Yep. Still one of my favorite books. Still one of the few books that I think everyone should read at some point in their lives. Animal Farm captures the themes of oppression, rebellion and history repeating itself in 90 fucking pages. I have a lot of issues with Orwell (and also with his writing) but you can tell me what you want, his ability to keep it short but brilliant is something that I will always be in awe of.

n  “This is my message to you, comrades: Rebellion!”n

Animal Farm begins like an ambitious children's tale: After Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm, falls asleep in a drunken stupor, all of his animals meet in the big barn at the request of old Major, a 12-year-old pig. Major delivers a rousing political speech about the evils inflicted upon them by their human keepers and their need to rebel against the tyranny of Man. Shortly after, when Jones forgets to feed the animals, the revolution occurs, and Jones and his men are chased off the farm. Manor Farm is renamed Animal Farm, and the Seven Commandments of Animalism are painted on the barn wall, the most important being "All animals are created equal", which is later changed into "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." Through the revision of the commandments, Orwell demonstrates how simply political dogma can be turned into malleable propaganda.

Uff, maybe not really children's book material, huh? That's some heavy stuff. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. He believed, the Soviet Union had become a brutal dictatorship, built upon a cult of personality and enforced by a reign of terror.

“I meant the moral to be that revolutions only effect a radical improvement when the masses are alert and know how to chuck out their leaders as soon as the latter have done their job. The turning-point of the story was supposed to be when the pigs kept the milk and apples for themselves.” - George Orwell on Animal Farm

In his essay Why I Write (1946), he wrote that Animal Farm was the first book in which he tried, with full consciousness of what he was doing, "to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole". In my humble opinion, he mastered that with flying colors.

The revolt of the animals against Farmer Jones is Orwell's analogy with the October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. The Battle of the Cowshed has been said to represent the allied invasion of Soviet Russia in 1918. The pigs' rise to pre-eminence mirrors the rise of a Stalinist bureaucracy in the USSR, just as Napoleon's emergence as the farm's sole leader reflects Stalin's emergence. The pigs' appropriation of milk and apples for their own use stands as an analogy for the crushing of the left-wing 1921 Kronstadt revolt against the Bolsheviks, and the difficult efforts of the animals to build the windmill suggest the various Five Year Plans.

I am not a history buff and I wasn't acquainted with all of the historic events mirrored in Animal Farm, nonetheless, Orwell's narrative remained accessible, since it can not only be coined to the Russian Revolution but to revolutions and change in leadership in general. Animal Farm is a fucking terrifying novel since it's universally applicable. Animal Farm details the history of humankind on this planet. History repeating itself. People being driven by money and profit.

n  “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.”n

The book's close, with the pigs and men in a kind of rapprochement, reflected Orwell's view of the 1943 Teheran Conference that seemed to display the establishment of "the best possible relations between the USSR and the West"—but in reality were destined, as Orwell presciently predicted, to continue to unravel. The disagreement between the allies and the start of the Cold War is suggested when Napoleon and Pilkington, both suspicious, "played an ace of spades simultaneously". Of course, only one of the two is technically cheating, but Orwell does not indicate which one because such a fact is unimportant: The "friendly" game of cards is a facade that hides each ruler's desire to destroy the other.

Another theme of Orwell's novel that also strikes a satiric note is the idea of religion being the "opium of the people" (as Karl Marx famously wrote). Moses the raven's talk of Sugarcandy Mountain originally annoys many of the animals, since Moses, known as a "teller of tales," seems an unreliable source. At this point, the animals are still hopeful for a better future and therefore dismiss Moses' stories of a paradise elsewhere. As their lives worsen, however, the animals begin to believe him, because "Their lives now, they reasoned, were hungry and laborious; Was it not right and just that a better world should exist somewhere else?" Here, Orwell mocks the futile dreaming of a better place that clearly does not exist. The pigs allow Moses to stay on the farm — and even encourage his presence by rewarding him with beer — because they know that his stories of Sugarcandy Mountain will keep the animals docile: As long as there is some better world somewhere — even after death — the animals will trudge through this one. Thus Orwell implies that religious devotion — viewed by many as a noble character trait — can actually distort the ways in which one thinks of his or her life on earth.

