Life changing ( )

Minns inte boken, men minns när och var jag läste den. ( )

I wiped out my previous review on Goodreads proper but will maintain the old one on here for now in addition to this one. I wiped out the Goodreads one because it is so tonally dissonant from my current reaction and understanding. My rating remains at four stars, shockingly. Often when I read a book I haven't in a decade or longer, my view changes drastically. Hell, even when I reread a book from a few years ago! So. The original Goodreads review was one I wrote when I wasn't entirely comfortable on the site yet. Now I'm a lot more confident. I read this in ninth grade. Whipped through it in one night, is more accurate. The teacher who assigned it was one of the most hated in the entire school, and students who had been graduated from my school years ago, still remembered how much they hated her. She was rude, cruel, hated students who were smarter than her, and a bigot. She also had a lot in common with Dolores Umbridge. I am not even kidding. I get horrible stomach aches when I read the fifth Harry Potter book because suddenly I'm fourteen again and I hate it. Back to this book. I did not care about it back then, and have always associated it with that teacher I hated. I didn't understand what it -really- was back then at all. As such, I wrote an incredibly superficial essay that hit all the rubric points it was supposed to, but it was clear the whole book was beyond me at the time. I picked it up as an adult now, and all I remember was Boxer's fate and the ending pages because they were so unsettling.

This book is a chilling, unflinching look at the origins and progress of totalitarianism, and more pointedly, late stage capitalism. The stages of each are so clearly delineated. And in such a short amount of pages! I was able to spot the pigs' progress towards being dictators, and knew where the white paint was going way before it even went there. Mollie was not a stupid animal: she was clearly stating she did not wish to be part of the rebellion. I wish the narrative hadn't gone after her so much, if all that was going to happen was that she went to the farm next door and got the life she wanted. Unlike so many animals that were later killed because some little piggy had a huge ego and a way of swaying others. I was upset, reading this. The phrase, "History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme," by Mark Twain was in my head over and over again because this is happening today and it's awful. There are a lot of people trying to stop it. I hope it does stop. Without being too spoilery, the book does not have that result. And the ending is still just as powerful now. I remember thinking this was somehow a banned book in some schools. I don't think it should be banned; I think teens need to keep reading this and questioning authority. Adults, too. ( )

Animal Farm: There is a reason, much like Candide, that this book is an unforgettable classic. There is a special something in Animal Farm, a impactful weight in so few pages. Each word is carefully chosen to give the imagination just enough food to contemplate the stifling air of control and dictatorship. Orwell uses satire to tell his own moralistic fairy tale which showcases for the reader the danger and intoxication power brings. The pacing is smooth, the characters are moving, and the way Orwell tells how they face each challenge is moving. Both the first time I read Animal Farm and this past re-read, I was eager to learn what happened next.
I highly recommend Animal Farm to everyone. It is digestible for any reader, and its deeper themes offer contemplation long after it is finished. ( )

I enjoyed this book a lot. This book is an interesting way for people to learn about the history of the Russian Revolution. I think George Orwell is a brilliant writer for representing the Russian Revolution with farm animals. I also really like this book because anyone can read it. You can read it as a kid and just enjoy hearing about the farm animals. Or, you can read it as a teenager and adult and understand he deeping meaning behind it. Either way, everyone can enjoy it. ( )