Reviews with content warning for Classism - Animal Farm

It was an okay book. I had to read it for a class, but it did have me interested at some parts. Wish the ending was more exciting, but the ending makes sense for the story. Boxer deserved better.

Content Warnings

and_so_it_goes's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

moudi's review against another edition

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dark inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

القراءة الثانية ومختلفة للرواية ، ففي المرة الأولى كنت أنظر إلى أنها تجسيد للسوفيت خاصة فترة حكم ستالين مما جعل العمل متوقع وجعل انتباهي أضعف ، لذلك أنصح القارئ أن يسمح لاورويل أن يرسم على ورقة بيضاء دون توقع منك ، ولا تقارن رسمته إلا حين ينتهي فلا تقف لتبحث مثلا هل فعلا أقام جلسة اعدامات بعد إجبار المتهمين على الكذب .. لأنك ستقيم المشهد بمعيار المصداقية لا بمعيار الخيال الأدبي، و أنصح أيضا أن تقرأ بلغتها الإنجليزية فاورويل لا يملك قلم شاعري وصفي يدخل مفردات و تراكيب مختلفة ورفيعة لهذا ليست صعبة ولا معقدة.
<blockquote>The pigs did not actually work but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge, it was natural that they should assume the leadership. </blockquote>

النقد المنحاز منذ العنوان !
<blockquote>None of the other animals on the farm could get further than the letter A. It was also found that the stupider animals, such as the sheep, hens, and ducks, were unable to learn the Seven Commandments by heart. After much thought, Snowball declared that the Seven Commandments could, in effect, be reduced to a single maxim, namely: " Four legs good, two legs bad." This, he said, contained the essential principle of Animalism.</blockquote>
هل رأيت حيوانات تدير مزرعة ؟ الترميز للشعب بالحيوان كانت خطوة حادة فالمؤلف منذ البداية يرى هرطقة الفكرة ، يكتب اورويل تحت خطة مسبقة يرسم محطاتها و ينتقي ما يسلط الضوء عليه وكيف يتحرك ، تأتي بعض التعليقات بأن المؤلف منحاز وأعتقد صحة ذلك لكونه قد جعل الفصل بين الحكام و المحكوم أمراً طبيعي .. كالفاصل بين الإنسان و الحيوان على اعتبار أن المزرعة دولة، يؤكد هذا تصورات المزارعين المجاورين حين سمعوا خبر تمرد الحيوانات فقالوا جازمين ستصبح غابة .

ربط الشيوعية بالاتحاد السوفيتي
<blockquote>"We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night, we are watching over your welfare. It is for YOUR sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if We Pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades" cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, "surely there is no one among .you who wants to see Jones come back?"
Now, if there was one thing that the animals were completely certain of, it was that they did not want Jones back.</blockquote>
لا تحتاج لعظيم معرفة فقراءة مقال في ويكيبيديا يكفي لتدرك أن اورويل بدأ حديثه بأفكار المنظومة الشيوعية لينتهي بها بالنهاية السوفيتية مؤكداً حتمية المسار في طريق الشيوعية، وهذا الربط جاء كفرصة لذم حكومة ستالين و فضح زيفها وخيانتها لكنه لم يكن موضوعياً ، فقد كان بالإمكان وضع نهاية تساءل بموضوعية الفكر الشيوعي .. ماذا كان سيحدث لو التزمت الحيوانات بالوصايا السبع؟ لو استمرت الديمقراطية؟ ، ليس بعيداً القول بأن الرواية مزايدة سياسية لأنها قطعا ليست نقدا موضوعياً.

وضع الدواء مع الداء
<blockquote>The animals listened first to Napoleon, then to Snowball, and could not make up their minds which was right; indeed, they always found themselves in agreement with the one who was speaking at the moment.</blockquote>
يضع اورويل في الرواية بذور الشر منذ البداية إشارة لكون الفكرة من أساسها مسمومة ، فهناك في الوصايا الأصلية - قبل تحريف الخنازير لها- نرى عنصرية و رجعية و تطرف ، وصايا لم تكتب وموضوعها راحة الحيوان بل عداءاً للبشر ، كذلك قيمة الذاكرة في ردع الأكاذيب السياسية ودور الترفية و الاحتفالات التي تشتت انتباه الشعب

الشخصيات ترمز لأشخاص و معاني
<blockquote>"What is that gun firing for?" said Boxer.
"To celebrate our victory!" cried Squealer.
"What victory?" said Boxer. His knees were bleeding. He had lost a shoe and split his hoof, and a dozen pellets had lodged themselves in his hind leg.
"What victory, comrade? Have we not driven the enemy off our soil,the sacred soil of Animal Farm?"
"But they have destroyed the windmill. And we had worked on it for two years!"
"What matter? We will build another windmill. We will build six windmills
if we feel like it. You do not appreciate, comrade, the mighty thing that we
have done. The enemy was in occupation of this very ground that we stand upon. And now, thanks to the leadership of Comrade Napoleon, we have won every inch of it back again!" "Then we have won back what we had before," said Boxer.
"That is our victory," said Squealer.</blockquote>
تميز الشخصيات كان واضحاً ، فكما أن نابليون هو ستالين يمكنك أن ترى بأن الغراب يمثل الكنيسة التي تنفي السعادة الحيوانية في الحياة و يخبرهم بأن جبال السكر في السماء فقط ، وحده الحمار بنيامين جعلني اتفكر.. هل أراده التاريخ؟ ما معنى أن ينطق التاريخ مرتين فقط؟

كتابة اورويل ليست أدبية
<blockquote>"ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUALBUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS" </blockquote>
اورويل لا يملك قلم أدبي.. الرجل لا يتذوق المعاني و الحروف ولا يستمتع في الوصف الحسي ولا الشاعري ، اسلوبه مباشر و جاف يعتمد في تأثيره على الأحداث و الحوارات .

Content Warnings

ecaps's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective fast-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

4.75

The story is about how the animals of a farm rid themselves of their oppressors, the humans and create their own government, law and order to run their little farm, which is their home.
How everyone shares responsibilities to run it smoothly and where every member of this farm is happy and satisfied with their newly gained freedom.

Just like all governments our animal farm too sees power corrupting the leaders and how slowly they turn into the same oppressors that the animals once rid themselves off.

My way of perceiving a book is not ideal. I want to Understand what the character is feeling and why they are doing what they’re doing, even if it is one of the worst decision from the options they had.

The animals do what they deem right. “Power always goes to the head” is a well known phrase to which the antagonists of this book have done a lot of justice :)

I once asked a friend “If I was in a position of power would I do the same things?”, to which they said “Yes.”

It got me thinking, is it okay to completely rely on people in power? Do we not need to keep the leaders in check? If the public sees something obviously wrong and immoral, shouldn’t we raise our voice against it? How can we blindly trust the people in power? Blind faith has always been the downfall of nations.

The public has the rights and it is actually their duty to question the leaders on their decisions. After all, we, the public have put them in that position of power as our representatives and they are answerable to us.

Content Warnings

rory_john14's review against another edition

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medium-paced

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

2.5

Content Warnings

shaynicole's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

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