Author: George Orwell
Format: Paperback
Pages: 140
Rating: I'm going to skip this again. Don't hate me.
Basically, this review is only meant to give you a glimpse at Animal Farm. Many people read it in high school; I was not one of those people. I bought this and was curious. It wasn't at all what I expected but after reading the Introduction, I see that the author was trying to do. I think can be applied to people as a whole so please don't think I'm focusing on a specific group. I realize this is probably a horrible time for me to be bringing this novel up. I simple read a lot of 'Classics' while in Florida...
Summary (brought to you buy the back cover of my copy as Goodreads only has commentary posted and nobody wants to read that): 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 tale for grown-ups [...] Today it is devastatingly clear that wherever and whenever freedom is attacked, under whatever banner, the cutting clarity and savage comedy of George Orwell's masterpiece has a meaning and message still ferociously fresh.
Thoughts: I thought that this novel was pretty interesting. I tried not to deconstruct it too much because everyone seems to do that with this novel. I felt that in that sense, I didn't need to think for myself as I could simply read what other people had said about the novel. While I admit that I did read the Preface and the Introduction, I haven't spent much time looking into either the back ground of this novel nor of it's politics. I simply don't care. After all, this wasn't a high school read for me. I think too many people focus on that the author says about it instead of gathering their own opinion. My opinion is that this is scary and I can totally see it in the world. I consider myself very good at drawing parallels between novels and real life. I do it constantly in random novels and I even write it into my own work. That's what makes this novel so terrifying and yet interesting. I see parallels in everyday society but even within the education system (as that's the main focus of my life right now and I'm not enjoying it, I like picking at the injustices that exist within it...sue me).
Anyway: I think this novel is an interesting book to read for a few reasons. Take away what the author and the world focus on and it's an interesting commentary of all people and society as a whole. Take away the commentary and it's just funny, entertaining, and plain bizarre. Take all that away and at the very least you are reading a Classic that millions of other people have also read and invested their time in. Did I mention that it's only a novella and, therefore, it's short and won't take too much of your time? I don't see a real downside in reading this novel. I liked it. I would consider reading it again just to look deeper into its meaning.
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