George Orwell

'It is the history of a revolution that went wrong-and of the excellent excuses that were forthcoming at every step for the perversion of the original doctrine,' wrote George Orwell for the first edition of ANIMAL FARM in 1945. His simple and tragicfable, telling of what happens when the animals drive out Mr Jones and attempt to run the farm themselves, has since become a world-famous classic of English prose. 'Surely the most important fictional satire to be written in twentieth-century Britain' Malcolm Bradbury

Animal Farm

A satire on totalitarianism in which farm animals overthrow their human owner and set up their own government

A Fairy Story

Sadie Hoffman

the creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

"Esta sátira de la Revolución Rusa y el triunfo del estalinismo, escrita en 1945, se ha convertido por derecho propio en un hito de la cultura contemporánea y en uno de los libros más mordaces de todos los tiempos. Ante el auge de los animales de la Granja Solariega, pronto detectamos las semillas del totalitarismo en una organización aparentemente ideal; y en nuestros líderes más carismáticos, la sombra de los opresores más crueles."--Amazon.

Rebelión en la granja

Júlia San

n.  littéraire

"The only good human being is a dead one." 

tanaz

And the behaviour of the cat was somewhat peculiar. It was soon noticed that when there was work to be done the cat could never be found. She would vanish for hours on end, and then reappear at meal- times, or in the evening after work was over, as though nothing had happened. But she always made such excellent excuses, and purred so affectionately, that it was impossible not to believe in her good intentions.

I disagree she’s got her priorities straight 😔✊🏻

The stupidest questions of al were asked by Mollie, the white mare. 

The very first question she asked Snowball was: "Will there still be sugar after the Rebellion? 

"No said Snowball firmly. "We have no means of making sugar on this farm. Besides, you do not need sugar. You will have all the oats and hay you want." 

"And shall I stil be allowed to wear ribbons in my mane?" asked Mollie. 

"Comrade," said Snowball, "those ribbons that you are so devoted to are the badge of slavery.Can you not understand that liberty is worth more than ribbons? 

Mollie agreed, but she did not sound very convinced.

And remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him. Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices. No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade. All the habits of Man are evil. And, above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers. No animal must ever kill any other animal. All animals are equal.

Benjamin was the oldest animal on the farm, and the worst tempered. He seldom talked, and when he did, it was usually to make some cynical remark for instance, he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies. Alone among the animals on the farm he never laughed. If asked why, he would say that he saw nothing to laugh at.

Sashi

The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again: but already it was impossible to say which was which.

After much choking, during which his various chins turned purple, he managed to get it out: If you have your lower animals to contend with, he said, ‘we have our lower classes!'

This shows how ruling class would willingly bend the rules to achieve their own interests.

They had thought that the Fifth Commandment was 'No animal shall drink alcohol’, but there were two words that they had forgotten. Actually the Commandment read: 'No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.'

Instead – she did not know why – they had come toa time when no one dared speak his mind, when fierce, growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes.

This is very interesting, seeing how the more ‘clever’ animals naturally took the more important roles and how the others, more ‘unintelligent’ ones just follow along because they don’t know any better.

It was always the pigs who put forward the resolutions. The other animals understood how to vote, but could never think of any resolutions of their own.

Interesting analogy. This is how oppressors usually look at the oppressed.

They had never seen animals behave like this before, and this sudden uprising of creatures whom they were used to thrashing and maltreating just as they chose, frightened them almost out of their wits.

Why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because nearly the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human beings.

Luca Stromann

No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?

Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples.

Gabi🌸🌷

Sve su životinje jednake, ali neke su životinje jednakije od drugih.

Dvanaest glasova bijesno je vikalo , i svi su bili jednaki. Sada je bilo jasno što se promijenilo u izgledu svinja. Pogled životinja koje su vani stajale klizio je od svinje do čovjeka, od čovjeka do svinje, ali već je bilo nemoguće raspoznati tko je svinja, a tko čovjek.

Lukas

Man is the only creature that consumes without producing

Several of them would have protested if they could have found the right arguments.

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master Mr Jones and take over the farm themselves, they imagine it is the beginning of a life of freedom and equality. But gradually a cunning, ruthless elite among them, masterminded by the pigs Napoleon and Snowball, starts to take control.

Kathi

All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others

raia – inactive

The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth.

