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Book Review: Animal Farm (1946)

[ 10 / 10 ] As far as books are concerned, "Animal Farm" is about as perfect as they come. Whether you're looking for an insightful look into political history, an exemplary work of satire, or just a good old-fashioned entertaining story, it's going to deliver on every level. George Orwell had a knack for manifesting his anger and fears in the form of great novels - with this one, he chooses the most unlikely of places to create one of the best and most appropriate allegories ever written - a small farm in England...

Let's begin on the surface, by examining the story itself. The Manor Farm is a small establishment owned and run by a man named Mr. Jones. Besides his penchant for alcohol, we don't learn much about Jones because he is very quickly out of the picture - he is the unwitting victim of a rebellion, a coup by his own animals. After years of accepting their plight as working slaves, the animals are roused to action after a passionate speech by one of the oldest among them. Whipped into wild-eyed excitement, the animals chase Jones off the farm with the noble hopes of establishing an animal society where all animals will be free and equal.

Indeed, this is exactly what they develop, after fending off a poor attempt by Jones and his neighbors to reclaim the farm. The slaves of Manor Farm have been freed - Animal Farm has been born! Under the guidance of the highly-intelligent pigs, the animals are able to form commandments, hold meetings, sing songs, and generally enjoy their lives as they no longer work for man. However, the peaceful stability of Animal Farm is not to last - the irresistible forces of power and greed corrupt some of the animals, and through a gradual process of deceit and corruption, the farm degrades into a new entity perhaps worse than ever before.

This alone has the makings of a good novel, and indeed, the story is thrilling from start to finish. It doesn't hurt that the novel can keep the interest of even the most distracted of readers, given its meagre size of about 140 pages. If you're able to suspend reality for awhile and accept the fable for what it is, you will likely find that it is a very good read. From the thrill of freedom, to the bliss of utopian society, to the corrupting influence of power - the fable itself explores some fascinating concepts. Bug dig deeper, and you'll find what elevates this novel to the pantheon of literary masterpieces.

At its core, "Animal Farm" is a scathing critique of Stalinist Russia and its communist policies. The allegory is about as thorough and accurate as you could imagine - all the significant pieces are represented on the farm. The two feuding pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, are Stalin and Trotsky, while the rest of the pigs exhibit characteristics of the Communist Party. The dogs are the KGB. The boar who stirs the rebellion is Marx. The hard-working but dim-witted horse represents the lower working class (proletariat), while another horse (Mollie) represents those resistive to the Revolution. The old goat embodies the wise but disillusioned cynics who were unaffected by the Revolution because they knew that, in the end, not much would really change. Jones himself represents the pre-revolutionary government (the last of the Czars), while the neighbors are foreign powers. I could go on and on - but I think you get the idea.

If you know the history of the Russian Revolution and Stalinism, then there won't be much surprise in the book - not that it takes away from the story, just that it is so honest in its depiction of history that even in its allegorical form it is predictible. But the power of the book is undeniable. While we see the inevitable end coming, we can't help but feel sorry for the loyal yet stupid masses who are duped every step of the way, convinced everything is OK, convinced that things keep getting better. It is a book of tragedy, brought to a pinnacle when one of the more admired members of the farm is horribly deceived. Orwell is merciless to Stalin and his party - he couldn't have been more successful in his criticism if he directly wrote a condemnation of Stalin himself. Somehow, by breaking the story down into essentially simple parts, it makes it more real, more believable, and more shocking to behold.

Orwell is a terrific writer and has a gift for illustrating the oppression of peoples in his books. There were definite resemblances in style between "1984" and "Animal Farm", and they certainly share common themes, such as rewriting history for the benefit of the ruling party. Like "1984", this is a magnificent work and shouldn't be missed. If you're in the mood for an intriguing and well-developed story, you will be pleased. If you pursue the deeper meanings and allegorical references of the novel, you will be amazed.