ayureads's review against another edition
4.0
My first classic of the year and it was so easy and weird I loved the message it gave. Must read!
kransom's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
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
4.25
cactuspunk's review against another edition
4.0
There's no secret to why this book is a classic. It's a great depiction of a dystopian society and has well deserved its place as the figurehead of Dystopian fiction. Obviously the 1940's grammar and writing style was annoying to read and the plot has its slow points. However, the incredible depiction of every classic element of dystopian from totalitarian governments to propaganda control to even the importance of daily pleasures makes this story a classic of both the genre and literature overall.
absolomb's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.0
samaira's review against another edition
4.0
I liked Animal Farm. It was maddening to read the commandments being changed and the animals being gaslit over and over again, but I think it was good in its execution and conveyed what it wanted to. 1984 was okay. Towards the end, I was a bit confused, but overall I think it was a good exploration of what would happen in a society where you have no freedom.
cllbrns's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
loved this!! i watched the play adaptation before reading the book, and ADORED both. the emotions i got, the satire, the irony, loved all of it. definitely a classic that i'll re-read!
ldegough's review against another edition
4.0
I've combined my reviews for each separate book in this review. :)
———————————————————————————
My review for Animal Farm:
This story was funny, and it was so short that I finished it in a day. (There are ten chapters.)
Things I liked:
• The funny lines.
• The contradictions. (For example, the fact that the Seven Commandments kept being broken as the story went on, and everybody excused it.)
Things I didn't like:
• Nothing, really! It just wasn't the most interesting book I've ever read.
- Lacie
———————————————————————————
My review for 1984:
This book was very interesting. The whole concept of Newspeak intrigued me; the perfect way to make sure that people can't think for themselves is to take away any "dangerous" vocabulary.
Things I liked:
• The pretty realistic dystopian world.
• Winston's gradual understanding of the way the Party controlled his world.
• As I already mentioned, the concept of Newspeak. (To clarify, I wouldn't like for Newspeak to be implemented in real life! I just thought that it was very interesting in a dystopian world.)
Things I didn't like:
• Julia (she was pretty annoying; she didn't even seem to care about Winston even though she claimed she did).
• The sex.
I mostly read this book because it's a classic; when I heard that it was dystopian I didn't expect it to be like this. It definitely exceeded my expectations!
- Lacie
———————————————————————————
My review for Animal Farm:
This story was funny, and it was so short that I finished it in a day. (There are ten chapters.)
Things I liked:
• The funny lines.
• The contradictions. (For example, the fact that the Seven Commandments kept being broken as the story went on, and everybody excused it.)
Things I didn't like:
• Nothing, really! It just wasn't the most interesting book I've ever read.
- Lacie
———————————————————————————
My review for 1984:
This book was very interesting. The whole concept of Newspeak intrigued me; the perfect way to make sure that people can't think for themselves is to take away any "dangerous" vocabulary.
Things I liked:
• The pretty realistic dystopian world.
• Winston's gradual understanding of the way the Party controlled his world.
• As I already mentioned, the concept of Newspeak. (To clarify, I wouldn't like for Newspeak to be implemented in real life! I just thought that it was very interesting in a dystopian world.)
Things I didn't like:
• Julia (she was pretty annoying; she didn't even seem to care about Winston even though she claimed she did).
• The sex.
I mostly read this book because it's a classic; when I heard that it was dystopian I didn't expect it to be like this. It definitely exceeded my expectations!
- Lacie
oliviaerinharris's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ANIMAL FARM: started feb 8th 2023 - finished feb 22nd 2023
The worst part about this book is that I’ll never have the opportunity to read it with fresh eyes again.
Animal Farm depicts the change from Tsarist Russia to authoritarianism in a way that is interesting and easy to understand for someone like me who loves history but in an obviously spelled out way. I studied this period in GCSE History and never really understood it. Now I wish someone had given me this book. The characters are clear representations of historical figures and figureheads (although I did have to google a couple of times exactly who they represented) and the farms representative of the UK, Germany and Russia. Moreover, this book still has an impact in today’s world where we can draw parallels.
I listened to the audible version as I was reading along, maybe making me enjoy the dialogue more but also making me appreciate the language Orwell uses. Beautifully narrated and amazing characterisation in my opinion.
Orwell’s writing style here is simple and the allegory is obvious, to which some people have said it’s more of a children’s book or the kids version of 1984. One thing I might say is that 13/14/15 year old me would have probably not loved this book and would not have wanted to study it at school. Yes it is simple, yes the allegory is obvious but I think that is the point. It’s a novella. A fully fledged novel might have more opportunity for a more “adult” approach but I think this is short and sweet and it gets the message across.
Getting the opportunity to read it myself and learn the background whilst understanding how it applies to the modern world and situation is really a nice reading experience.
The worst part about this book is that I’ll never have the opportunity to read it with fresh eyes again.
Animal Farm depicts the change from Tsarist Russia to authoritarianism in a way that is interesting and easy to understand for someone like me who loves history but in an obviously spelled out way. I studied this period in GCSE History and never really understood it. Now I wish someone had given me this book. The characters are clear representations of historical figures and figureheads (although I did have to google a couple of times exactly who they represented) and the farms representative of the UK, Germany and Russia. Moreover, this book still has an impact in today’s world where we can draw parallels.
I listened to the audible version as I was reading along, maybe making me enjoy the dialogue more but also making me appreciate the language Orwell uses. Beautifully narrated and amazing characterisation in my opinion.
Orwell’s writing style here is simple and the allegory is obvious, to which some people have said it’s more of a children’s book or the kids version of 1984. One thing I might say is that 13/14/15 year old me would have probably not loved this book and would not have wanted to study it at school. Yes it is simple, yes the allegory is obvious but I think that is the point. It’s a novella. A fully fledged novel might have more opportunity for a more “adult” approach but I think this is short and sweet and it gets the message across.
Getting the opportunity to read it myself and learn the background whilst understanding how it applies to the modern world and situation is really a nice reading experience.
faeriechapters's review against another edition
4.0
(review for animal farm)
this book was a very easy and fast-paced read and i really enjoyed it. i would definitely do my homework about the russian revolution before reading this book to truly understand what the author is referencing when he wrote the characters and the major plot points. overall, i enjoyed reading this book and the message it is trying to send is very well written!
this book was a very easy and fast-paced read and i really enjoyed it. i would definitely do my homework about the russian revolution before reading this book to truly understand what the author is referencing when he wrote the characters and the major plot points. overall, i enjoyed reading this book and the message it is trying to send is very well written!