There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word-Man. Man is the only real enemy we have. 

Joshua

Alur cerita yang cukup satir dan sangat rekomen untuk kalian yang pengen baca kehidupan politik Indonesia tetapi tetap fun dan bikin lebih asik baca satir politik Indonesia. 

A. Yura

A timeless satire. Charlotte would blush in her web.

Blake Dickson

New Classic Collection

A perfect example for how radical ideological thought will serve only itself without holding firm to strong moral grounds… the only footing is serving one’s own deepest desire for power.

Julian Paul

a bit unnerving how many comparisons i can make to today’s political climate. i couldn’t put this book down. it was addicting and an important classic that should be read by everyone. Especially now! 🐽👑

i wrote down "this mr pig is my type if he was a person". yes, i have a problem.

Tina Villarete

favorite read from september. it’s so easy to read yet the message carries so much weight.

My top read of 2025. It’s a brilliant satirical novel that mirrors reality through fiction. The language is so accessible that I had no problem interpreting it in my own way. And if I say I find myself deeply connected to its situations… does that spell doom?

gitsa

lauren

very very good

is it bad that i liked it this much?

review subject to change

Samfundssatire fortalt som dyrefabel med historisk baggrund i det interne politiske opgør blandt Sovjetunionens ledere efter revolutionen

Great read, not sure I would’ve fully understood what it was a satire of back in middle school if I had read it when it was assigned, but with my knowledge of communism and totalitarianism now I can confidently say I fully grasp and understand everything.

Dylan Starr

A simple story on the surface, but devastating underneath.

Power, control, and betrayal - all told through talking animals.

Tanishq Khandelwal

A simple story on the surface, but devastating underneath.
Power, control, and betrayal - all told through talking animals.

Found the metaphors ran a bit tiresome after a while but can't deny it's quite profound and well done

Sam Uhe

It was such a great read! It might’ve been the first short book I’ve read that feels so full. It perfectly displays how power in a society—the people or person who holds it—will almost always use it to benefit themselves, and, if they’re nice enough, their close circle too.

I like how the book shows the two different types of pigs (Napoleon and Snowball) and how they both desired different things. With Napoleon, we see that it’s power for both him and his kind. For Snowball, the initial goal of the rebellion which was equality and prosperity for all the animals. But if you pay close attention, you can see that even if it had been Snowball instead of Napoleon leading, the outcome would likely have been the same. The animals would still have been exploited, and the pigs would still have ended up at the top of the social hierarchy.

Why? Because when Snowball was still around, he allowed things like the milk and apples to be reserved for the pigs. He also let Squealer handle announcements and never seemed to care what the other animals thought of his ideas. This shows that, just like Napoleon, Snowball believed he was the only one who knew what was right for the farm.

Power is easily mishandled—even by someone who believes they have the right intentions.

It was such a great read! It might’ve been the first short book I’ve read that feels so full. It perfectly displays how power in a society—the people or person who holds it—will almost always use it to benefit themselves, and, if they’re nice enough, their close circle too.

I like how the book shows the two different types of pigs (Napoleon and Snowball) and how they both desired different things. With Napoleon, we see that it’s power for both him and his kind. For Snowball, the initial goal of the rebellion which was equality and prosperity for all the animals. But if you pay close attention, you can see that even if it had been Snowball instead of Napoleon leading, the outcome would likely have been the same. The animals would still have been exploited, and the pigs would still have ended up at the top of the social hierarchy.

Why? Because when Snowball was still around, he allowed things like the milk and apples to be reserved for the pigs. He also let Squealer handle announcements and never seemed to care what the other animals thought of his ideas. This shows that, just like Napoleon, Snowball believed he was the only one who knew what was right for the farm.

Power is easily mishandled—even by someone who believes they have the right intentions.

"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."

mia sofie

"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."



This is a book I’d been meaning to read for quite some time, but had never quite got around to – last week I finally not only read it, but also delved into some of the background behind it.

George Orwell wrote Animal Farm between November 1943 and February 1944, but it wasn’t published straightaway, as the Soviet Union was still an ally during the Second World War. As a socialist writer, Orwell’s decision to deliver such a scathing critique of the Soviet Union may come as a surprise to modern readers, who might have expected him to focus his criticism more on fascism or the far right. However, Orwell felt that the Soviet Union had by then become a brutal dictatorship and had betrayed its own founding ideals.

