story of corruption which explores this concept to its full extent. Animal Farm will hit home with an older audience. This is especially true for those who have experienced similar problems of manipulation and corruption as those seen in the story. Although the animals in Animal Farm represent different groups and people in Russia during the communist revolution, the hunger for power is still largely present in the world today. An adult audience may more easily realize the connection to the story’s development and to other leaders throughout history. The true brilliance behind Animal Farm lies in its intelligent use of satire. George Orwell’s approach of representing millions of people as single characters creates an enjoyable story about a serious event. Although many other stories use animals as main characters in their story, few books do so as masterfully as Animal Farm. Each character’s limitations, roles, and skills fit the animal they are. This technique works as a great way to introduce obstacles for each animal to overcome; adding further depth to the plot and conflict within the story. The most positive aspect of this story is the unconventional plot. Almost all stories set up an obstacle and follow how the “good guys” overcome it. In Animal Farm, this is the case, but only for the first few chapters of the story. After the farm rises against Mr. Jones, the main conflict is resolved and the true conflict arises. Animal Farm is not about a revolution; rather, it is about the internal struggle in a society where “all animals are equal.” The major question this book strives to answer is if such a society is even possible. Following each character as the farm continued to fall further into turmoil proved to create a compelling and a thoroughly enjoyable tale. Overall, I would give Animal Farm a rating of four and a half stars out of five. My only gripe in reading Animal Farm is that the book ended early. The powerful and shocking conclusion had me wondering how the animals would react to this turn of events and if any of them would finally realize the weight of their situation. Nevertheless, the story kept me intrigued all the way through with a good pace and engaging conflicts. The themes of betrayal and power-hungry leaders fit brilliantly with the communist history Animal Farm is based off of. The events and nature of characters continue to hold true when compared to leaders today. These connections between the real world and the book make the story more enjoyable. Each character felt unique and added something to the story’s plot. This is a great book that I would definitely recommend picking up. Long live Animal Farm!

Aabha Sangmin from India

A very good satire. You can enjoy it as a simple story but if you are really interested in the contemporary world politics then this book should be in your book shelf. How the utopian dream of the animals struggling for a communist society where they can enjoy equal rights and freedom shattered and ultimately led them to live a miserable life under a totalitarian ruler under the constant fear of some unknown enemy is very precisely described in the book and you can have an insight of the condition of Russian people under Lenin and Stalin's rule through the book.

Ngozika from South Africa

The book is very interesting and fun to read. I even got 100% for my book review. I AM ONLY IN GRADE 5. Best book ever.

Jerry from China

One of the best books I've ever read about. It profoundly exposed the disadvantage of totalitarianism and has a unique view (though pessimistic) on what's gonna happen next in our view. Just one more thing, Orwell is not criticizing communism or socialism, he's actually a supporter of it.

AnupA Khanal from Nepal

I never got bored reading this book. Totally moving and completely different than other works.

Shalvi from India

It's a most interesting book to read, which tells about and compare the Russian revolutionary. It also shows the difference of equality between animals who has more compare to take extra response from other's animals. its a subjugation, intimidation and the simplicity of masses of what actually happens in a socio- life. This book directly describes how easily good intentions to be the tyranny. we can also say that- it is totally based on distopiniasim and the history of the Russian revolution. All the characters were based on this revolution and it is a good book for everyone.

Zibani from Botswana

This is a very addictivve book. In a good way. I loved it.

Peter Byrne from Australia

I absolutely loved every page of it! I just couldn't put it down, very engaging! Recommend it to anyone who is looking for a book to read, it's just amazing! 😘

Ahmad from Egypt - Giza

I like this book so much. It's an amazing book about revolution, like in Egypt.

Samip from Nepal

This book is the exact reflection of the political system throughout the world. This is what the politics really is..... all about obtaining power. Mostly in context of the developing country like ours this is the case. We ignorant people are easily deceived by the sweet talks of the politicians. By listening to them we believe that maybe this time actual progress might take place, maybe this time the people might actually be benefited but no ..... each time they back off from their promises and we feel like jokers for actually believing them . All they care for is power. All they want is personal benefit. They have no concern for public interest. For power they can do anything. Walking over the few corpses and injuries will also not matter to them and this book shows it.

Mupela from Zambia

I honestly think he wrote into the future meaning our world today we are being sweet talked into believing the false ideas set by many leaders his book is an eye opener

Elisa White from US

Tavish from India

Sweta from India

The best book I have ever read.

