Margaret M - (too far behind to catch up although trying to spend more time on GR)'s Reviews > Animal Farm

Five animalistic, rebellious, and satirical stars.

A timeless classic, and the perfect allegorical novel where the animals of Manor Farm, replaced their human counterparts and attempted to create a ‘free’ society where all animals would be treated as equals, only to have their idealistic notions give way to more power and corruption.

An unapologetic story by Orwell as we reflect on some regimes that proport to have 'equality' but fail miserably in addressing the needs of the populace whilst catering for the indulgences of the so called 'elite', for example oligarchs in today's language. Or even Dictators!!!

A Brief overview of the Plot

The mishandling of Manor Farm is to be the catalyst for Old Major’s dreams to become an ambition. Banishing the landlord / farmer Jones, the animals seize control and begin putting in place the machinations of ‘Animal Farm’ and ‘Animalism’.

However, many of the animals struggle to understand the rules of the seven commandments and the new rule of law and instead rely on the ‘intellectual supremacy’ of others, particularly Napoleon and Snowball, who begin to exert the authority, sometimes brutal, on their 'equals'!!!.

“No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?”.

Quickly, the farm animals come under the control of the ruling ‘elite’, special food is provided to the ‘pigs’ or the ‘favoured’, and the notions of one day their fields being ‘untrodden by human feet’ and all animals equal, seems an unlikely reality and instead they have replaced one form of tyranny with another, and all their ideals compromised. Giving notoriety to the well known phrase….

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”

Review and Comments

‘Animal Farm’ is a fusion of Political satire, an anthropomorphised fable, and a ghastly parody for the attempts at ‘equality’ where the animals systematic abuse of logic, judgement and reasoning vividly depict those societal views held in communist USSR, that Orwell found unpalatable and contradictory.

The use of the seven commandments and the principles of ethics was clever. What was even better though was how the revisions to the commandments had been applied to depict a society under ‘absolute control’ where the rules changed in line with propaganda and political spin – aka ‘fake news’ – sound familiar?.

Orwell wrote “..it is the history of a revolution that went wrong - and of the excellent excuses that were forthcoming at every step for the perversion of the original doctrine”.

I first read this book at school and thought the use of animals to portray the failings of people, society, and ideologies was brilliant. What is shocking though is that this message still holds true today in a modern world, a freer world, and a more democratic one – really do we have this or is this also ‘spin’ and ‘propaganda’????

A superb book that illustrates the corruption of ideals by the elite few, the subjugation of the animals / people in their own totalitarian regime, and in some ways human susceptibility to exploitation. The contradiction of what was preached is evident in the most simple of comments ....

“This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half.”

Superbly written but plainly spoken. A book that brilliantly captures the nuances of the political regime and the period it reflects. An intelligent and bold novel for the times that neither exaggerates nor persuades, but it is unapologetic and authentic.

Fantastic.