Animal Farm by George Orwell: A Book Review
Updated: Oct 6, 2024
Giving an Author Another Try
In my post, My 5 Least Favorite Books, the novel 1984 by George Orwell made an appearance.
Any topic related to government or social issues really puts me off which is one of the main reasons I did not favor the book. When writing the post, I realized I didn't touch on the writing style of the story since I was so put off about the plot. It got me wondering, that maybe now that I'm older I might in fact like something of a similar style of writing, just centered around a different plot.
Lucky for me, I came across Animal Farm while searching for free classics in my Audible subscription. With my classic for the year still to be unread, I figured I would give Orwell another try.
Overview of Animal Farm
Taking the knowledge of animal smarts, Orwell transforms a regular farm into a communist uprising when the animals decide they can no longer take the violence they've been handed. Set to give themselves a better life the animals learn to read and write, form rules, and beginning work on the life they always dreamed. But those dreams are short-lived, when the pigs begin taking over the operation setting into motion that not everyone gets to share what rightfully belongs to them. The life they dreamed just might end in mutiny.
The Cons of Animal Farm
· Sad
The overall concept is paralleled with how the Soviet Union ran their government so even though the main characters were animals the relation between the story and reality gave a negative connotation(as it should). One scene in particular was very sad and something I do not wish on anyone or anything to ever read. Usually sad books don't bother me but because they were animals it hit at a deeper level.
· The Ending
I don't want to give too much away but I wish an uprising of some sort would have happened. But, then again, real life doesn't always end with a nice bow tied on top. The ending was still strong and made a significant impact just wished it would have gone another way.
The Pros of Animal Farm
· Short
One of the main reasons I picked this story was because of how short it was. With only 10 chapters it was an easy and quick read with only an hour and a half of listening. I figured if I was going to give Orwell another try then it needed to be something I could get through quickly.
· Plot
The plot and the theme of the story were easy to follow along and digest. Dumbed down for people who might not understand the description of how the farm related to the Sovient Union a line was drawn pretty quickly with the direction of the plot.
· Characters
Orwell did a fantastic job taking traits farm animals carry and applying them to the story. With it known that pigs are one of the more intelligent mammals it was right of him to have pigs run the farm. It also plays on the fact that people look tar them as dirty creatures who roll around in the mud for fun. The dirtiness of it all plays into the characteristics of the characters.
· Writing Style
Easy to follow along yet detailed when needed, Orwell has an amazing writing style when it came to Animal Farm. The vibes were the same through out and the details and character descriptions were spot on.
Overall Review Summary
I think I was shocked more than anyone when I say that I'm glad I took another shot at reading a book by George Orwell. Not only was the book intriguing, but it brought me through an emotional rollercoaster I didn't think I would be stepping on.
I think I played it right by choosing a smaller book to read because I don't think I could have handled a bigger book with so much emotional sadness. At least I can say I read my classic for the year and revisited Orwell in one swoop.
I might have related more to this book than most because the main characters were animals, something you don't see to often in adult novels. The characters themselves were strongly developed even the lesser characters. The rolls they played fit well within the story as well as what you see in animal behavior amongst the species.
The voice and tone of the story aligned well with the hot topic at hand. At this point, I think this is my favorite book of the year which is why I'm giving it 5 out of 5 stars.
Tell me in the comments below the last classic book you read. If you are wanting 5-star read, I highly suggest checking out my reviews for AGGGTM, Once There Were Wolves, or Where the Crawdads Sing.
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