Karim from Ireland

Its a really good book. It is a perfect book for a class to read together. When I read it it was amazing.

Suranjith from Sri Lanka

Scary in view of the situation we find ourselves in now

Kabiito from Uganda

Animal farm is a book recommended for everyone at school and in society because it is a true reflection(The absolutism of power, greed, subjugation, intimidation and the simplicity of the masses) of what actually happens in the socio_political spheres of life.

Harri from UK

Good book for teens not so much for younger children.

Isba from Pakistan

The best piece of literature.

Rapha�l from France

A brilliant and timeless analyse of the mechanics of bureaucracy, ultimate betrayal of the hopes of the people. Let's pray it remains in the curriculum, for this story talks about power and control in general, not only in a communist system. The worst we could do against this book is to keep on saying "it is only about totalitarianism and the history of the USSR"... Not only, not only.

9.6 /10 from 44 reviews

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Animal Farm

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Book Review: Animal Farm

"Animal Farm" by George Orwell is about a seemingly normal farm that turns against their farmer. The animals take over the farm with the help of their leaders who are pigs. After all the humans are gone from the farm they continue under the rule of the pigs and create a system of rules to follow as a guideline for their new life. Everything goes well until one of the pigs, Napoleon, uses the dogs he trained to remove the other leader, Snowball, from the animal farm. With Snowball gone Napoleon takes complete control of the farm. He alters the rules made by Snowball, abuses his power, and makes poor decisions that negatively affect the other animals. One of their rules/guidelines was that humans were evil and not to be associated with.

Napoleon breaks that rule many times starting with making a trade of wood with another farm run by a farmer. They get scammed from the exchange with the human, but that doesn't stop Napoleon from dealing with humans. He goes to the extent of not telling the fellow animals the truth and putting all pigs above everyone else. From there things get progressively worse until Napoleon eventually befriends the humans along with the other pigs. They become so much like the humans that it gets to the point that the pigs are basically humans.

I would recommend the book. "Animal Farm" is interesting and in my opinion is in a sense satire, so I really enjoyed it. I read this book because I was planning on reading 1984 by the same author for a BTS theory and wanted to read other books by George Orwell. I kind of could relate to some of the animals because when they disagreed with Napoleon they brought up good points, but no one listened to them. The ending is very surprising and the book isn't predictable.

Animal Farm by George Orwell- Book Review

Title: Animal Farm by George Orwell- Book Review Book: Animal Farm Author: George Orwell Genre: Political Satire First Published In: 1945 Pages: 115 Major Characters: Napoleon, Snowball, Boxer, Benjamin, Mr. Jones, Squealer

I knew George Orwell because of his book 1984, which is very popular. But I recently learned that Animal Farm, written by him, is also an excellent book. So, I chose this book and read it just a few days ago. And you know what, it was one of the best choices (of reading books) I have ever made.

Animal Farm is a satirical novella written by George Orwell, which was first published in 1945. It’s a story of farm animals who were suffering from the oppression of their owner. The farm consisted of different animals like pigs, dogs, cows, horses, hens, goats, etc. None of them were happy with their ruler, Mr. Jones.

The cows gave galleons of milk, but all were taken by human, leaving nothing for calves. Hens gave hundreds of eggs, but all were sold in the market, leaving none for hatching. Horses bore foals, but they were sold in the market instead of letting them happily live with their parents.

Everything from plowing the land to fertilizing the soil, guarding the house to carrying heavy weight was done by animals, but they rarely had anything to eat. In contrast, they were beaten and oppressed by the humans. So, that’s why they decided to come together, overthrow human rule and be their own ruler. That’s how the story begins.

I must tell you it’s one of the best humor books I have read. I just couldn’t stop laughing in between reading. I felt sad for the animals because of the suffering they were going through, but then their stupidity made me laugh.

It’s true, Animal farm is the story of animals, but on a deeper level, it’s a political satire on corrupted rulers. Though the story fits many political scenarios, Orwell wrote it to depict the Russian revolution of 1917.

The book describes the history and complicated events in such a simple and interesting way. The characters and events are very well designed, which cleverly replicates those of the Russian revolution.

It’s one of the finest stories I have read, and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. If a child reads the book, they will read it as a fairy tale, but if it’s an adult, they will read it as a humiliation of the Russian revolution. I can’t stop praising this book.