The book was eventually published in Britain in 1945, just after the war ended, and it quickly became a commercial success – partly because the Cold War followed so soon after. It was immediately banned in the Soviet Union and other communist countries such as Cuba, North Korea, the United Arab Emirates – and even in China, where it remained banned until nearly the 21st century.

In the story, Orwell chronicles the rise of Joseph Stalin, depicted through the pig “Napoleon.” The narrative reflects how Stalin emerged as a natural leader and gradually assumed dictatorial power. Early on, the animals on the farm overthrow their oppressor, the farmer “Mr Jones” – a direct analogy to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, when Tsar Nicholas II (who had already abdicated in February) was executed along with his family in July 1918. Orwell based the character of Mr Jones, the drunken and neglectful farmer, on the real-life figure of Tsar Nicholas II.

However, the democratic ideals and hope for freedom gradually disintegrate. The pigs – much like the Soviet intelligentsia – quickly consolidate power, presenting themselves as the intellectual elite and beginning to exploit the system for their own gain.

Boxer – in my view – is the most heartbreaking character in the novel. He represents the peasantry and is the hardest working animal on the farm. He has unwavering faith in Napoleon’s leadership and works himself to the bone – quite literally. His reward is deeply tragic, though I won’t spoil the details here. Most of the characters in the book represent real individuals, groups, or ideologies.

The conclusion of the story is, in some ways, predictable: the oppressed become the oppressors – but it is delivered with subtlety and cruel irony. The political manipulations portrayed in the novel remain entirely relevant today. You don’t have to look far from home to see echoes of such a regime.

Orwell’s brilliance also lies in how these traits of deceit, cynicism, and manipulation are not confined to the political sphere. Who hasn’t witnessed someone skilfully distracting attention from a major problem by focusing on a minor one?

It could be in politics, at a committee meeting – or even, dare I say it, around the family dinner table. Orwell’s observations speak to the universal truths of human nature and behaviour – timeless, and present in every institution, organisation, family, or collective.

One critic even suggested that Orwell wrote himself into the story as Benjamin, the wise old donkey who continually remarks, with bleak pessimism:

“Life will go on as it has always gone on – that is, badly.”

Nastenka

This is a book I’d been meaning to read for quite some time, but had never quite got around to – last week I finally not only read it, but also delved into some of the background behind it.

George Orwell wrote Animal Farm between November 1943 and February 1944, but it wasn’t published straightaway, as the Soviet Union was still an ally during the Second World War. As a socialist writer, Orwell’s decision to deliver such a scathing critique of the Soviet Union may come as a surprise to modern readers, who might have expected him to focus his criticism more on fascism or the far right. However, Orwell felt that the Soviet Union had by then become a brutal dictatorship and had betrayed its own founding ideals.

The book was eventually published in Britain in 1945, just after the war ended, and it quickly became a commercial success – partly because the Cold War followed so soon after. It was immediately banned in the Soviet Union and other communist countries such as Cuba, North Korea, the United Arab Emirates – and even in China, where it remained banned until nearly the 21st century.

In the story, Orwell chronicles the rise of Joseph Stalin, depicted through the pig “Napoleon.” The narrative reflects how Stalin emerged as a natural leader and gradually assumed dictatorial power. Early on, the animals on the farm overthrow their oppressor, the farmer “Mr Jones” – a direct analogy to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, when Tsar Nicholas II (who had already abdicated in February) was executed along with his family in July 1918. Orwell based the character of Mr Jones, the drunken and neglectful farmer, on the real-life figure of Tsar Nicholas II.

However, the democratic ideals and hope for freedom gradually disintegrate. The pigs – much like the Soviet intelligentsia – quickly consolidate power, presenting themselves as the intellectual elite and beginning to exploit the system for their own gain.

Boxer – in my view – is the most heartbreaking character in the novel. He represents the peasantry and is the hardest working animal on the farm. He has unwavering faith in Napoleon’s leadership and works himself to the bone – quite literally. His reward is deeply tragic, though I won’t spoil the details here. Most of the characters in the book represent real individuals, groups, or ideologies.

The conclusion of the story is, in some ways, predictable: the oppressed become the oppressors – but it is delivered with subtlety and cruel irony. The political manipulations portrayed in the novel remain entirely relevant today. You don’t have to look far from home to see echoes of such a regime.

