Animal Farm by George Orwell

[Abagayle]

A brilliant read, I agree that younger children can read it and comprehend it. The animated short of English origin is quite good, too. A nation of sheep will be ruled by pigs.

[Stunt Penguin]

It's a great book. But I wouldn't call it a story for children. It's a book that can be read by people of all ages.

[HolmesGirl221b]

Politics isn't something I enjoy discussing or reading about, so when going by what I had first heard about Animal Farm, I thought it was going to be anti socialist or anti communist. But I finished it not long ago and found it a fairly short story about an incompetent farmer who neglects his animals, leading them to revolt and throw all humans off the property.
In working to prove that "two legs bad, four legs good" they run the farm on their own, but it doesn't take long until a new authoritarian regime raises it's ugly head, under the leadership of Napoleon the pig.
But Animal farm doesn't run into trouble from bad ideals, but from ignorance and blind trust in how it's government is run. The use of propaganda of patriotism and fear by the more intelligent pigs, put them into positions of authority and continually distance their lives and responsibilities from the other animals, and this distancing allow the pigs in time to adopt the practices of authoritarianism such as carrying whips, and to differentiate themselves from the other animals, by wearing clothes and sleeping in beds. The animals ignorance and inability to remember the past make them easily swayed by the occasional display of rhetorical eloquence from Napoleon.
In the story, there are many issues of "highest importance for the welfare of the farm ... But neither pigs nor dogs produce any food by their own labour, and there were many of them and their appetites were always good."
Which brings up for me the question: are we handing our most important issues and earned money to those living in the "house" (government) far away, when solving our problems out in the "field" of local town, county or government, to allow us to personally get more involved and have an actual voice?

[antiqua2001]

I'm not sure I understand your question, but the book does have a point in that when we forget our past we are doomed to repeat it. Some of those animals were so loyal to the cause that it made them blind to the changes that were bringing them full circle to their former lives, just with different rulers.

[Fran]

I'm not sure I understand your question, but the book does have a point in that when we forget our past we are doomed to repeat it. Some of those animals were so loyal to the cause that it made them blind to the changes that were bringing them full circle to their former lives, just with different rulers.

And also that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

[lady_charlie]

I'm not sure I understand your question, but the book does have a point in that when we forget our past we are doomed to repeat it. Some of those animals were so loyal to the cause that it made them blind to the changes that were bringing them full circle to their former lives, just with different rulers.

And also that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

That is from Machiavelli I think? The Prince?

I always thought I was the horse, doomed to the glue farm, because I always just put my head down and say, I must work harder.

That is me to a T.

[Jennia1995]

It's definitely a must read for everybody

[Aj_Showtime]

As a middle schooler I read this in my social studies class and was less than excited to read it. I am happy to say that this is now one of my favorite books and opened my mind to the positives and negative of communism. I LOVED IT!!!

[Misa-Jane]

I first picked this book up when I was quite young and hadn't actually heard of it before (whether through youth or ignorance!) so I came to the story with no idea that it was political. Of course, I recognized some of the names, like Napoleon, but I really just read and enjoyed the book as an interesting story about anthropomorphic farm animals. I think the fact that you can read it without knowing much about politics, and without feeling like you are being preached to, is what has kept this book so popular. It is likely to continue to be read much longer than some of the more blatant satirical works that easily become dated. In this respect, I think Animal Farm is a lot like Gulliver's Travels: you don't have to focus on the satire and politics, but you can get a whole different perspective if you do.

[Fran]

I first picked this book up when I was quite young and hadn't actually heard of it before (whether through youth or ignorance!) so I came to the story with no idea that it was political. Of course, I recognized some of the names, like Napoleon, but I really just read and enjoyed the book as an interesting story about anthropomorphic farm animals. I think the fact that you can read it without knowing much about politics, and without feeling like you are being preached to, is what has kept this book so popular. It is likely to continue to be read much longer than some of the more blatant satirical works that easily become dated. In this respect, I think Animal Farm is a lot like Gulliver's Travels: you don't have to focus on the satire and politics, but you can get a whole different perspective if you do.

@Misa-Jane
I had exactly the same experience, my first readings of either books was when I was quite young & I had no idea they had anything to do with politics, in fact that far back I probably had no understanding of politics anyway and definitely no understanding of satire, and I loved both books as just good childhood stories. I was brought up on a farm so I remember thinking Animal Farm was about our farm except we didn't have a horse & a tractor didn't really fit as a substitute, but it really was to me just a good funny story featuring talking animals & I found it hilarious to imagine our animals talking and argueing & maybe giving out about my dad!

Later when I leared a bit more, and got a bit older, I fell in love with both books again from a whole different perspective & I remember being amazed to see Animal Farm (the book I thought was a childhood fairytale) on my university reading list. And the first time I came across the search engine "Yahoo" I did a doubletake ... now where had I heard that word before!

[aaristil]

I found the book was enlightening to me. All of the allusions within the text, the author did a great job. At first, I laughed because the use of farms animals. But I think that its the perfect classic book for a high school student or a normal history class. A great way to get students to debate and discuss matters of society, culture, and government.

[cheza]

I agree it is a great read for high school students now, but I feel they will not understand the concept behind the story (unless very much in tune with politics, the real world, etc, etc).

In fact, I did not very much understand Animal Farm in full as a high schooler; it was only until recently (say a year or two ago) did I then get to re-read "Animal Farm" and get to understand the contents fully.

[GKCfan]

Knowing the history of the Soviet Union serves to enhance one's understanding of the book.

[DanBR]

I'm not sure I understand your question, but the book does have a point in that when we forget our past we are doomed to repeat it. Some of those animals were so loyal to the cause that it made them blind to the changes that were bringing them full circle to their former lives, just with different rulers.

And also that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

That is from Machiavelli I think? The Prince?

I always thought I was the horse, doomed to the glue farm, because I always just put my head down and say, I must work harder.

That is me to a T.

Most of us are the horse, unfortunately... Today the glue factory is called reverse-mortgaging your home to help out the kids.

[kat6496]

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." This book as an adolescent was a game-changer for me. It because more so as I became an adult, making the assimilations to our governments and society. I too found myself as the horse trying to work harder. I read this book almost yearly to remind myself that I don't have to fall slave to that sentiment and live life to the fullest, not "living to work and working to live". I refuse to rebuild the windmill!