Hi y’all!

I am excited to share my review of Animal Farm by George Orwell. I read this as part of my second Classics Club list and as part of a classics challenge I am participating in this year on Instagram. 

It was fun and fascinating to return to a classic I haven’t read since high school. It was a very profound read. And although it is quite short, there is so much to learn from this story.

Book Summary: “Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell. The book tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to create a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy. Ultimately, however, the rebellion is betrayed, and the farm ends up in a state as bad as it was before, under the dictatorship of a pig named Napoleon.

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 Jones.

Two pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, prove themselves important figures and planners of this dangerous enterprise. 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 story seems simple but is also so profound. Basically, this is the story of animals taking over a farm in England then slowly changing history, rules, and promises. At first, all the animals are in this revolution together. They are fighting against man. But slowly that changes as the pigs become the leaders and become more and more like their former masters. In fact, I think they are worse. The subtle ways they change the rules on the barn wall and the way they change the history of the farm was so intriguing. Nothing was over the top but it was clearly all done very intentionally. 

The characterization is one of the most powerful elements in this story. There are a lot of interesting contrasts. Some characters are quite simple like the work horse who just wants to do his bit for the farm. He works hard but he doesn’t think hard. Then we have the pigs who are cunning and complex. At first, they want to help their community. But as the story continues, they rebel against each other. They drive out one of their own. And they start changing the way Animal Farm is run. In the end, they become like the other masters of farms. Or perhaps even worse. 

As this can be read as an allegory about the rise of Communism in Russia, the story was even more intriguing for me. Earlier this year, I read Katherine Reay’s The Berlin Letters and found the details in that book about communism to be similar to those in this allegory. It’s compelling to see how people in power strive to maintain their power. And how the average person reacts to surprising and at times unfair changes in the country. There seems to be a point where leaders go too far and the common man rejects their power. These sorts of stories offer so much to discuss and are extremely thought provoking. 

What an interesting classic! The storytelling is simple yet profound. The characters are complex and surprising. And the overall message is powerful yet concerning. A truly thought provoking classic!

What is your favorite classic?
Which historical time is most intriguing to you?

This is my 11th classic finished on my 2nd list for The Classics Club!
Check out my full list here. To see my completed first list, click here. For more info on the club, click here.