Animal Farm by George Orwell (aka Eric Arthur Blair)

[mewtini]

So! Animal Farm is an allegory of the Soviet Union before and during Joseph Stalin's rule. A bunch of animals represent key figures in the Union. A hog/pig/boar/whatever is Stalin. It is the best book I've ever read. Has anyone else read this? It was blacklisted in Russia for some understandable reasons... Did anyone remember that I'm 9? And I read this. Oh and the story is told on a 8 year old level but most people are far into junior high before they read it for class. That's what my mom says, I don't go to brick and mortar school; I am cyberschooled. On computer. And in 6th grade. Don't be fooled by the book's young sounding title! If you like the Soviet Union and complaining about Stalin, then you will prolly like this.

 

[Noctowl]

I haven't read it yet (it not in my college libary for some reason) but I did see the movie and found it very good.

 

[Murkrow]

I read it with my class about five years ago but I should really read it again since I can barely remember much of it.

 

[mewtini]

I read it with my class about five years ago but I should really read it again since I can barely remember much of it.

I want to read 1984... we have a copy of it, but it is very old and is falling apart...I like Orwell. I had no idea that anyone would reply to this. Maybe because I don't think i will have to read this for high school. Then, I dont know if my cyberschool would work like that... it could.

 

[Tailsy]

Eh, read it once, found it... okay. Not the best thing I've ever read. I don't like George Orwell's fiction works (never read his non-fiction, though) at all. They're very bland and don't seem to have all that much to say beyond the obvious.

 

[mewtini]

I want to read 1984... we have a copy of it, but it is very old and is falling apart...I like Orwell. I had no idea that anyone would reply to this. Maybe because I don't think i will have to read this for high school. Then, I dont know if my cyberschool would work like that... it could

I haven't read it yet (it not in my college libary for some reason) but I did see the movie and found it very good.

Eh, read it once, found it... okay. Not the best thing I've ever read. I don't like George Orwell's fiction works (never read his non-fiction, though) at all. They're very bland and don't seem to have all that much to say beyond the obvious.

EDIT: I've heard that the movie is a bit different. I know it's a movie too, but haven't seen it. I should go on YouTube and see if they have the movie in parts...that's how I saw Sky Warrior. Not good. Off topic: Bachuru-I mean Butterfree's analysis of Sky Warrior was something I agreed with. Same for Spell of the Unown. Her personality intrigues me. That is why I got so happy on my thread in Forum Help when I got to chat with her. I like people that like to anaylze things. I didn't know I could talk about personality like that!EDIT IN RESPONSE TO APPLEJACK: I think I was just glad that there was an entertaining book that was anti-Soviet.EDIT 3: *thinks of Cirrus and Applejack* Hey. Did anyone notice that a portion of the mods are ponyheads? This isn't right...don't expect me to change. Mewtini is my symbol. Or actually, I am a Mewtini. Heheh.

 

[Aobaru]

Oh and the story is told on a 8 year old level but most people are far into junior high before they read it for class.

BUT you have to remember the story is an allegory. Yes it's all well and good reading about animals and their struggles to build a farm and everything, but, on a higher level, it's a metaphor about all that is wrong with Stalinism (which, according to my research, is communism with totalitarian tendencies).

Interestingly, Orwell himself was a democratic socialist.

 

[Karkat Vantas]

About a third of the way through 1984, Winston and Julia fuck in the woods.

You're not going to be reading that book for a looong time.

(Also, recommending Animal Farm in a literature thread is akin to making a thread where you tell everyone about this great band called the Beatles that everyone ought to check out.)

 

[mewtini]

That is my point. It's pretty much a way to tell kids about the evils of the Soviets. Well, that's what I think.
EDIT TO KARKAT: I didn't think anything of that it was common jr. high reading. I thought that no one would heard of it, or read it then forgotten.

About a third of the way through 1984, Winston and Julia fuck in the woods.

You're not going to be reading that book for a looong time.

