Jamie’s Book #5: Animal Farm by George Orwell

 Animal Farm tells the tale of the animals of Manor Farm, who revolt against their human owners and take over their land, renaming it Animal Farm. At first, the animals are much happier on their own, but slowly the corruption and greed of the pigs, who are smarter and more cunning than the rest, lead the animals into a life that is colder, hungrier, and more tired than the last. The story is meant to be an allegory of the events leading up to and during the Stalin era before WW2.

I received this book as a Christmas present from Gina, but I was not able to get past the first few pages until now. I’m glad I did because it’s a classic I’ve always felt I missed out on. You really get attached to the animals! Poor Boxer :(

The preface in my version of the book was also interesting. It was written by C.M Woodhouse. A few of his thoughts that most stood out to me are:

“Orwell called the book a fairy story. It is also a political tract, a satire on human folly, a loud heehaw at all who yearn for utopia, an allegorical lesson, and a pretty good fable in the Aesop tradition.”

“The passage in which the loyal but stupid workhorse Boxer is sold to be turned into glue because he is no longer useful is written out of controlled and icy hatred for the cynicism of the Soviet system – but also out of despair for all deluded people who served it gladly.”

“Those old enough to remember the wartime spirit of the 1940s may be startled to realize that Orwell started work on Animal Farm in 1943. As he discovered when he went looking for a publisher, Stalin’s Soviet Union was so popular that year in Britain and America that few wanted to hear anything critical of it.”