In conclusion, Animal Farm is a novel that completely shook me. A novel that will haunt and accompany for the rest of my life, and that I will continue to dread and look forward to picking up again and again and again.

REVELATION!

A book that may open your eyes, and change your perspective forever.

It's a book that is an allegory on the surface, but a layer beneath it is something else entirely. A book that will stand the test of time.

Long live the 'Animal Farm'!

George Orwell’s famous allegorical novel depicts the rise of Stalin’s totalitarian regime in the Soviet Union through a depiction of an animal revolt on Mr. Jones’s farm. As in the USSR, the animals attempt to end their exploitation, by creating an egalitarian Communist society, only to have their efforts foiled by the emergence of a new system of hierarchical elites led by the pigs. Throughout the text Orwell, cynically chronicles the techniques they used to establish a totalitarian regime.

I first read Animal Farm in high school several decades ago. In rereading the text, I was struck by how much age, (the age of the reader as well as era in which a book is read) affects interpretation. While I grew up in the era of the Vietnam War and was very critical of US government policies, I did not believe that the structures of democracy were in jeopardy. Since that time, I have studied the Russian Revolution, Spanish Civil War and read Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia where he chronicles his experiences which lead to his writing of Animal Farm and 1984.

In reading Animal Farm, the historical connections were crystal clear, however, they took a backseat to the sense of dread the book aroused. I am very much worried about loosing democracy. And the leader’s machinations, their distortions of fact and the willingness of many of the farm’s citizens to believe or ignore, felt a little too close for comfort. Orwell’s crisp low key writing style adds to the novel’s atmosphere of dystopian doom.

Animal Farm is a clever text that I highly recommend. I want to thank GR friend, Lisa of Troy for sponsoring an Animal Farm read -along which inspired me to reread this text

"They always call the other side ‘the elite’. Why are they elite? I have a much better apartment than they do. I’m smarter than they are. I’m richer than they are. I became president and they didn’t. And I’m representing the greatest, smartest most loyal best people on Earth – the deplorables, remember that?"

- Donald Trump, June 20 2018

"Four legs good, two legs better!"

- George Orwell, Animal Farm, 1945

Orwell's a snitch who turned people into state security and this book should be read within that light. Granted most people who read it did so in the context of highschool classes with teachers who actually believe this is a proper understanding of the Russian revolution, but come on people… now we're far enough away from the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and the end of the Cold War that, if we're critical enough, we should begin to realize how much this asinine book played a part in the construction of a very ideological, and extremely simplistic, historical discourse.

Again, Orwell was not some objective journalist of events: he collaborated with British intelligence––now facts about the list he kept of colleagues (and hence spied on them and gave up information about them) has become common knowledge. More to the point, his list also classified people as "communist" (which for him meant "anti-democratic") if they were gay, jewish, or black (i.e. he complained about people being "possible homosexuals" and "jewish", just as he absurdly classifed Paul Robeson as "anti-white" simply because he wanted his people in the US to have civil rights). So this is a book by an anti-semitic, racist, homophobe who seems to think he can write a moral tale about humanity when he's a collaborating piece of shit.

جميع الحيوانات متساوية، لكن بعضها أكثر مساواةً من غيرها

مزرعة الحيوان، نص أدبي كتب في مواجهة ستالين، عندما كان أورويل اشتراكيًا ديمقراطيًا
وعضوًا في حزب العمال المستقلين ومتشككُا في سياسة ستالين القمعية

الرواية التي نُشرت كرواية أطفال مليئة بالرمزية، وتندد بالمشاريع السلطوية القمعية
وبضرورة توخي الحذر من تحول الثورات لسلطات قمعية بديلة للأنظمة المخلوعة
وتندد بخطورة استخدام الشعارات الرنانة لإرهاب وقمع الأصوات المعارضة للسلطة

نعم الحيوانات حررت أنفسها من سلطة الإنسان وتحولت من "مزرعة القصر" إلي "مزرعة الحيوان"
ولكن الخنازير بحراسة من الكلاب وهتافات الخراف وسكوت الحمار وخوف باقي الحيوانات تحولت لإنسان أخر
حتي أصبح من المستحيل التمييز بين الإنسان والخنزير

Toda una obra maestra. Una manera increíble de mostrarnos la degeneración de la URSS a través de una fábula donde los animales cobran la voz de personajes históricos muy relevantes. Me ha encantado. De lectura obligatoria.

