Animal Farm

[Sarah89]

has anyone ever read this book? its been assigned for summer reading and I just cant seem to get into it any suggestions?

 

[Hikari]

I read that book a while ago. All i can say is that you will probably hear and see references to it all the time, so keep at it.

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

"All animals are created equal. But some animals are more equal than others."

It's a marvelous book!

 

[Yahweh Nissi]

I loved it! It is not a very long book - just force yourself to sit down and blast through it in a few hours if you must, but it would be a shame to spoil it like that. Try finding out a bit of the history of the USSR (particularly the revolution to Stalin), that will help you understand it more. I really hope you can enjoy this - it is an excellent book.

 

[Christopher Fox]

It is actually a very good book. As Yahweh Nissi says above, it is an alegory for the Russian Revolution and the events that followed. I don't think you have to know much Soviet history to enjoy and understand it.

As far as I recall the allegory works like this:

The Russian people (animals on the farm) overthrow the ruling monachy (farmer). They are led by the Communists (pigs), and manage to overthrow the rulers using the strength of the workers (boxer the horse, and the others).

The Communists are led by Stalin (Napolean the Pig) and Trotsky (Snowball). Trotsky wants to keep to the high ideals of Lenin (the Old Major - a pig) and Stalin simply hungers for absolute power.

Stalin overthrows Trotsky (he had him murdered) and begins a reign of terror over the Soviet people using his secret police (the dogs).

I may have got some of that wrong, but that's the general idea. Give the book a try, I think you'll like it.

Chris.

 

[InnerPhyre]

What an amazing book! I loved it when I read it in highschool. Keep at it for a while and you'll get into it.

 

[GL2814]

Never read it. I had to read it for English class & we watched the movie in Economics class.

 

[Thithy]

Personally, if I didn't know who everyone was, I probably would have thought it was a very boring book. however, knowing the history helps so much. Study the events that lead up to WWII, along with WWII itself.

 

[Mother Vashti]

Jane, I couldn't agree more! This book is one of the most thought provoking satires I've ever read.

Sarah89, Animal Farm is not lightly written. You know how the title of the farm is Manor Farm? Check it out:

Manor Farm

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

Personally, if I didn't know who everyone was, I probably would have thought it was a very boring book. however, knowing the history helps so much. Study the events that lead up to WWII, along with WWII itself.

It's Russia, not Germany - take a look at the events:

The October Revolution: The old farmer is driven off.
The proclamation of Equality of all animals and the liberation of the suppressed working classes: The animals celebrating their freedom.
The banishment of one of the ruling pigs: The conflict between Trotzki and Stalin.
The animals are labouring just as hard as before, and instead of the farmer, the swine are now occupying the house and force all others to sustain their wealth: Just a single look at the former soviet union with its corrupt leadership suffices to see the parallels.

That has always been the problem of violent revolutions: After the old regime is gone, others will occupy the positions of power, and be corrupted by it in no time. In order to change the structures of power, you need to change them from the inside, and not by force. Otherwise, you just chop off the hydra's heads to have them growing back more hideous than before. That's why you might call the supposed communism of the East "red fascism". The working classes have never been free. In place of the Czar, they now had Josef Stalin, who sent millions of innocent people to death camps to satisfy his deeply seated, paranoid fear of his own people.

 

[SeRapH&CheRi]

I read this book in the 9th grade and didn't really enjoy it. However, now that I'm older, I think that if I read it again, I'll be reading it from a totally different perspective. Hmm.....I think I'm gonna go to the library this evening!

 

[tqpix]

This was one of the most boring books I've ever read in high school.

 

[Ellesar]

I had to read it in high school. It took a little while for me to get into it, but after I got into the story, it was pretty good.

 

[Fools Hope]

I'm reading that currently for English honors at my high school. The book is good for a classic, but as a book in general, it's not at the top of my list.

 

[Reader Nilus]

Animal Farm should be college reading, not high school.
Jeff the Finn

 

[ThePhoenix]

Animal Farm should be college reading, not high school.
Jeff the Finn

Why? You may or may not catch all of the symbolism in High School, but you can certainly catch the point. I found it interesting in High School.

P.S. It's about Russia. Every major critique I've ever read agrees on that, every website I can google agrees on that, heck they call eachother Comerade in the book! "Some are more equal then others" is NOT the master race of Adolf Hitler.

 

[but'n'ben]

I didn't enjoy Animal Farn, but I think that's because I'm not an Orwell fan. Maybe it's because, like nineteen eighty four, the whole world seems so depressing.

 

[Constantine]

Sounds like I should be ashamed for liking Animal Farm I enjoyed it, I read ahead of the class a couple chapters.Yeah, I don't know why I like it, it is really depressing.

 

[but'n'ben]

Nothing wrong with liking a book others don't. Plenty must like it because it is after all a modern classic. It's just not my type of book.

 

[Fools Hope]

Just finished it! Yay!