Name: Vojtech's review of Animal Farm by George Orwell
Item: Animal Farm
Rating: 5
Author: Vojtech

George Orwell

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

A Fairy Story

Animal Farm

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

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. 

Selina 

Hunger, hardship, and disappointment being, so he said, the unalterable law of life.

When you don't look closely at what is right in front of you. This part always breaks my heart.

Elizabeth Park

"Fools! Fools!" shouted Benjamin, prancing round them and stamping the earth with his small hoofs. "Fools! Do you not see what is written on the side of that van?"

Die Revolution frisst ihre Küken! «Kein Tier soll seinesgleichen je tyrannisieren. Schwach oder stark, schlau oder schlicht, wir sind alle Brüder. Kein Tier soll je ein anderes töten. Alle Tiere sind gleich.» So Old Major, der preisgekrönte Middle-White-Eber. Doch allen guten Absichten zum Trotz kommt alles anders. Auf der Farm, wo die Tiere in Gleichheit und wechselseitigem Respekt zusammenleben wollten, herrscht bald Ungleichheit, Ausbeutung und Unterdrückung. Denn «manche Tiere sind gleicher als andere.» – Orwells zeitkritische, auf Stalin gemünzte Parabel hat ihre Zeitlosigkeit längst erwiesen. 2021 erscheint der moderne englische Klassiker in der Neuübersetzung Ulrich Blumenbachs mit einem exklusiven Nachwort von Eva Menasse. In «Farm der Tiere» nahm George Orwell, der Vater Courage der modernen britischen Literatur, eine der größten real existierenden Sauereien des 20. Jahrhunderts auf die Mistschippe – die Pervertierung der Idee von Gleichheit und Brüderlichkeit in brutalem Gesinnungsterror. Sein Buch, 1945 erschienen und bis heute Pflichtlektüre für jeden politisch denkenden Menschen, schildert anschaulich, dass kein noch so hehres Wunschbild davor gefeit ist, von skrupellosen Demagogen in sein Gegenteil verkehrt zu werden. Und die Moral von der Geschicht‘? – Die Revolution frisst ihre Küken. Die Neuausgabe enthält Orwells Essay «The Freedom of the Press», einst als Vorwort zu «Animal Farm» verfasst – ein grandioses Plädoyer für intellektuelle Redlichkeit.

Neu übersetzt von Ulrich Blumenbach, mit einem Nachwort von Eva Menasse

Farm der Tiere

Celine

* Vidkun Jonssøn Quisling (r887-1945), zwischen r931 und r933 nor- weg. Verteidigungsminister, anschließend Parteigründer und -führer der faschistischen Nasjonal Samling, die während der Nazi-Besatzung die einzige zugelassene Partei Norwegens war: Sein Name dient seither nicht nur im Engl. als Synonym für einen Landesverräter und Kollaborateur.

Rezensenten, die sich auf die Kunst der Verunglimpfung verstehen, werden es natürlich nicht aus politischen, sondern aus literarischen Gründen zerfetzen. Sie werden sagen, es sei ein dröges, albernes Buch und eine schändliche Papierverschwendung. Das mag sogar stimmen, ist aber offenkundig nur die halbe Wahrheit. Man sagt nicht, ein Buch „hätte nicht veröffentlicht werden dürfen“, bloß weil es schlecht ist 

Alle Tiere sind gleich, aber manche Tiere sind gleicher als andere. 

Die Tiere bildeten zwei Lager unter den Parolen Wählt Schneeball und die Dreitagewoche» und «Wählt Napoleon und den vollen Futtertrog». 

Das besondere Charakteristikum des Menschen ist die Hand. Sie ist das Instrument mit dem er all sein Unheil anrichtet

«Vier Beine gut, zwei Beine schlecht.» Das sei der Grundgedanke des Animalismus

Inês Lemos S.

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.

All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others.

It was as though the world has turned upside-down.

But they were conscious that they were not as other animals. If they went hungry, it was not from feeding tyrannical human beings; if they worked hard, at least they worked for themselves. No creature among them went upon two legs. No creature called any other creature “Master”. All animals were equal.

Such were her thoughts, though she lacked the words to express them.

Humanity and the greed of men makes me sick. Our lack of respect for other species on this planet and even for our own is disgusting. 

Stephanie 

BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS

It is all lies. Man serves the interests of no creature except himself.

Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever. “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.

sukan

Man beraubt sie der Früchte ihrer Arbeit, sperrt sie ein, beutet sie aus. Die Tiere auf dem Gutshof haben genug und proben den Aufstand – für eine bessere Welt, in der alle Tiere gleich und frei sind. Doch bald zeigt sich: Gleich heißt nicht gleich, und Freiheit ist ein kurzer Traum ... George Orwells berühmte Allegorie über den Aufstand der Tiere ist bis heute der vielleicht klarste literarische Weckruf vor dem korrumpierenden Effekt von Macht. Wie schnell sich unsere Visionen von einer besseren Welt in einen totalitären Albtraum verwandeln können, das ist die zeitlose Warnung dieser Fabel.