"Toda revolución se evapora y deja tras de sí una estela de burocracia." Franz Kafka

Cuenta la historia que a Eric Blair, que era el verdadero nombre de George Orwell, le costó horrores encontrar una editorial que se atreviera a publicar “Rebelión en la Granja”: "Si los editores se esfuerzan en no publicar libros sobre determinados asuntos, no es por miedo a ser procesados, sino por temor a la opinión pública. En este país, la cobardía intelectual es el peor enemigo al que tiene que enfrentarse un escritor o periodista, y ese hecho no parece haber recibido la opinión que merece."
Y no era para menos, dado que el modo tan particular en el que tomaba a sátira la Revolución rusa de 1917 y el posterior ascenso del comunismo del que surgiría la futura Unión Soviética era un desafío que más de un editor no se atrevía a encarar.
No se puede agregar mucho más para esta corta pero impresionante novela escrita por Orwell durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial y que al igual que con “1984” supo anticipar el poder devastador que sufrió la Humanidad a causa de los totalitarismos extremos.
Inteligentemente, Orwell nos describe que a través de las ideas pertrechadas por un cerdo apodado del Viejo Comandante (Carl Marx), los animales expulsan al granjero Jones (el Zar) quien controlaba su granja normalmente (Rusia) y a partir de la expulsión de los humanos en la Batalla del Establo (Revolución bolchevique) y en el que se establece el nuevo sistema del Animalismo (Comunismo) que desembocará en que los animales controlen ahora la “Granja Solariega”, rebautizada como “Granja Animal”.
A cargo de toda esta rebelión estarán los cerdos Napoleón (Stalin) y Bola de Nieve (Trotski). Ellos terminarán sometiendo al resto de los animales inferiores y los controlarán con mano férrea, los harán trabajar sin descanso, racionándoles la comida y sometiéndolos al trabajo más duro y extremo.
Prontamente, la diferencia entre Napoleón y Bola de Nieve serán evidentes, como sucedió con Trotski y Stalin. Sólo hay que leer un poco de cómo terminó Trotski luego de la persecución de Stalin para entender un tramo de Rebelión en la Granja.
Sorprende que Orwell haya excluido la personificación de Lenin en la novela, puesto que fue uno de los elementos claves en la revolución bolchevique.
Los animales, victoriosos y contentos controlan la granja. Se canta todos los días la emblemática canción Bestias de Inglaterra (La Internacional), se acuñan los siete mandamientos animales, la arenga “¡Cuatro patas sí, dos patas no!” y se enarbola una bandera verde (roja comunista) que identifica a todos los animales en cuyo centro le pintan una pezuña y un cuerno (la hoz y el martillo). El espectáculo (de terror) está servido.
La tensión irá subiendo, los problemas multiplicándose y rápidamente sucederá lo que todos sabemos: los cerdos, custodiados por feroces perros que fueron criados aparte por Napoleón para custodiar sus nefastas órdenes, transformarán la vida de los otros animales en un verdadero infierno.
Estoy seguro de que Roger Waters se inspiró en este libro para componer las canciones del disco “Animals”, de Pink Floyd y en donde divide a la Humanidad en tres razas: los cerdos como los líderes que tienen el poder, los perros, como ejército de feroces guardianes y las ovejas como el sumiso pueblo esclavizado.
Da la casualidad de que releí “Rebelión en la Granja” exactamente cien años después de la revolución rusa de 1917 y sigo afirmando, le pese a quien le pese, que ciertas revoluciones, realmente no sirven para nada.

