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Animal Farm (1945)

by George Orwell

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
56,47783916 (3.99)1120
Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML:

George Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution has become an intimate part of our contemporary culture, with its treatment of democratic, fascist, and socialist ideals through an animal fable. The animals of Mr. Jones' Manor Farm are overworked, mistreated, and desperately seeking a reprieve. In their quest to create an idyllic society where justice and equality reign, the animals of Manor Farm revolt against their human rulers, establishing the democratic Animal Farm under the credo, "All Animals Are Created Equal." Out of their cleverness, the pigs??Napoleon, Squealer, and Snowball??emerge as leaders of the new community. In a development of insidious familiarity, the pigs begin to assume ever greater amounts of power, while other animals, especially the faithful horse Boxer, assume more of the work. The climax of the story is the brutal betrayal of Boxer, when totalitarian rule is reestablished with the bloodstained postscript to the founding slogan: "But Some Animals Are More Equal than Others."

This astonishing allegory, one of the most scathing satires in literary history, remains as fresh and relevant as the day it was published… (more)

  1. 602
    Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (Phr33k, hpfilho)
    Phr33k: The theory behind the two books is the same, and if you enjoyed Animal Farm, you should read Nineteen Eighty-four
  2. 275
    Lord of the Flies by William Golding (mikeg2, sturlington)
  3. 111
    One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (BeeQuiet)
    BeeQuiet: Whilst this book follows one day in the life of a Soviet prisoner in a gulag as opposed to merely a worker, this is still a stunning indictment of the revolution's disregard of human life.
  4. 60
    Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler (chrisharpe)
  5. 1410
    The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (mariamreza)
    mariamreza: Another great use of allegory.
  6. 96
    Watership Down by Richard Adams (mcenroeucsb)
  7. 20
    Fifteen Dogs: An Apologue by André Alexis (vancouverdeb)
    vancouverdeb: Both books use animals to illustrate human shortcomings and a base nature, animals gain human consciousness,both are allegories , and dystopian novels.
  8. 31
    Red Plenty: Industry! Progress! Abundance! Inside the Fifties Soviet Dream by Francis Spufford (lewbs)
    lewbs: Both books look at the shortcomings and hypocrisies of communism with some fine humor.
  9. 53
    Persepolis II: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi (weener)
    weener: A good real-life example of what a repressive government can do.
  10. 31
    The Descendants of Cain (UNESCO Collection of Representative Works: European) by Sun-Won Hwang (CGlanovsky)
    CGlanovsky: Portrait of the mechanics and effect of Soviet-style communist takeover.
  11. 31
    Snowball's Chance by John Reed (infiniteletters)
  12. 54
    The Road to Serfdom by F. A. Hayek (sirparsifal)
  13. 32
    Utopian Tales From Weimar by Jack Zipes (aulsmith)
    aulsmith: Some of the stories in this anthology are earlier allegories with animals forming governments. The politics is just as sharp as Orwell's.
  14. 21
    Feed by M. T. Anderson (SqueakyChu)
  15. 11
    Mort(e) by Robert Repino (ShelfMonkey)
  16. 12
    The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (kaledrina)
  17. 02
    Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber (Anonymous user)
  18. 36
    Utopia by Thomas More (luzestrella)
    luzestrella: marvelous!! definitively worth reading
  19. 19
    The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman (mcenroeucsb)
  20. 319
    Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin (PaperbackPirate)

(see all 21 recommendations)

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» See also 1120 mentions

English (778)  Spanish (21)  French (6)  Italian (6)  Dutch (5)  Portuguese (Brazil) (4)  Portuguese (4)  Portuguese (Portugal) (3)  Swedish (2)  Hebrew (2)  Norwegian (1)  Hungarian (1)  Finnish (1)  German (1)  Esperanto (1)  All languages (836)
Showing 1-5 of 778 (next | show all)
Another excellent book that I am glad I revisited. I read this while in El Salvador in 2023. As a work of literature, the book provides an excellent character study into the hierarchies and struggle for power that emerge in societies (particularly newly forming or revolutionary societies). As a piece of history, this book provides an amazing mirror on the rise to power of Stalin and totalitarianism in the Soviet Union - though, given the contemporaneous publication I would be surprised if Orwell was that keenly aware of what was going on in the USSR. Overall, this provides an excellent lens through which to study capitalism, revolution, communism, and the way power corrupts and decays the messages so often relied upon by leaders. After rereading Animal Farm, one can only be sickened by the "promise" of politicians in the creation of a better future. ( )
  E_Morgan_Huhn | May 18, 2023 |
Having not read this book during my school years, I figured it was about time to read it and see what all the fuss was about. However, I was greatly disappointed in the book. I fail to understand why it is talked about so highly and considered a classic that everyone must read. Fortunately, the book is very short, only about 90 pages and can be read rather quickly.

