This tale of animals on a farm is an allegory for totalitarianism, reflecting the events before and after the Russian revolution of 1917. First published in 1945, just after the Second World War, it was written at a time when England and the Soviet Union were allied against Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. While these two nations worked together to bring Europe to peace, our author (George Orwell) remained critical of Joseph Stalin and his socialist agenda. It was only after the hot war in Europe ended, and the Cold War began, that public sentiments towards the Soviets began to change and this book found its audience.
This allegorical novel starts with a call for revolution by an old white boar on the farm, someone whom all the other animals respect. Feeling mistreated by their human farm owner, the animals do revolt, and suddenly find themselves in possession of all the land. What first is a happy moment of freedom quickly spirals out of control as a new order is set up by the ‘smart’ animals, which are the pigs. The two most influential pigs are modeled after Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky, with the Trotsky-pig chased away rather quickly (Trotsky was murdered in real life) and a dictatorship set up by the Stalin-pig in his wake.
At first, things are good. Everybody receives plentiful portions of food and no longer feels the whip on their backs while they work. When the humans return to retake the farm by force, the animals work together to fight back and win, with honors bestowed upon their bravest warriors. The rules of the new society are written on the barn in white paint, clearly defined and agreed to by all. Yet, as soon as precedent is set, things begin to change. The surplus milk that the cows were promised to keep for themselves goes missing, and it has been given to the pigs in charge. The apples are soon delegated to the pigs as well, and the eggs are taken from the chickens. The animals are asked to work extra hours to build a windmill that will benefit them all, but those who decline the work are also declined their rations of food. The rules on the barn are edited and repainted. The Stalin-pig demands to be referred to as the Leader, and before they know it, a new dictatorship has taken hold of the farm.
All the classic authoritarian abuses of society are present in these pages. Most important is the use of information and the psychological reprogramming of the less-educated farm animals. The pigs in power rewrite the history of the revolution and use propaganda to convince the other animals that life is better now than it was before. The sheep believe the pigs right away. As time passes, the other animals progressively forget more and more of their life on the farm before the revolution, and eventually come to believe the propaganda as well. The use of scapegoats is also present, as everything that goes wrong is blamed on the Trotsky-pig, despite the fact that he has not been seen in years. Having a recognizable enemy makes consolidating power easier.
By the end, nobody remembers the past, all the rules have all been changed, and the pigs are wearing human clothing and using whips just like the human farmers before them. They take everything produced by the farm for themselves and allow the rest of the animals to have just enough to survive and work. This, of course, sets the stage for another revolution.
As we know from history, the Soviet Union collapsed under the weight of its own lies and inefficiency. Sadly, this was not before millions died of starvation or in a Gulag labor camp. What is scary about this allegory are the links that can still be drawn to our 21st century society: The desire for more power by those who already hold the most; the use of propaganda to change people’s minds and rewrite history; people’s inability to tell what is true and what is false; the promises of a better future with no concrete plans to achieve it. This allegory is over 75-years-old, and yet, it remains a narrative warning that we should all heed.
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An allegory for totalitarianism...and a warning we should all heed!
