It must be at least 20 years since I last read these two dystopian classics. Although, I'm certain my opinion of them wouldn't have diminished one iota if I were to read them today. In fact, I'm sure they would, even now, contain much relevance to the current political scene.
The ending of Animal Farm is particularly prescient: the abandoned and betrayed animals looking in through the windows of the farmhouse and being unable to tell the pigs from the humans. This from a novel written 10 years before the discovery of DNA, which revealed that, of all the farmyard animals, the most closely related to humans were.....the porkers.

I think that nobody has ever said [talking about this book]: haha, relatable.
I think I am the first one saying that.
(someone who grew up in a socialist country lol)

You Must Read Animal Farm. That's the brief version of my review.

Eric Arthur Blair, or George Orwell as the world knows him, is a genius at describing fear, terror, doubt, uncertainty, mischief, evil, and hopelessness. The writing is beyond exquisite, even if the topic is morose. Such a loss to the world that Mr. Orwell died when he was just 46 years old. The unwritten works that he never wrote, the works that would have enriched our world and weren't meant to be. In Animal Farm, much like 1984, Orwell goes where you just don't want him to go - painting a dark grim bleak picture that grows worse by the page, of precisely what happens when the evil minds take over the masses, and scheme lie after lie until the truth is so distorted one can't even trust one's own memory. A fantastic allegory to the horrific Russian revolution and the communist party, one that makes you want to open up real history book to remind yourself that yes, this actually happened not to imagery sheep and hens and horses and farm animals in a little work of fiction, this happened to millions of people and this is still happening.

Well, I am so SO so glad I read this book even though it was uncomfortable, disturbing and scary - not half as scary as 1984 but scary enough to never forget. But I'm also glad it's over. It was heavy reading and an interesting feeling between loving the writer, loving the writing but resenting the story because it brings to light the ugliest of all ugliness in the world and puts it on the spotlight.

My favorite lines - favorite is a funny sort of word to use for lines that make your blood run cold but here goes:
"All animals are equal but some are more equal than others.",
"No animal shall drink ... to excess.",
"Four legs good, two legs better."
“Comrades!' he cried. 'You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege?"
"Surely comrades, you don't want Jones back now do you?"
"The animals wished there were less figures and more food in their bellies."
And on and on and on. This book is a gem, Orwell was a gift, and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to read Animal Farm.

In my opinion, some “classics” get their name but don’t live up to them. Animal Farm doesn’t fit that category. Animal Farm is short and so clearly communicates the point it’s trying to get across and it does a great job. The slow decline from one “master” into another, the ability to be free, but just as bad or worse off than when they were under Mr. Jones. Orwell does a great job showing how quickly a society can collapse under a bad ruler.

Similarly, 1984 is a book that I think had some slow parts, but was overall, exciting. Winston lives in a world where he is always seen and monitored. He wrestles with life and what it might look like to betray this government but often feels hopeless. This book has some very dark turns but does a great job showing what a totalitarian regime could be like if it really succeeded in its plans. By the end, I didn’t want to stop reading.

Foi uma releitura do clube do livro que, na verdade, senti como se fosse a primeira vez lendo.

A experiência foi totalmente diferente, as associações e sentimentos também, mas igualmente impactantes como na primeira leitura.

George Orwell permanece atemporal.

I liked the Animal Farm more than 1984- As for the 1984 nothing strange for me. I'm from Syria and I know that what he said is what we lived in the 80s and 90s but the prisons are much much worse.
The Animal Farm 4 stars
1984- 3

Very clever book.

In this book, the hidden veil of Democracy vs Socialism is entirely explained through this wonderful analogy.


Someone recently stated that if one really lived by the principles of most of the New Testament, one's world view would be Socialism/Communism as explained by Marx. However, no one has ever truly tried to live in a world that is without a caste system.

За "1984"
Отдавна не съм давала 5 звезди на чисто художествена литература, но книгата е прекрасна.
Започнах я с доза скептицизъм, тъй като очаквах да не ми хареса, точно защото е хвалена отвсякъде, а аз съм се научила да имам едно наум за такива книги.
Каква беше моята изненада, когато установих, че книгата е умна,с кратки изречения,носещи максимален ефект и гениален подбор на думи. Думите, те правят красота��а на тази книга. Авторът ги използва като инструменти, като една дума на едно място може да бъде чук, а на друго - фина отверка, която леко затяга вече достатъчно стегнатия железен обръч около главата ти.
Най-странното е, че накрая вече не ми беше толкова страшно, замислих се защо? Може би защото авторът не ни остави нищо, унищожи всякаква надежда. Ако беше запазил някаква малка човешка победа,нещо мининиатюрно, като малко чисто квадратче върху изцапаната покривка, крайният резултат на въздействие, поне за мен, щеше да бъде още по-чудовищен.
Ако искате да научите колко прави 2+2, какво е Бог и какво има в стая 101, непременно почетете книгата.

I love 1984, I love Animal Farm, and I love George Orwell. There is so much wisdom and depth to these two stories and there is so much that has been written or said about them, it would be a struggle to review them without subconsciously regurgitating all the good things I've heard. I just feel like both of these stories, and especially 1984 should be read by everyone. I believe it helps you appreciate what you got and to question everything you hear. I believe they are some of the most thought provoking stories ever written and they're also fun to read, which sometimes isn't the case for a lot of the literary books people tell you that you should read.

I recall once when my friend Winston (I actually have a friend named Winston, I'm not referring to the protagonist of 1984,) had to read 1984 and was kind of down about it because he heard it was just political satire or something and he presumed it would be dull. I told him that I really enjoyed it and I assumed he would too. And when he was finished with it, he came up to me and told me how when he finished-- he had tears streaming down his eyes from how much it had touched him and that he loved it.

And, even after having finished it for a 2nd time, I had tears welling up and my heart strings were being tugged and my love for these stories has only grown. These are the types of stories that turn people into readers. The endings for both of them are probably my two favorite endings of all time and I feel that would be a crime not to mention.

10/10

Ferma animalelor" este o nuvelă alegorică scrisă de George Orwell. Aceasta reprezintă o satiră la adresa comunismului din URSS.

Cartea “1984” de George Orwell este un roman distopic care prezintă o societate totalitară în care supravegherea și controlul absolut sunt normele cotidiene.
Libertatea de expresie, pur și simplu, nu mai există. Toate gândurile sunt minuțios supravegheate și " Fratele Mare" e cu ochii pe tine.
Libertatea înseamnă să poți spune că doi și cu doi fac patru”, scrie Winston la un moment dat in jurnalul său. Scopul Partidului este însă să te facă nu doar să spui că doi si cu doi fac cinci, dar mai important decat atât s-o crezi din tot sufletul. Mecanismele de tortura sunt atât de bine perfecționate, încât ele au ca rezultat nu doar schimbarea mentalității și a gândirii ci chiar a sufletului.

Вчасно я взялась за цю книжку :) Не полишало відчуття аж якоїсь надмірної актуальності. З іншого боку, віяло вайбом Союзу, і це було дуже неприємно. Так, мабуть слово "неприємно" найкраще описує досвід від читання "1984". Місцями вона ще й досить нудна, місцями - волосся стає дибки, тому я не увійду в армію любителів цієї книги. Хоч прочитати її, звісно, варто.
А от "Колгосп тварин" я вже читала раніше. І як тоді, так і зараз вона мені дуже сподобалась. Ідея перегукується з "1984", але написана в значно легшій формі і залишає по собі хоч сяку-таку надію.

Reading for the future, Animal Farm, 1984, Woke, You Will Own Nothing, and the future is ......crap!