Time Magazine chose this novel as one of the 100 best English language novels, and it was seen on the Modern library list of Best 20 th Century Novels. In 1996, Animal farm won the Retrospective Hugo award.

The story is very compact, consisting of only 115 pages, which you can finish within a day. It has third-person narration, and the language is quite easy to read; even beginners can read this. I would say you must read this novel if you love to read fiction, as this will make you fall more in love with books.

Kelder's Farm

Hours updated a few days ago

Kelder's Farm is temporarily closed. Scheduled to reopen on April 18, 2024.

Review Highlights

“ The animals are a little sad looking, but the kids love the bouncy pillow and the miniature golf is fun. ” in 3 reviews

“ Farmer Kelder himself was driving the tractor for the hay rides and out and about working. ” in 5 reviews

“ Think of this as an educational experience, like going to the zoo or a museum, except you get to be outdoors! ” in 5 reviews

Location & Hours

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5755 US Route 209

Kerhonkson, NY 12446

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Kelder Family ..

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A 200-year-old Family Farm Biggest area pick-your-own farm. Award-winning Mini Golf. Fun for kids -- Jumping pillow, corn and meadow mazes. Friendly farm animals. Farm market with local goodies. Playground and picnic area 2016 Ulster County Tourism Business of the Year! …

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My kids grew up here. It warms my heart to now bring my grandkids to the same farm. Times change, we have to pay to enjoy it now, but I understand & obviously all the out of towners do too. This is a great family friendly place with something for everyone, and I do mean everyone (there's wine & beer) My grandson and I spent almost 3 hours here this past Saturday, he had a blast. We ate pizza & frozen pink lemonade & he even did the corn maze (they have a short one that should only take 15min but we were still in it for 30) SUPPORT YOUR LOCALS!!!

My lil man!

Made a day trip here specifically for the tulip section of the farm. You basically take a hayride to a far away area of the property to see lots of pretty tulips that they planted. You can also pick your own tulips for $2 a stem or 10 for $10. It was a lively place with tons of other things specifically geared toward kids. You can feed donkeys, cows, llamas and goats too. They have a nice produce market with fresh produce and flowers for sale as well as baked goods coffee popcorn pizza etc.. And freshly made apple cider donuts. Overall a good experience!

What a great day out! Fun filled family farm. Great value for all included tickets for picking and all of the activities. Hay ride and apple cannon was lots of fun. Plenty of Sunflowers and veggies for picking. All the staff we interacted with were very nice, impressive for teen employees. They all seemed like they wanted to happily be working there.

Sunflower Fest

We stopped at the sign of a large gnome. I have to admit, I was not interested in going to this farm. I thought my 10 year old wouldn't find much to do. I am glad we went. Nothing over the moon but we spent a nice summer day exploring and having fun with framily. The wins: Corn house (I thought about germs but what a great idea dumping corn kernels into a little house for the kids to use like a sandbox!) The pillow (who doesn't like to jump around?) The view of the farm is beautiful The Gnome was cool to see! The kids loved the slushies and ice cream on site The loses: It was too hot to walk down to the farm The staff were not very helpful (don't get me wrong they did their job but not overly nice. Kind of like they were not happy we were visiting and had questions) The shop is cute Why do you have a donut stand if it isn't open??!! Overall a small place with a few things to do. Nice wholesome way to spend time with family and friends.

Okay so the big j dog really testing my patience he keeps taking down my reviews for no reason I'm just trying to speak the truth like on gossip girl you know the one guy chad blairdworf but that's irrelevant I heard machine gun Kelly was gonna play the part of gossip girl I think personally would have made it better but let's get back to Jdog not giving me a hot dog with sauerkraut when that's all I asked for he just stomped away singing Africa by Toto definitely would recommend listening to it definitely a bop

Weekly entrance is ~$10 while weekends is $4 more or so. The farm has fun activities for kids, mini golf, picnic tables and and a giant bouncer. There are also a alpacas, donkeys, a cow, sheeps and a rabbit that you can feed but not really pet (I guess given covid). You can also buy food to feed them (4items of carrots, corn for $1 or a bag of animal food for the same price) They have a really large extension of crops, so if you want to pick your own veggie you need to drive down the road to the crops. Activities are really focused for kids so i guess i am willing to pay once but if you are a local and you are just accompanying your kid, I would found it expensive. Bought some produce: apple cider doughnuts (okay), tomatoes (not amazing), grapes (very average)