This tale of animals on a farm is an allegory for totalitarianism, reflecting the events before and after the Russian revolution of 1917. First published in 1945, just after the Second World War, it was written at a time when England and the Soviet Union were allied against Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. While these two nations worked together to bring Europe to peace, our author (George Orwell) remained critical of Joseph Stalin and his socialist agenda. It was only after the hot war in Europe ended, and the Cold War began, that public sentiments towards the Soviets began to change and this book found its audience.This allegorical novel starts with a call for revolution by an old white boar on the farm, someone whom all the other animals respect. Feeling mistreated by their human farm owner, the animals do revolt, and suddenly find themselves in possession of all the land. What first is a happy moment of freedom quickly spirals out of control as a new order is set up by the ‘smart’ animals, which are the pigs. The two most influential pigs are modeled after Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky, with the Trotsky-pig chased away rather quickly (Trotsky was murdered in real life) and a dictatorship set up by the Stalin-pig in his wake.At first, things are good. Everybody receives plentiful portions of food and no longer feels the whip on their backs while they work. When the humans return to retake the farm by force, the animals work together to fight back and win, with honors bestowed upon their bravest warriors. The rules of the new society are written on the barn in white paint, clearly defined and agreed to by all. Yet, as soon as precedent is set, things begin to change. The surplus milk that the cows were promised to keep for themselves goes missing, and it has been given to the pigs in charge. The apples are soon delegated to the pigs as well, and the eggs are taken from the chickens. The animals are asked to work extra hours to build a windmill that will benefit them all, but those who decline the work are also declined their rations of food. The rules on the barn are edited and repainted. The Stalin-pig demands to be referred to as the Leader, and before they know it, a new dictatorship has taken hold of the farm.All the classic authoritarian abuses of society are present in these pages. Most important is the use of information and the psychological reprogramming of the less-educated farm animals. The pigs in power rewrite the history of the revolution and use propaganda to convince the other animals that life is better now than it was before. The sheep believe the pigs right away. As time passes, the other animals progressively forget more and more of their life on the farm before the revolution, and eventually come to believe the propaganda as well. The use of scapegoats is also present, as everything that goes wrong is blamed on the Trotsky-pig, despite the fact that he has not been seen in years. Having a recognizable enemy makes consolidating power easier.By the end, nobody remembers the past, all the rules have all been changed, and the pigs are wearing human clothing and using whips just like the human farmers before them. They take everything produced by the farm for themselves and allow the rest of the animals to have just enough to survive and work. This, of course, sets the stage for another revolution.As we know from history, the Soviet Union collapsed under the weight of its own lies and inefficiency. Sadly, this was not before millions died of starvation or in a Gulag labor camp. What is scary about this allegory are the links that can still be drawn to our 21st century society: The desire for more power by those who already hold the most; the use of propaganda to change people’s minds and rewrite history; people’s inability to tell what is true and what is false; the promises of a better future with no concrete plans to achieve it. This allegory is over 75-years-old, and yet, it remains a narrative warning that we should all heed.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2023
This allegorical novel starts with a call for revolution by an old white boar on the farm, someone whom all the other animals respect. Feeling mistreated by their human farm owner, the animals do revolt, and suddenly find themselves in possession of all the land. What first is a happy moment of freedom quickly spirals out of control as a new order is set up by the ‘smart’ animals, which are the pigs. The two most influential pigs are modeled after Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky, with the Trotsky-pig chased away rather quickly (Trotsky was murdered in real life) and a dictatorship set up by the Stalin-pig in his wake.
At first, things are good. Everybody receives plentiful portions of food and no longer feels the whip on their backs while they work. When the humans return to retake the farm by force, the animals work together to fight back and win, with honors bestowed upon their bravest warriors. The rules of the new society are written on the barn in white paint, clearly defined and agreed to by all. Yet, as soon as precedent is set, things begin to change. The surplus milk that the cows were promised to keep for themselves goes missing, and it has been given to the pigs in charge. The apples are soon delegated to the pigs as well, and the eggs are taken from the chickens. The animals are asked to work extra hours to build a windmill that will benefit them all, but those who decline the work are also declined their rations of food. The rules on the barn are edited and repainted. The Stalin-pig demands to be referred to as the Leader, and before they know it, a new dictatorship has taken hold of the farm.
All the classic authoritarian abuses of society are present in these pages. Most important is the use of information and the psychological reprogramming of the less-educated farm animals. The pigs in power rewrite the history of the revolution and use propaganda to convince the other animals that life is better now than it was before. The sheep believe the pigs right away. As time passes, the other animals progressively forget more and more of their life on the farm before the revolution, and eventually come to believe the propaganda as well. The use of scapegoats is also present, as everything that goes wrong is blamed on the Trotsky-pig, despite the fact that he has not been seen in years. Having a recognizable enemy makes consolidating power easier.
By the end, nobody remembers the past, all the rules have all been changed, and the pigs are wearing human clothing and using whips just like the human farmers before them. They take everything produced by the farm for themselves and allow the rest of the animals to have just enough to survive and work. This, of course, sets the stage for another revolution.
As we know from history, the Soviet Union collapsed under the weight of its own lies and inefficiency. Sadly, this was not before millions died of starvation or in a Gulag labor camp. What is scary about this allegory are the links that can still be drawn to our 21st century society: The desire for more power by those who already hold the most; the use of propaganda to change people’s minds and rewrite history; people’s inability to tell what is true and what is false; the promises of a better future with no concrete plans to achieve it. This allegory is over 75-years-old, and yet, it remains a narrative warning that we should all heed.
