Friday, February 7, 2020

Pig’s Rule: A Review of Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm Animal Farm by George Orwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As the current political times we live in have gotten darker and darker, like many people I keep finding myself coming back to classic dystopian novels to gain insights and even inspiration. There are plenty of classics to choose from, such as Brave New World and The Handmaid's Tale, but I recall being truly frightened by George Orwell's vision of totalitarianism in 1984. So, I am a little ashamed that it has taken me so long to get to this wonderful novel about revolution and the slow slide back into tyranny that can result.

Taking place on a farm in the English countryside, operated by the cruel and incompetent drunk Mr. Jones, Orwell relates a simple tale of farm animals fed up with their oppression who, though talking about it for some time, join together to overthrow their oppressor in an unplanned moment of anger. Finding themselves free human oppression for the first time, the farm animals write down a list of rules to govern themselves and work hard to make their farm prosperous for all. But, as dissension forms between the two pigs who act as leaders, and as one of those pigs moves swiftly to make himself the sole ruler and beneficiary of the farm's wealth, the animals find themselves in a tyranny just as oppressive as the one they overthrew.

While this basic plot is pretty common in the annals of revolutionary history (for those interested in the history of revolutions, you should definitely check out the Revolutions Podcast), what makes this book an instant classic is how Orwell relates the tale so simply. Despite the book being about farm animals, the allegorical nature of this book makes it accessible to just about everyone. Heck, you could even read this book to children as it is told in such a simple and accessible form that anyone can instantly understand what Orwell was trying to do.

Reading this book also reminded me of why dystopian novels are so important in dark political times. Throughout the book the dictatorial pigs keep repeatedly telling lies or tacking on lies to the truth in order to fool the farm animals and keep themselves in power. As I was reading this book, I couldn't help but compare what the pigs were doing to what some current politicians are doing today. This also marks Animal Farm as a classic. It doesn't matter when you read it, the truths Orwell conveys about how the high ideals of a revolution can be subverted by the lies of the greedy are just as true today as they were in 1946.

Just as 1984 was such an enjoyable, if frightening, read, so too is this book. For those who have been wanting to jump into dystopian political novels, I would highly recommend this to you as your first book.

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