Came up here for a day of fun with my toddler over memorial day weekend. For starters this place is GOLD for a 2 year old, he was entertained for hours (as were our friends similarly aged kids) with all the activities. There is a mega bubble station, legos, a huge tractor to climb, big connect four and just general outdoor stuff. Lemonade was delicious too! But the reason I really wanted to give a shout out to this place is because not 10 minutes after we got there my kid fell and hit his head pretty badly (no fault of the farm at all) and the response from every employee was so genuinely caring. They made sure he was ok, provided a very well stocked first aid kit and ice, and really checked up on him. It turned the situation from one where the whole day could have been a wash because we would have needed to leave to get medical supplies to one where we just took a bit of time to get him to calm back down, patched him up, and went back out to enjoy all the fun activities. Its been over a month and my kid still talks about how he "bumped his head, but had fun at the farm". I would totally return for both the lemonade and the staff!

Good old-fashion farming with nice staff. Everything you need from food to fun. Pick your own. My Great-Grandmother Josie married a Kelder and glad she did. She taught me many valuable life lessons and gave us Wawarsing roots

Just stopped by to buy corn can't believe the outrageous prices there are asking for produce and anything else. It's just a big tourist trip. Won't be buying any produced there any more. Try two dollars for an ear of corn

My girlfriend and I had a great time at Kelder's Farm. We picked raspberries, blackberries, corn, potatoes and tomatoes. We also spent some time in the sunflower fields and had fun feeding the donkeys, goats and Liberty Belle the cow. The rabbits and alpacas were content in the shade and weren't interested in the carrots and corn we were offering or maybe they were hardline supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement and wanted nothing to do with our bourgeoisie handouts. On second thought, those rabbits did look suspiciously like anarchists. Aside from the person who wrote the asinine Noam Chomsky Wikipedia review, everyone should visit Kelder's Farm. That guy should just stay home and practice regurgitating Fox News talking points. Everyone else---go and have fun! We thought the entrance fee was a great value based on our experience and what we picked. We will definitely be back!