ACUM, MAI MULT DECÂT ORICÂND! Ceva ce am scris când eram mai tânăr...
Buna organizare a societăţii a reprezentat încă din cele mai vechi timpuri principala problemă a umaniştilor. Ei au încercat, într-un mod sistematizat, reprezentat de necesitate şi de raportarea la realitate, să ofere o soluţie pentru ca aparatul social să funcţioneze astfel încât să satisfacă, în raport cu obligaţiile, necesităţile fiecărui individ...
La rândul nostru, dacă ne raportăm la realitatea istorică, putem observa că, în ansamblu, mecanismul societăţii se află într-o continuă schimbare. Dacă ne raportăm la era creştină (făcând abstracţie, deci, de republicile din Antichitate, care sunt doar nişte pete de culoare în pictura murală a istoriei), putem observa că libertatea şi egalitatea s-au aflat, uneori mai lent, alteori mai accelerat, într-o continuă ascensiune. Prima dată au fost revoluţiile din Ţările de Jos, iar apoi Revoluţia Glorioasă din Anglia. Într-un alt spirit s-a produs Războiul de Independenţa american şi promulgarea Constituţiei şi, deopotrivă, Revoluţia Franceză şi reformele napoleoniene (care au zdruncinat întregul continent). Ideea de libertate începea astfel să se facă impusă în rândul naţiunilor civilizate. Ce se întâmplă însă atunci când, în contrast cu imaginea înfloritoare a acestora, alte naţiuni se află sub jugul asupririi? Indivizii oropsiţi sesizează diferenţa şi se revoltă împotriva asupridorului, năzuind la o libertate şi mai mare decât aceea pe care au obţinut-o, într-un mod mai lent, celelalte naţiuni. Aşa se nasc Marile Revoluţii, arzând din temelii vechea dogmă şi propavaduind una nouă, schimbarea făcându-se brusc şi pentru ea fiind epuizate toate resursele. Acesta este şi cazul microromanului lui Orwell.
Marele scriitor critică dur regimul stalinist din ceea ce a fost să fie Uniunea Sovietică. Pe lângă aceasta, o face neasteptat de bine, surprinzând şi perioada premergătoare: regimul ţarist şi regimul leninist.
Astfel, pe ţar îl putem identifica în persoana fermierului (este vicios şi se comportă cu supuşii săi nedemn, dat fiind că traiul şi puterea sa vin de la ei). Desigur, animalele rămân fără de-ale gurii, sunt potolite cu arma şi hotărăsc convocarea unei adunări în hambar, unde bătrânul Maior, cel mai înţelept dintre ele, le sfătuieşte să se revolte. Şi abia acum încep să prindă contur ideile propriu zise.

Astfel, în ciuda controverselor care s-au iscat pe seama romanului:

1. George Orwell nu respinge ideea egalităţii. Sub Snowball, care ajunge conducător nu într-un mod democratic, el pur şi simplu asumându-şi rolul de lider în urma alungării fermierului, fermă, care sub mâna absolutismului era guvernată cu biciul, primeşte o serie de legi, puţine şi simple. Sub tutela acestor legi, ideea EGALITĂŢIi este transpusă perfect. Se încearcă educarea tuturor animalelor, acceptându-se faptul că "unele animale erau mai inteligente decât altele", însă acestea aveau rolul de a le educa pe celelalte.

2. Casa fostului fermier se închide, fiece animal considerând că ea este o sursă vicioasă, simbol al "vechiului regim", în acest sens fiind dată legea conform căreia "niciun animal nu va dormi în pat".

3. Snowball se face apreciat şi ascultat fără a se folosi de mijloace de asuprire, deoarece guvernarea lui, care implică toate animelele fermei, dă randament. Pentru efortul depus, fiecare animal era răsplătit, ferma având de toate pentru toţi, ATÂT TIMP CÂT UNELE ANIMALE NU ÎŞi ÎNSUŞEAU ÎN MOD ABSOLUT ALIMENTELE în diferite scopuri. Mai mult, rolul de cap al societăţii se reflectă şi în problema dezvoltării acesteia, Snowball concepând un plan pentru o moară de vând.