I am certain most everyone knows the gist of the story. A group of farm animals rebel against the farmer and attempt to create their own society where everyone is equal, happy, and free. Of course, all does not go well, and in the end, the society created is more like life was before the rebellion. The more things change, the more they stay the same, right?

Orwell claims he wrote the book as a commentary on socialism and communism, but I found the parallels to religion more obvious. The animals held a meeting every Sunday. A raven named Moses claimed there was a rest and a better life to await after death. The story has a traitor named Snowball (Judas Iscariot), and a charismatic leader in Napoleon (Jesus Christ). The animals were intent on building a windmill and since it was destroyed twice, it had to be rebuilt (Tower of Babel). There were 7 commandments written on the side of a barn (Ten Commandments), which were constantly being revised and rewritten.

Overall, the book was boring and a drudgery to read. I’m not for sure why so many people feel it is a great book. ( )
  dwcofer | May 10, 2023 |
Animal Farm was extremely symbolic, and overall a good book to read. It featured a lot of propaganda, with many twists and turns. Interesting novel. I read it for school in 6th grade. ( )
  HannahRenea | Apr 25, 2023 |
Wow! Amazing and frightening at the same time. ( )
  Kimberlyhi | Apr 15, 2023 |
Another one I remember reading some years ago, without now recalling its details. I know what its lesson was now, from all the places it has been referenced, but don't think I got the point when I first read it. ( )
  mykl-s | Apr 12, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 778 (next | show all)

» Add other authors (56 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Orwell, Georgeprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Abella, RafaelTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Baker, RussellPrefacesecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Batchelor, JoyIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Blake, QuentinIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bradbury, MalcolmIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bulla, GuidoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cosham, RalphNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cotton, TomTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Crick, BernardIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Crick, BernardContributorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Davison, Peter HobleyForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gueillet, SuzonIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Halas, JohnIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Heuvelmans, TonAfterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
HOLTSCH, HeikeTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Low, JosephCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Muggeridge, MalcolmIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Pekkanen, PanuTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Quéval, JeanTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ross, AnthonyTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Scarpi, N.O.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Steadman, RalphIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Szíjgyártó, LászlóTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Tasso, BrunoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Tournaire, J.-P.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Tucker, GeraldTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wahlén, JanTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Walter, MichaelTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Woodhouse, C. M.Introductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Epigraph
Dedication
First words
Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes.
Quotations
For once Benjamin consented to break his rule, and he read out to her what was written on the wall. There was nothing there now except a single Commandment. It ran:
ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL
BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS
Tha a h-uile creutair co-ionann ach tha cuid a chreutairean nas co-ionannaiche na cuid eile.
These people don't see that if you encourage totalitarian methods, the time may come when they will be used against you instead of for you. [from preface]
Make a habit of imprisoning Fascists without trial, and perhaps the process won't stop at Fascists. [from preface]
To exchange one orthodoxy for another is not necessarily an advance. [from preface]
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML:

George Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution has become an intimate part of our contemporary culture, with its treatment of democratic, fascist, and socialist ideals through an animal fable. The animals of Mr. Jones' Manor Farm are overworked, mistreated, and desperately seeking a reprieve. In their quest to create an idyllic society where justice and equality reign, the animals of Manor Farm revolt against their human rulers, establishing the democratic Animal Farm under the credo, "All Animals Are Created Equal." Out of their cleverness, the pigs??Napoleon, Squealer, and Snowball??emerge as leaders of the new community. In a development of insidious familiarity, the pigs begin to assume ever greater amounts of power, while other animals, especially the faithful horse Boxer, assume more of the work. The climax of the story is the brutal betrayal of Boxer, when totalitarian rule is reestablished with the bloodstained postscript to the founding slogan: "But Some Animals Are More Equal than Others."

This astonishing allegory, one of the most scathing satires in literary history, remains as fresh and relevant as the day it was published

No library descriptions found.

Book description
The famous satire of the Russian Revolution by George Orwell is such a part of our present society that we often forget who wrote the original lines. It's the story of how Mr. Jones' Manor Farm becomes Animal Farm, a totally democratic society founded on the belief that all animals are created equal. In a slow evolution that bears an unsettling familiarity, the pigs Napoleon, Squealer, and Snowball emerge as leaders of the new community as a result of their cunning. The savage betrayal of the loyal horse Boxer culminates in the re-establishment of totalitarian control with the bloodstained postscript to the founding slogan: But Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.
Haiku summary
"The old king is dead!
"The farm overflows with good things."
"We'll let you know."

(one-horse.library)
"Wake, Boxer, with cause!"
Friends offer snake-sly wisdom.
The wheel turns, grates on.

(one-horse.library)

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Penguin Australia

3 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia.

Editions: 0141182709, 0141036133, 014139305X

Recorded Books

An edition of this book was published by Recorded Books.

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