Orwell’s brilliance also lies in how these traits of deceit, cynicism, and manipulation are not confined to the political sphere. Who hasn’t witnessed someone skilfully distracting attention from a major problem by focusing on a minor one?

It could be in politics, at a committee meeting – or even, dare I say it, around the family dinner table. Orwell’s observations speak to the universal truths of human nature and behaviour – timeless, and present in every institution, organisation, family, or collective.

One critic even suggested that Orwell wrote himself into the story as Benjamin, the wise old donkey who continually remarks, with bleak pessimism:

“Life will go on as it has always gone on – that is, badly.”

Animal Farm is an allegorical and dystopian novel by George Orwell. Old Major, the old boar on the Manor Farm, summons the animals on the farm together for a meeting, during which he refers to humans as parasites and teaches the animals a revolutionary song called Beasts of England. When Major dies, two young pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, assume command and consider it a duty to prepare for the Rebellion. The animals revolt and drive the drunken and irresponsible farmer Mr. Jones from the farm, renaming it "Animal Farm". They adopt Seven Commandments of Animalism, the most important of which is, "All animals are equal." Years pass, and the pigs start to resemble humans, as they walk upright, carry whips, and wear clothes. The Seven Commandments are abridged to a single phrase: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others".

wow this was a nice quicker read - in a way it's all the ideas and themes that Orwell explored in 1984 - but in their earlier stages. the use of animals is very interesting, and even though I knew that was not the point i still desperately wished only the best for the poor animals taken advantage of... Boxer deserved so much better, but this is really is teh perfect metaphor for the people that work the hardest under the systems that will never really reward them for it

Entailed a society that faced a fascist, ultranationalist ideology, and revisionism after a rebellion to overthrow their human owner. “Animals are all equal “ to “ Animals are all equal, but some are more equal than others.”  i suddenly want to eat bacon.  

This novel carried a lot of social dilemma that  mirrors the reality we live in. 👏 George Orwell is a genius for using a farm to articulate a message of how a government can control the society. 

march🐇

Entailed a society that faced a fascist, ultranationalist ideology, and revisionism after a rebellion to overthrow their human owner. “Animals are all equal “ to “ Animals are all equal, but some are more equal than others.”  i suddenly want to eat bacon.  

This novel carried a lot of social dilemma that  mirrors the reality we live in. 👏 George Orwell is a genius for using a farm to articulate a message of how a government can control the society. 

Folwark Zwierzecy

I initially consider this the mini version of 1984. But I was wrong, this is a completely different book that tackles something that 1984 was lacking—a comprehensive journey on how power rise to the top.

catto fishu

“Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer—except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs”

Animal Farm (Signet Classics)

Jaw dropped. This book is amazing. Best first classic literature that I have ever read and I love George Orwell’s writing. It was annoying to see Napoleon continuously manipulate the other animals. It is easy to apply the now “Manor Farm” to the real world and how we process and are ran. 1110000000/10 

All my feelings while I read:😊🤯🥳😱🤬😵‍💫😲🥴🫨🔪🐖

Karina Ramos-Sotelo

Jaw dropped. This book is amazing. Best first classic literature that I have ever read and I love George Orwell’s writing. It was annoying to see Napoleon continuously manipulate the other animals. It is easy to apply the now “Manor Farm” to the real world and how we process and are ran. 1110000000/10 

All my feelings while I read:😊🤯🥳😱🤬😵‍💫😲🥴🫨🔪🐖

Sorprendentemente, nunca había escuchado sobre este libro hasta que me lo mencionaron mientras tomábamos once. No sabía que es un clásico, solo reconocí el nombre del autor. Más allá de eso no tenía expectativa alguna sobre lo que estaba a punto de leer. 

No quiero darle la lata a nadie, así que solo queda escribir aquí sobre las cosas que pensé leyendo La Granja de los Animales. No tengo mucho que decir, pero sí necesito sacarlo de mi cabeza pronto.

Pensé muy clara la razón por la que en tantos colegios- aunque no en el mío- se incluye este libro dentro de las lecturas obligatorias. Es una ilustración muy amable y divertida de lo que fue la historia de la Unión Soviética. Incluso sin tener los conocimientos históricos en los que se basa esta alegoría, sigue siendo una clara representación de la realidad, que hasta un niño que no tiene interés en la política podría entender. 

