Mini Review: Animal Farm by George Orwell

Series: N/A
# of Pages: 122
Publication: August 17th, 1945
Source: Library E-Audiobook
Genre: Classic
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As ferociously fresh as it was more than a half century ago, this remarkable allegory of a downtrodden society of overworked, mistreated animals, and their quest to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality is one of the most scathing satires ever published. As we witness the rise and bloody fall of the revolutionary animals, we begin to recognize the seeds of totalitarianism in the most idealistic organization; and in our most charismatic leaders, the souls of our cruelest oppressors.

This is such a complex and scary novel. Yes, I do mean scary but in a non conventional way. I originally read this book in high school but decided to give it a re-read because I didn't really remember much of the book except that the pigs were evil. I was definitely excited about diving into the contents of the book and immediately checked it out on audio. Let me tell you something. I was absolutely shaken by the contents of this book. I have never in a million years read anything like it. It is such a crazy accurate depiction of society. I can't go into too many details because the complexity of this book alone is a spoiler.

What I can say about this book is that I found the entire premise of the book to be fascinating. No one is safe from criticism and it's all well warranted. At first I was shocked at Orwells use of animals to depict a growing society; however, by the end of the book (the ending was completely brilliant) it all made sense. It was the perfect idea for such a complex underlying storyline. I don't think that this book should be required high school reading. It's not that I think that it's above what high school students are capable of but as an individual who read this in high and then as an adult, I can truly say that there were concepts and ideas that I wouldn't have been able to grasp the first time I read this book. Orwell made it a very dynamic and complex book and with reason. If there are individuals out there that are really interested in the structure of any government whether it be communist or capitalist this is definitely the book to pick up. 

I didn't think that I would rate this book any higher than 3 stars but I'm happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone looking for a shorter classic to read. I will be reading more works by Orwell.