Angela Zeiler

A quinta dos animais

Rafaela Sousa

Vojtech

Nessa Luna

This was a very interesting and quick read and I really enjoyed it. (view spoiler)[I can't help but draw a comparison between this book and a nonfiction book I read a while back - the one about Jim Jones and Jonestown. Halfway through this book, I started to feel like this Animal Farm was slowly turning into a cult who worshipped this one pig called Napoleon and that is honestly why I enjoyed this book quite so much. Don't get me wrong, I think cults are awful and don't wish anyone to get involved in them, but reading about them has always kind of interested me somehow. (hide spoiler)]

Matija

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

I thought that this book was good when I read it 

Lexy 

Julia

This is a really great and thought I provoking book. I can see why it's a classic.

Cheri Fuller

I can't believe it took me this long to read this classic.

Modith D.

first thing is it me or did the pig remind you of stalin?
anyway this whole book seemed like a metaphor for communism and how human are sometimes no better than pigs
maybe i am taking this the wrong way and the author just hated pigs
who knows?
anyway a nice read deep if your into those kinda books
if i have any kids will use as a bed time story just to see there reactions

heleen de boever

At the surface, this is a simple and almost entertaining story. However, on its allegorical level and when situated in its political context - you realise this is no fiction. This is history, and that realisation left me both thoroughly distressed and incredibly sad. 

edit: I've been thinking, and maybe part of the reason why this book affected me so strongly is because I do, in fact, believe in the communistic ideal. This book however pinpoints and illustrates all the potential downfalls of such an ideal, and that's what made it so poignant to me.

Rebelion en la Granja

Daniel Carril

«Todos los animales somos iguales, pero unos son más iguales que otros». Pues eso.

Piyush Makwana

Depressing. 
Also It feels like a prequel to 1984 for some reason.

It may be a short book but wow, is it mighty. This book is excellently written and hooked me from the very beginning by getting straight to the point. A fantastic take on representing the modern human world and government filled with manipulation, cruelty, injustice and lies. This really is a book that stays with you. A true classic.

Miguel 

Excelente fábula de la Granja Manor. No solo es divertida, también te hace pensar en tantas figuras políticas. Corrupción, fuerza militar, engaños, populismo y transformación. De verdad que es muy buena.

the book explains a lot about certain political systems.

Duška

We looove a thinly veiled metaphor in this household

Yvette

Penguin Classics Animal Farm (Penguin Modern Classics)

Charlotte Dann

sarah

Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. The book tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to create a society where the animals can be equal, free, and happy.

50th Anniversary Edition

Eduardo Sanchez

Not different from my (and may I say... many) country's political situation... 

Fun, easy-going read with lots of symbolism behind.

Beatriz Aguiar

Loved it. The commentary is exquisite I would say. The way the animals were portrayed could easily be applied to humans. MAde you think about how humankind is corrupt and how dictatorships start with reasonable requests that start escalating slowly until people don't realised they're in a bad situation. Like a frog in boiling water.

aynur

Nick Gracilla

"Then the sheep broke out into a tremendous bleating of ‘Four legs good, two legs bad!’ which went on for nearly a quarter of an hour and put an end to any chance of discussion."

Animal Farm still reads fresh today. Some chapters read so clearly and succinctly in their efficient slaughter, the writing itself seemed a tool of the technocratic anti-critical fascism that resulted. A must read as we grapple with political rhetoric and persuasion, and consider what we are asked to give up in return.

Jessica

Orwell, as always I'm disappointed by you.

I enjoyed reading this. The dysthopic theme is surreal and i think this book still applies in the present…

Martina Popelkova

Jade Iveson

4.5
First time reading this and I honestly dont know why I waited so long. I already want to reread it because theres just so much to think about and draw comparisons to! Bloody wish I read this in literature now, would have been so good to write an essay on 🤔

Stef

It's a classic for a reason. The way George Orwell crafts his words is just 

(We can't get out of italics here so we're just going to do it for the rest)

This is a book on communism written in a way that could appeal to most generations. To summarize, a group of animals overthrows their farm and their owner, renaming the 'Manor Farm' to 'Animal Farm'. They are entirely self-sufficient and the world around them becomes scared of their power. Then the pigs integrate the belief that pigs are superior in intelligence and therefore should be regarded as leaders, specifically Napolean. The pigs break every one of the Seven Commandments put in place as guides for peace on Animal Farm, twisting and eventually just burning the rope of morality. Any equality they once had is gone, and it ends with the pigs unable to be differentiated from man. 

George Orwell is discussing - (OH WAIT I GOT NORMAL TEXT BACK AYY) the concept of the drive to lead, and how it would corrupt a system like Animal Farm.

Arctic Wolf

It's a classic for a reason. The way George Orwell crafts his words is just chef's kiss. 

(We can't get out of italics here so we're just going to do it for the rest)

This is a book on communism written in a way that could appeal to most generations. To summarize, a group of animals overthrows their farm and their owner, renaming the 'Manor Farm' to 'Animal Farm'. They are entirely self-sufficient and the world around them becomes scared of their power. Then the pigs integrate the belief that pigs are superior in intelligence and therefore should be regarded as leaders, specifically Napolean. The pigs break every one of the Seven Commandments put in place as guides for peace on Animal Farm, twisting and eventually just burning the rope of morality. Any equality they once had is gone, and it ends with the pigs unable to be differentiated from man. 

George Orwell is discussing - (OH WAIT I GOT NORMAL TEXT BACK AYY) the concept of the drive to lead, and how it would corrupt a system like Animal Farm.

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Animal Farm by George Orwell

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