John Stephenson (4) (1952–)

Acting: 4.5; Theme: 4.5; Content: 5.0; Language: 5.0; Overall: 4.0

Dave Richmond, a progressive pastor, is asked to come shepherd the flock in the small town of Gladbury. Due to his past losing his wife and child, he has lost his faith in God. When he brings his progressive ideas into this small community, he realizes that his parishioners are very traditional- especially their tradition of the "Christmas Candle". Faith is increased, not so much by tradition, but by a new outlook on what the show more Christian faith is all about. Very heartwarming Christmas movie. Recommend.

***December 10, 2022*** show less

What an unusual, disturbing little story. Its simplicity holds much power and depth.

This isn't the easiest review to write. It's definitely a book that's open to interpretation. As you can see, the synopsis covers that it's a paradox of political angles. I do agree with this, and I also take from it random control through religion, greed, and personal and societal dominance. With the speech and organized structure of the animals, I at first thought the author meant to humanize them for the show more effect of a fun story; by the end, I realize he instead was highlighting the animal in man.

It's likely a story where you'll discover something new with each read. A short thing, merely 112 pages, it packs a powerful punch. The pacing is swift and interesting, igniting chaos and controversy amongst the animals from get-go, finishing with a grim slamming of the book door. The setting never leaves the farm, it never needs to. They have their own world to survive in and that world is where the power and message of the story lives.

Would you believe I had no idea at all of the plot when opening the first page? Being deprived of most classics growing up, none of my friends or family read these either. It's a personal goal to discover these on my own, and I hadn't seen the movie nor the trailer. I knew it was probably about animals, of course, and when I started reading it thought with the talking animals it was akin maybe to a type of children's tale.

The short novel, bottom line, is about how corrupting power can be. Absolute control and corruption when too much is given, the imbalances are raised, and too much blind loyalty to leadership. The animals initial goal was to run the farm themselves, without outside interference or help, seeing each other as equals of a sort, every animal doing an equal share of work and production toward a unified goal, similar to a utopian communism.

The writing style is ridiculously simple. Kept this way by Orwell, the structure and events unfolding are carefully arranged, using skillful writing and almost childlike simplicity to fully and easily illustrate the chaotic, complex unraveling of this 'society.' Sometimes when using a moral message that is this deep, profound, common, and structured, it can work better laying it out in allegories.

Religion is clear as day with its play in control, especially with the Raven Moses, who keeps speaking of "Sugarcandy Mountain" in the sky, where one day everyone would be able to rest from their weary labors. Some have pointed out that while Old Major was preaching about changes needed within the structure, Moses was sleeping in the barn. It can be seen as a play on how the church has been accused of "sleeping" or turning a blind eye to communism.

I recommend this short novel to everyone. The message is amazingly potent, the characters fascinating, it's power isn't in preachy writing but effective literary prowess, and it's a classic that will stand the test of time.

There's also always this haunting last line the book concludes with. I don't care much for Minecraft but my friend and son have me play it sometimes. I built a little literary world and one of the farms was animal farm. I put this last line on a few signs in the yard:

"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again: but already it was impossible to say which was which."

Interesting facts:

Several of Orwell's coinages from his popular and intensely impactual works have birthed unique phrases people use today, one word being "Orwellian", indicated any oppressive social occurrence leading to the repression of a free society.

His other most popular piece was 1984. Combined with Animal Farm, these two have sold more copies together than any other twentieth-century author. show less

Deep in the heart of the English countryside lies the enchanting village of Gladbury. Legend has it every twenty-five years an angel visits the village candlemaker and touches a single candle. Whoever lights the Christmas Candle will receive a miracle on Christmas Eve. But in 1890, at the dawn of the electric age, this centuries old legend may come to an end. When David Richmond (Hans Matheson), a progressive young minister from London arrives in Gladbury, the villagers discover a new show more formula for miracles; good deeds and acts of kindness. Now with a skeptic in the pulpit, the fiery candlemaker Edward Haddington (Sylvester McCoy) must fight to preserve his family's legacy. When the Christmas Candle goes missing the miraculous and human collide in the most astonishing Christmas the village of Gladbury has ever seen. show less

Substance: The story is dumbed down to fit the medium, although the basic elements are all there. Would be suitable for juniors except for the unnecessary introduction of an unnecessary adulterous dalliance and the gruesomeness of Major's hacked body (the live pig was very scary-ugly).