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Animal Farm by George Orwell
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Book Review: Animal Farm by George Orwell
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Book Review: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Book Review: Animal Farm by George Orwell. Animal Farm by George Orwell captures the themes of oppression, rebellion and history repeating itself. Animal Farm begins like an ambitious children's tale: After Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm, falls asleep in a drunken stupor, all of his animals meet in the big barn at the request of old Major ...
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Dialogue. Conclusion. Lasting Impact on Reader. 4.6. Animal Farm Review: A Socio-Political Work. George Orwell's 'Animal Farm', in a broader sense is the socio-political work of all time. Still, it can be read as a simple story of animals. The novel (novella) highlights the human weaknesses jealousy, greed, laziness, and cruelty through ...
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Last modified on Wed 20 Sep 2017 05.56 EDT. This book is set in a future when animals are much cleverer than now. And because of their cleverness, the pigs started a revolution against the humans ...
A Summary and Analysis of George Orwell's Animal Farm
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) Animal Farm is, after Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell's most famous book.Published in 1945, the novella (at under 100 pages, it's too short to be called a full-blown 'novel') tells the story of how a group of animals on a farm overthrow the farmer who puts them to work, and set up an equal society where all animals work and share the ...
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story by George Orwell
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story by George Orwell - review. Cara, a young reader, shares her thoughts on this classic allegory of power and corruption. Find out why she thinks this is the most thought ...
Animal Farm by George Orwell
George Orwell, Russell Baker (Preface), C.M. Woodhouse (Introduction) 3.99. 3,881,995 ratings96,085 reviews. Librarian's note: There is an Alternate Cover Edition for this edition of this book here. A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of ...
Book review: "Animal Farm" by George Orwell
Book review: "Animal Farm" by George Orwell. Patrick T. Reardon July 4th, 2023 "Oh, I read that — in high school, ... Animal Farm was less than two decades old when I read it sometime in the early 1960s, but it was already a classic. That was, in part, because it was heavily promoted by our elders as a total indictment of the Soviet ...
ANIMAL FARM
More About This Book. A modern day fable, with modern implications in a deceiving simplicity, by the author of Dickens. Dali and Others (Reynal & Hitchcock, p. 138), whose critical brilliance is well adapted to this type of satire. This tells of the revolt on a farm, against humans, when the pigs take over the intellectual superiority, training ...
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Lasting Impact of Animal Farm 'Animal Farm' though a short book is one of the few books that are featured as favorites by most people since its publication. Still in 1945, when Orwell tried to publish the book, it wasn't a cakewalk for him. The publishing houses in Britain were hesitant for it was criticizing the Russian government, which was an ally then.
Animal Farm Book Review
Our review: Parents say ( 15 ): Kids say ( 122 ): The story and language are very simple, but Orwell is unnervingly precise in the way he depicts each step on the road from revolution to tyranny. ANIMAL FARM has been popular and highly acclaimed since its publication in 1945.
Book Review
When you really look at it, Animal Farm does almost exactly what 1984 does but in a much cleaner and accomplished way. Instead of looking to the future, Orwell looks to the past. The novella uses farm animals to depict the events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union.
Book review: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Animal Farm summary - 5/5. Animal Farm is a wonderful book. It's the first time I've read it and I can see why so many people hail it as such a fantastic piece of British literature. I can also see why it's been studied in British academia - it's a book about the power of propaganda and social control. It's a book that puts into ...
Animal Farm: Book Summary
Book Summary. One night, all the animals at Mr. Jones' Manor Farm assemble in a barn to hear old Major, a pig, describe a dream he had about a world where all animals live free from the tyranny of their human masters. old Major dies soon after the meeting, but the animals — inspired by his philosophy of Animalism — plot a rebellion against ...
Animal Farm: Full Book Summary
Animal Farm Full Book Summary. Old Major, a prize-winning boar, gathers the animals of the Manor Farm for a meeting in the big barn. He tells them of a dream he has had in which all animals live together with no human beings to oppress or control them. He tells the animals that they must work toward such a paradise and teaches them a song ...
Book Review: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Book Review: Animal Farm by George Orwell. Official Synopsis from Amazon: A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned—a razor-edged fairy ...
Animal Farm
Animal Farm is a satirical tale set on a typical English farm. ... Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book's review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.
Animal Farm
Animal Farm is a beast fable, in the form of a satirical allegorical novella, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of anthropomorphic farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to create a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy. Ultimately, the rebellion is betrayed and, under the dictatorship of a pig ...
Animal Farm review
More irritating is the fidgety portrayal of the animals, the six-strong ensemble grunting and hoof-scraping through Ian Wooldridge's 1982 adaptation like an undergraduate actors' workshop.
Book Review
Yesterday afternoon, I finished reading Animal Farm by George Orwell. George Orwell was the pen name for Eric Arthur Blair, an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. The book was first published in England on August 17, 1945. Animal Farm is a dystopian satire that depicts the negative features of a society, as opposed to a utopian ...
Review: Animal Farm by George Orwell
The fate of one particularly hard-working animal is too upsetting to talk about. —. Overall: 4.2 (out of 5.0) While there's not much in Animal Farm that's subtle, it's very well written. There's an odd charm to it, and even some humor. While it sometimes feels like simplified 1984, it's a much more palatable story.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Joel from Africa. A Book for the Ages Animal Farm is a timeless piece of literature which feels like a modern masterpiece. It tells a deeply engrossing story with many dramatic twists within its relatively small number of pages. This story deals with themes of corruption and utopias in a satirical but immersive way.
Book Review: Animal Farm
Review. "Animal Farm" by George Orwell is about a seemingly normal farm that turns against their farmer. The animals take over the farm with the help of their leaders who are pigs. After all the humans are gone from the farm they continue under the rule of the pigs and create a system of rules to follow as a guideline for their new life.
Animal Farm: Book Review
I can't stop praising this book. Time Magazine chose this novel as one of the 100 best English language novels, and it was seen on the Modern library list of Best 20th Century Novels. In 1996, Animal farm won the Retrospective Hugo award. The story is very compact, consisting of only 115 pages, which you can finish within a day.
KELDER'S FARM
54 reviews and 166 photos of Kelder's Farm - Temp. CLOSED "I was drawn to Kelder's Farm by the world's largest garden gnome (!) who stands in front of this beautiful family farm, usually holding a bouquet of the flowers you can pick there. He's in the Guinness Book Of World Records. This is a pick your own farm, a petting zoo of rescued animals and an EDIBLE miniature golf course - meaning it ...

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