Me parece un relato muy simple, liviano y plano, en el mejor de los sentidos. Yo me sentí como el niño que no tiene interés en la política, pero que disfruta el relato de todas formas. 

Al principio me pareció aburrido el trato tan simplístico, pero cuando acepté la livianidad del relato pude disfrutarlo mucho más. ¡No todo tiene que ser tan serio! Es probable que yo misma sea ese ciudadano tan simple, sin memoria ni cuestionamientos propios, y por eso me haya molestado esa representación. No lo sé.

Me gustó mucho leerlo sin saber de qué se trataba ni en qué estaba basado (no me di cuenta de inmediato), aunque lamentablemente la portada de la edición que leí era suficiente para que decifrara prontamente lo que iba a pasar (era un retrato de un cerdo vestido con elegantes ropas y fumando puro). 

Cabe mencionar la razón por la que lo leí. Durante una discusión sobre política dije algo más o menos así:

"¡Pretenden ser enemigos! al frente del pueblo y frente a las cámaras se odian, pero a la hora de la cena se invitan a sus hogares millonarios a compartir, ¡como buenos amigos que en realidad son!"

Ahí fue cuando me preguntaron si estaba haciendo referencia a La Granja Animal. No tenía idea de qué era, pero creo que el hecho de que haya sido así de textual evidencia que es parte de la realidad política hasta la actualidad. O por lo menos, eso creo yo. 

fabi ✩࿐  

Sorprendentemente, nunca había escuchado sobre este libro hasta que me lo mencionaron mientras tomábamos once. No sabía que es un clásico, solo reconocí el nombre del autor. Más allá de eso no tenía expectativa alguna sobre lo que estaba a punto de leer. 

No quiero darle la lata a nadie, así que solo queda escribir aquí sobre las cosas que pensé leyendo La Granja de los Animales. No tengo mucho que decir, pero sí necesito sacarlo de mi cabeza pronto.

Pensé muy clara la razón por la que en tantos colegios- aunque no en el mío- se incluye este libro dentro de las lecturas obligatorias. Es una ilustración muy amable y divertida de lo que fue la historia de la Unión Soviética. Incluso sin tener los conocimientos históricos en los que se basa esta alegoría, sigue siendo una clara representación de la realidad, que hasta un niño que no tiene interés en la política podría entender. 

Me parece un relato muy simple, liviano y plano, en el mejor de los sentidos. Yo me sentí como el niño que no tiene interés en la política, pero que disfruta el relato de todas formas. 

Al principio me pareció aburrido el trato tan simplístico, pero cuando acepté la livianidad del relato pude disfrutarlo mucho más. ¡No todo tiene que ser tan serio! Es probable que yo misma sea ese ciudadano tan simple, sin memoria ni cuestionamientos propios, y por eso me haya molestado esa representación. No lo sé.

Me gustó mucho leerlo sin saber de qué se trataba ni en qué estaba basado (no me di cuenta de inmediato), aunque lamentablemente la portada de la edición que leí era suficiente para que decifrara prontamente lo que iba a pasar (era un retrato de un cerdo vestido con elegantes ropas y fumando puro). 

Cabe mencionar la razón por la que lo leí. Durante una discusión sobre política dije algo más o menos así:

"¡Pretenden ser enemigos! al frente del pueblo y frente a las cámaras se odian, pero a la hora de la cena se invitan a sus hogares millonarios a compartir, ¡como buenos amigos que en realidad son!"

Ahí fue cuando me preguntaron si estaba haciendo referencia a La Granja Animal. No tenía idea de qué era, pero creo que el hecho de que haya sido así de textual evidencia que es parte de la realidad política hasta la actualidad. O por lo menos, eso creo yo. 

ok so boxer breaking his back for everyone just to get sent to the glue factory?? my sweet guy didn't deserve that. 💔😕 btw, shoutout to my colleague for giving me this book. he said it was "funny" but this actually hit me on deeper level. might need to pick up 1984 next, this was good.

This book was part of our English reading requirements when I was in high school. As much as I don't like to admit, I had fallen in love with the thrill of it all. Oh, how I hated the characters and wished for their good, amidst such exploitative conditions. A good allegory of society in the hands of those with power. 

Felt left out since EVERYONE read this for English at high school so snagged it for 89 cents on amazon chur kindle! 

Animal Farm

Reviews

Highlights