4. Setea de putere prinde contur atunci când lenea, desfrâul şi o conjunctură favorabilă obţinerii acesteia apar în scenă. Astfel, Napoleon, după o serie de controverse avute cu Snowball, preia puterea folosindu-se de o POLIŢIE MILITARĂ, în întruchiparea câinilor crescuţi de el. Astfel, dacă Snowball a ajuns să preia puterea în urmă unei revoluţii şi s-a autoprocmalat conducător, Napoleon ajunge la putere folosindu-se de forţa armată, cu ajutorul căreia îl izgoneşte pe Snowball (lipsit de aşa ceva). Desigur, noul guvern necesită miniştri, care nu pot fi alţii decât tovarăşii de neam ai lui Napoleon, porcii.

5. Discursul politic mincinos nu-l caracterizează pe Snowball, care este sincer faţă de supuşi şi chiar ţine consilii la care participa toţi, în timp ce ordonanţa lui Napoleon (care, pare-se, nu prea le avea cu public speakingul) ţine discursuri care amintesc de cultul personalităţii. Portretele lui Napoleon ancorate peste tot, reprezintă o altă trăsătură a regimului stalinist.

EI, IDEEA DE EGALITATE A FOST PERFECT REPREZENTATĂ DE REGIMUL LUI SNOWBALL: FIECARE ANIMAL PRODUCEA, PE CÂT ÎI STĂTEA ÎN PUTERE ŞI CONSUMA PÂNĂ LA ÎNDESTULARE; HAMBARUL RĂMÂNEA PLIN, IAR LA UN MOMENT DAT SE VORBEA DE NUMĂRUL DE ZILE DE MUNCĂ. ÎNSĂ EGALITATEA A FOST DEMOLATĂ DE VENIREA LUI NAPOLEON, CARE ARE DREPT CARACTERISTICĂ PRINCIPALĂ VICIUL ŞI DESFRÂUL, LAŞITATEA ŞI MINCIUNA. LEGILE ÎNCEP A FI ÎNCĂLCATE SAU COMPLETATE (DACĂ INIŢIAL ERA "NICIUN ANIMAL NU VA UCIDE UN ALTUL", DEVENEAU "NICIUN ANIMAL NU VA UCIDE UN ALTUL... FĂRĂ MOTIV").
NAPOLEON ARUNCĂ VINĂ ASUPRA LUI SNOWBALL ASUPRA ORICĂREI NEREGULI, PE MOTIV CĂ ACESTA "COMPLOTEAZĂ DIN EXTERIOR", PE CÂND DANSUL FUSESE UCIS.
NAPOLEON NU SE IMPLICĂ ÎN LUPTA CU FERMIERII, CI PRIVEŞTE DISTANT ŞI ESTE GATA ÎN ORICE MOMENT SĂ FUGĂ, CEEA CE DENOTĂ, DIN NOU, O DEVIERE DE LA PRINCIPIILE INIŢIALE.
PROFITUL DE PE URMĂ GĂINILOR, IAR ULTERIOR DE PE URMĂ LUI BOXER, CARE CADE RĂPUS, DEŞI EL A FOST SINGURUL CARE CREZUSE CU TĂRIE ÎN IDEEA DE EGALITATE, ATING APOGEUL DESFRÂULUI LUI NAPOLEON, CĂRUIA NICI MĂCAR NU-I MAI PASĂ DE SOARTA ANIMALELOR (DE PE URMĂ CĂRORA, EL ŞI PORCII LUI TRĂIAU).


În fine, cred că replica ce ilustrează cel mai bine regimul stalinist este singura regulă rămasă, celelalte fiind eliminate, totul devenind practic un regim totalitar, guvernarea rămânând la bunul plac al conducătorului: "Toate animalele sunt egale! Dar unele animale sunt mai egale decât altele!"

Despre soarta celorlaltor animale, care crezuseră în ideea de egalitate, care le-a fost întreţinută, iar ulterior spulberată de regimul desfrânat al celui de-al doilea conducător, Napoleon, nu se poate decât să cităm din Einstein: "Toţi suntem genii. Însă dacă judecăm un peşte după abilitatea sa de a se urca în copaci, el va trăi toată viaţa cu impresia că nu este deştept."

