Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Farm der Tiere

With blazing fervor and a heart pounding with anticipation, the moment has finally come for me to tear through the pages of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, a masterpiece long buried on my reading list. This fable, featuring animals who speak and act with human-like audacity, reflects us—arrogant, self-important humans—in ways that are disturbingly familiar. From the very first page, George Orwell’s brilliance in constructing a seemingly cheerful world that conceals a dark battleground of power and morality gripped me. It is clear that a storm of epic proportions is brewing beneath the surface of this story.

The story erupts with a prologue charged with tension and fiery anticipation. Old Major, a distinguished and wise 12-year-old Middle White Boar, gathers all the animals in a clandestine meeting pulsing with revolutionary energy. With a voice brimming with conviction, he lays out his vision of a future where animals are freed from the shackles of human tyranny. He names their greatest adversary: humans—parasites who exploit their labor and offer only meager scraps in return. Old Major’s speech isn’t merely a rallying cry; it is a blazing inferno that ignites the hearts of those who have long suffered.

Yet, shortly after his incendiary speech, old Major passes away, leaving behind a legacy of dreams and an unquenchable spirit of rebellion. In a matter of days, his prophecy takes shape as the animals, inspired by the words of their esteemed leader, rise up to overthrow the cruel Mr. Jones and take control of their own fate. Initially, they are swept up in a wave of euphoria—convinced that this new era will bring justice and equality. However, as time marches on, it becomes increasingly apparent that the justice they sought is far more elusive and fraught with complexity than they ever imagined.

Through each page of this book, we are confronted with a heartbreaking portrayal of how easily power can be corrupted, even by those with initially noble and sincere intentions. The spirit of freedom and equality, once built on pure hope, gradually drowns in a sea of selfishness and personal ambition. We watch with growing dismay as lofty ideals, once ablaze with hope and fervor, are slowly eroded by self-interest, ambition, and fear.

In this tale, as power consolidates in the hands of a few leaders, the principles once held high begin to crumble. The enticing rules and promises of the early days are gradually violated, morphing with the shifting interests and needs of those in charge. These leaders often hurriedly ‘reconfigure’ the rules—not for the welfare of the people or the common good, but to serve their own interests and to perpetuate the power and dynasty they’ve constructed. With every step deeper into the book, it becomes ever clearer that this story is not merely a fable but a mirror reflecting the reality we frequently see in contemporary news. It is as if each page reveals the lies and corruption that seep into a system meant to protect and uphold justice.

As we dig deeper into this narrative, it becomes strikingly clear that the new leaders, who were meant to bring about a wave of genuine reform, have instead embraced tactics of manipulation and propaganda to consolidate their power. In this arena, propaganda and manipulation are wielded as potent weapons to dominate and distort public perception. By twisting and falsifying information, they craft a narrative that their policies and decisions are in the best interest of all. In this process, the ability to think critically and objectively is often sacrificed.

The scenarios portrayed in this book resonate profoundly with our modern reality, where the term ‘buzzer’ has become synonymous with political maneuvering—an indication that dirty politics has evolved into more sophisticated and deceptive forms. Buzzers, adept in the art of deceit, are hired to shape, manipulate, or obscure issues on social media with a singular goal: to obfuscate the truth and manipulate public opinion.

In this web of political trickery, buzzers are the architects of misinformation, expertly weaving narratives to fragment society and sway public views. They transform social media into a stage for their performances, manipulating data and creating captivating yet deceptive illusions. As we navigate this intricate drama, it is essential to sharpen our analytical skills and rigorously verify the information we encounter. Only through this vigilance can we protect ourselves from the manipulative traps designed to cloud our judgment and divide us into easily controlled factions.

In the end, George Orwell’s Animal Farm serves as a razor-sharp mirror, exposing the ease with which those in power can spiral into cycles of greed and betrayal. As I delved into this masterpiece, I couldn’t help but question: how can leaders, who once championed noble visions, comfortably sleep and dine while flagrantly betraying the very principles and morals they claimed to uphold? Or perhaps, they were never truly moral to begin with, their veneer of virtue simply a façade that deceived us all?

George Orwell astutely illustrates how these corrupt leaders hide behind a veneer of charm and deceit, ensnaring us in a labyrinth of illusion. In Animal Farm, oppression often wears a disguise. It can emerge from those who are meant to be our guardians and guides. This serves as a stark reminder that ignoring injustice is tantamount to complicity in the crime. I urge everyone to read this book and absorb its profound message. In a world fraught with deception, awareness and the courage to seek out truth are our most powerful defenses. We must stay alert and discerning to avoid falling into the treacherous traps that undermine the very essence of justice.

Content Warnings

lagicrus19's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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dkamada's review against another edition

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reflective fast-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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weirdalchemist's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Re-read this novella after not finishing it the first time, short read and highly recommend.

Spoilers from this point onwards:

People seem to forget that Snowball was not a perfect pig either, not to say that Napoleon was a saint obviously but Snowball didn’t say anything when the wind-fallen apples were added to their meals, and as the milk from the cows disappeared he didnt take up any issue with it. although he was far better than Napoleon he was still a pig.

Content Warnings

macliffe's review against another edition

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dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I didn’t always love reading it, but I’m glad I read it because of all that it made me think about and its impact on culture. Truly an educational novella.

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mossbird's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

To say this is one of the most depressing works of fiction I've read in the past year would not be an understatement.

Orwell, in enrapturing detail, documents through an allegorical lens the repeated cycle of capitalism, dictatorship, and just how easily people (or in this book, animals) are manipulated by language. Reading this book made me viscerally angry at points and heartbreakingly sad at others. To see the cycle laid out so plainly forces the reader to acknowledge the presence and repetition that continuously plagues political landscapes. In a mere 96 pages (of the edition I read), Orwell highlights with haunting clarity how easily political dogma can be transformed into propaganda, especially over the course of time.

This novella left me horrified at moments with how many of the pigs' atrocious actions I found myself relating to our current sociopolitical climate. While written as an allegory for the Soviet Union, Orwell's work now highlights the atrocities committed by current governments and world leaders in a very blunt way. Yet, even as the book reaches its final pages, we see that this "accord" between the men and the pigs is strictly surface level with Orwell alluding to the start of the Cold War as both leaders play an ace of spades simultaneously.

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cloud_reads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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d00rframe's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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