An allegory for totalitarianism...and a warning we should all heed!
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2023
This tale of animals on a farm is an allegory for totalitarianism, reflecting the events before and after the Russian revolution of 1917. First published in 1945, just after the Second World War, it was written at a time when England and the Soviet Union were allied against Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. While these two nations worked together to bring Europe to peace, our author (George Orwell) remained critical of Joseph Stalin and his socialist agenda. It was only after the hot war in Europe ended, and the Cold War began, that public sentiments towards the Soviets began to change and this book found its audience.Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2023
This allegorical novel starts with a call for revolution by an old white boar on the farm, someone whom all the other animals respect. Feeling mistreated by their human farm owner, the animals do revolt, and suddenly find themselves in possession of all the land. What first is a happy moment of freedom quickly spirals out of control as a new order is set up by the ‘smart’ animals, which are the pigs. The two most influential pigs are modeled after Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky, with the Trotsky-pig chased away rather quickly (Trotsky was murdered in real life) and a dictatorship set up by the Stalin-pig in his wake.
At first, things are good. Everybody receives plentiful portions of food and no longer feels the whip on their backs while they work. When the humans return to retake the farm by force, the animals work together to fight back and win, with honors bestowed upon their bravest warriors. The rules of the new society are written on the barn in white paint, clearly defined and agreed to by all. Yet, as soon as precedent is set, things begin to change. The surplus milk that the cows were promised to keep for themselves goes missing, and it has been given to the pigs in charge. The apples are soon delegated to the pigs as well, and the eggs are taken from the chickens. The animals are asked to work extra hours to build a windmill that will benefit them all, but those who decline the work are also declined their rations of food. The rules on the barn are edited and repainted. The Stalin-pig demands to be referred to as the Leader, and before they know it, a new dictatorship has taken hold of the farm.
All the classic authoritarian abuses of society are present in these pages. Most important is the use of information and the psychological reprogramming of the less-educated farm animals. The pigs in power rewrite the history of the revolution and use propaganda to convince the other animals that life is better now than it was before. The sheep believe the pigs right away. As time passes, the other animals progressively forget more and more of their life on the farm before the revolution, and eventually come to believe the propaganda as well. The use of scapegoats is also present, as everything that goes wrong is blamed on the Trotsky-pig, despite the fact that he has not been seen in years. Having a recognizable enemy makes consolidating power easier.
By the end, nobody remembers the past, all the rules have all been changed, and the pigs are wearing human clothing and using whips just like the human farmers before them. They take everything produced by the farm for themselves and allow the rest of the animals to have just enough to survive and work. This, of course, sets the stage for another revolution.
As we know from history, the Soviet Union collapsed under the weight of its own lies and inefficiency. Sadly, this was not before millions died of starvation or in a Gulag labor camp. What is scary about this allegory are the links that can still be drawn to our 21st century society: The desire for more power by those who already hold the most; the use of propaganda to change people’s minds and rewrite history; people’s inability to tell what is true and what is false; the promises of a better future with no concrete plans to achieve it. This allegory is over 75-years-old, and yet, it remains a narrative warning that we should all heed.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2024
Top reviews from other countries
Caroline Sabourin
A MUST read for everyone who values their freedom.
Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2024
MEDE
Hat mir gefallen
Reviewed in Germany on February 4, 2024
MEDE
Reviewed in Germany on February 4, 2024
Zur Kindle-Version:
Die Kindle-Version ist absolut ok. Habe da nichts zu meckern.
Zum Inhalt:
Keine Sorge, ich werde nicht spoilern.
Grob gesagt, geht es um eine Farm, deren Tiere gegen die menschlichen Besitzer rebellieren und diese von der Farm vertreiben. Im Anschluss bauen sie ihre neue Gemeinschaft nach demokratischen Strukturen auf. Mit der Zeit aber beginnen die Schweine die Macht an sich zu reißen. Eine Diktatur entsteht.
Mir hat das Buch sehr gut gefallen. Ich finde es sehr lesenswert. Auch auf Englisch ist das Buch gut zu verstehen, die Sprache ist nicht allzu schwer, gute Englischkenntnisse vorausgesetzt.
Vielen Dank für das Lesen meiner Rezension. Ich hoffe, sie ist hilfreich. :)
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