*dupa ce am vazut si filmul*

Andrei Tamaş

My second classic for 2021 is Animal Farm by George Orwell, I decided to listen to the audiobook, as it is narrated by Timothy West, his narration was outstanding.

Of course, this well-read book doesn’t need a detailed review from me as there are probably more reviews and essays written of this book than stars in the sky. But the allegorical nature of this story smacks you in the face. The hypocrisy of Communism/Totalitarianism, boastfully espousing the virtues of equality for all, when in fact quite the opposite is happening is astounding.

Orwell has very cleverly used this animal model to describe what happened (s) in real-world totalitarianism regimes. The propaganda, the elite enjoying privileges while denying the common person the same, the emphasis on work, industry and production and the importance of bureaucracy and administration. He also highlights the way such regimes create and demonise enemies and the importance of battles and ceremonial military awards – legends made of certain heroes.

West’s narration was terrific, he went the extra mile by giving different voices to most of the animals, I particularly liked the “Four legs good, Four legs good, Two legs bad, Two legs bad” mantra sung by the sheep. West’s ‘sheep-voice’ was a classic.

My mind’s image Napoleon walking on two legs, shocked me utterly, after it sunk in it made me laugh – the absurdity of it all. But on deeper reflection it’s a very dark notion. Hideous imagery, depicting an equally monstrous state of affairs.

A classic in the truest sense of the word.

5 Stars

Old Mr. Jones had a farm E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a "PIG" E-I-E-I-O
With a oink oink here
And a oink oink there
Here a oink, there a oink....

Σπουδαίο βιβλίο επίκαιρο,διαφωτιστικό,ρεαλιστικό και προειδοποιητικό. Τώρα θα μου πείτε για τι ακριβώς μας προειδοποιεί και μας καθιστά υπεύθυνους; Μα, για τα αυτονόητα βέβαια " ολα τα ζώα ειναι ίσα....αλλά μερικά ζώα ειναι πιο ίσα απο τα άλλα".

Έτσι, μια μέρα που ολα τα ζωάκια υποκινουμενα απο τα φιλόδοξα γουρουνάκια επαναστατούν κατα της καταπίεσης και της σκληρής εξουσίας που τους ασκείται απο τον κ. Τζοόυνς -τον αφέντη της ζωής τους- γίνονται αυτόνομα σε μια δική τους κοινωνία χωρις ανθρώπους αφεντάδες.

Τα γουρουνάκια όμως που εξ αρχής θεωρούν τους εαυτούς τους υπεράνω καταφέρνουν με απόλυτα δημοκρατικούς τρόπους να επιβάλλουν μια άνιση ισότητα στα χαζά πρόβατα,τα δυνατά και γεμάτα αυτοθυσία άλογα,τα σοφά ξεροκέφαλα γαϊδούρια και γενικά σε ολα τα ζώα -που δεν έχουν εκ φύσεως τις ίδιες δυνατότητες και επιθυμίες-στην απόλυτη τυραννική και ανεξάρτητη δημοκρατία.


Ολα τα ζώα προσαρμόζονται στις νέες συνθήκες που επιβάλλουν τα ανθρωπόμορφα καπιταλιστικά ή σοβιετικά γουρούνια -τα οποια μετά το τέλος της επανάστασης έχουν καταλύσει τα δικαιώματα των υπολοίπων και ζουν πλουσιοπάροχα και αναπροσαρμόζουν τα ΝΑΙ σε ΟΧΙ και ταναπαλιν, εκμεταλλευόμενα το χαμηλό μορφωτικό επίπεδο των περισσότερων "συντρόφων τους", που έχουν αδύναμη μνήμη, δεν ξέρουν καλά-καλά να διαβάζουν, όμως ονειρεύονται και ελπίζουν.

Στο τέλος, η δύναμη της εξουσίας λιώνει τα ιδανικά και τα ιδεώδη και καταλήγουμε

"ο σώζων εαυτόν σωθήτω"


Καλή ανάγνωση σύντροφοι!!!

charlotte's web gone rogue.