COMMENTS:
It's not one of the best, but it is a very good portrayal of a dishonest, unequal, and totalitarian social dynamic. It really pisses me off , though when americans refer to the book as an indictment of Communism alone. Orwell was a socialist, and despised both soviet-style communism AND free-market capitalism.
If you don't believe me, read The Road to Wigan Pier, Orwell 1936
There is a Russian saying I heard from a friend, "there are two classes in Russia: the poor and the criminals."
Behind every great fortune, there is a crime -- Honore de Balzac.
Hee hee, "Ball sack".
It ranks high among classic lit but never has been a favorite of mine. Have you ever read "Brave New world"?
by _AM_ on Thu Feb 05, 04 2:15am
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Excellent, as well.
AS our pal Flagrentviolator has said, not by any means one of the greatest books written, but the message is very true. But in the road to Wigan pier, another piece of political rhetoric, and to some extent in 1984, he showed stong feelings against "free market fundamentalism' which is so prevalent in the UK and the USA. violator, you seem a well read chap, congrats. educated people are so hard to come by on this site.
i don't like animal sex, but what ever lights your fire.
It's fantastic, but 1984 was surely his masterpiece
Classic book. Same goes for 1984. I aggree with flagrantviolators views on the way some people like to try and imply that it is purely about capitalism. i think thats naieve and small minded. It shows human nature
Brave New World is awesome. I think it is more relevant to the US than Orwell's books. Look at the widespread use of drugs, rampant materialism, and the secular attack on religion.
Great book, but not one of the greatest ever. Well, maybe if you're ranking the 1000 greatest books ever written, I'd put it on the list somewhere, but not the top 100 and certainly not the top 10 (although I would put "1984" there, and maybe in the top half of the top 10.) Orwell himself wrote at least 2 books greater than Animal Farm, 1984 and The Road to Wigan Pier...plus his 4-volume collections of letters and essays might be his greatest overall contribution to English letters even though it's not one single work, so I hardly think you can call it one of the all-time greatest when it wasn't even a particularly good book for that author. Not that it isn't worthwhile, because it is. But it's not an absolute classic.
Read it for the first time the other week. It's not as good as 1984. That really changed the way I look at the world, but Animal Farm is still a good read and very thought provoking.
Voted : Yes
Yes and I also highly recommend "Down and out in Paris and London" which is another classic though you may never want to eat out again after reading it.
I don't think Animal Farm is a work of genius because it didn't take much genius to write as it was based on historical observation. 1984 however was even though I enjoy the former more, I first read it when I was 6, although I didn't get the allegory until about 10 or 11 and not full, every incident in Animal farm to a historical incident until about 16.
Orwell's political novels are without doubt his best. (I include obviously Down and Out in Paris and London and of course Wigan's Pier)
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