A review by jpaulthunders77
Animal Farm by George Orwell

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

I didn't have any prior knowledge on the Russian Revolution, so while reading this novella I also did some research on this particular era. I must say I didn't enjoy what I discovered, but I really did enjoy reading this novella. I thought that the allegory of this whole rebellion of farm animals against their neglectful human master was spot on. It could be ridiculous at times, but it was amazing how Orwell managed to patch this fable altogether to give us a surface level view of what had happened in the past. Somehow, the word comrades elicit some memories in the past when I read 1984 lol. The events on this novella same the share events with 1984. The gaslighting of the members, the slow disintegration of the citizens to pure, blinded servitude, and the blatant disrespect and alteration of the laws and regulations by the leaders for their own benefit.

Although this was masterfully written, I noticed that the message was super in your face, and didn't leave anything for interpretation. Unlike in 1984 which had a lot of disturbing passages to reflect on, Animal Farm was a mere political statement. I don't know if the statement is bad per se, but whenever I read these types of books, I always look for nuances. Not just pure black nor white.

PS: Fuck Napoleon, fuck Squealer, and Boxer and Benjamin have their special rooms in my heart.