Oh yes I will. *picks up book* *book spine breaks and all pages fall out* or, maybe not.
NOTE: NO BOOKS WERE HARMED IN THIS PLAY

 

[Karkat Vantas]

That is my point. It's pretty much a way to tell kids about the evils of the Soviets. Well, that's what I think.

Somebody just got NINJA'D. Buuuuuuuuurn.

I think someone posted earlier that up until recent years books about animals were mainly used as allegory, and that Animal Farm was treated solely as adult fiction during its time.

Although it begs the question-- who would read Orwell to their children?

 

[Zeph]

That is my point. It's pretty much a way to tell kids about the evils of the Soviets. Well, that's what I think.
EDIT TO KARKAT: I didn't think anything of that it was common jr. high reading. I thought that no one would heard of it, or read it then forgotten.

Well, not really. The idea of the book is that "Communism could be great, but sadly, in practice, it isn't", not "Communism is bad, bad, BAD!"

And yeah, Animal Farm is a really famous book... It's difficult to NOT have heard of it, really.

 

[mewtini]

Well, I haven't existed for as long as you all have. I know nothing of how famous it is. I'm a little isolated, being cyberschooled and seeing my friends once a week at Awana. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't get the communism not being bad bad bad. I only heard of it and only got it for a conference with my cyberschoolmates (over Elluminate). However, I didn't get to attend that conference since I was in the wrong grade (I'm in 6th although I'm 9, and the class was Literature Analysis, which is 7th.) EDIT:

Although it begs the question-- who would read Orwell to their children?

I don't know. Parents like mine who are trying to protect me from the brainwashing that the society does to us to make us believe that we have progress.

 

[Whirlpool]

Wait, did you only hear about communism or Animal Farm at a conference? I'm guessing the latter, but.

..."brainwashing that society does to make us believe that we have progress"? What do you mean by that?

 

[Vladimir Putin's LJ]

So! Animal Farm is an allegory of the Soviet Union before and during Joseph Stalin's rule. A bunch of animals represent key figures in the Union. A hog/pig/boar/whatever is Stalin.

It is a good book but tbh it would be better to learn which character is which first :/ the old boar who dies in the beginning is Marx, Napoleon (who is a pig) is Stalin, Snowball (pig) is Trotsky, Squealer (pig) is the whole propaganda office (Pravda etc) and so on.
I did find it enjoyable when I read it, a few years ago.

About a third of the way through 1984, Winston and Julia fuck in the woods.

You're not going to be reading that book for a looong time.

When I read it (a while ago, admittedly), the scene didn't strike me as at all pornographic or anything? Doesn't Orwell just sort of mention how awesome Julia is and then there's a discrete fade? I mean yeah Winston and Julia spend a fair amount of time just chilling in bed later on but I don't think it's anything wrong.

I think nine-year-olds wouldn't really get all the points the story is making (considering even many adults can't) but the sexual content isn't anything to write home about. Though I don't know, maybe in the US vaguely mentioning sex in the general vicinity of a child is akin to rape.

EDIT:
I don't know. Parents like mine who are trying to protect me from the brainwashing that the society does to us to make us believe that we have progress.

In all honesty considering you describe yourself as 'isolated', the fact that you're homeschooled and the fact that your parents have apparently not really explained Communism and Stalinism properly (a must for real enjoyment of the book), it seems like they're trying to protect you from society a little too much.
Which is a shame, because it's where we all live. It is far better to be confronted with it head-on.

 

[opaltiger]

Orwell is vastly overrated (I say this having read only Nineteen Eighty-Four, admittedly). Animal Farm is one of those books I don't really feel the need to read because I think I know exactly what it will be like and what I will get from it.

 

[mewtini]

In all honesty considering you describe yourself as 'isolated', the fact that you're homeschooled and the fact that your parents have apparently not really explained Communism and Stalinism properly (a must for real enjoyment of the book), it seems like they're trying to protect you from society a little too much.
Which is a shame, because it's where we all live. It is far better to be confronted with it head-on.

Sigh. *slaps head* I don't think I got my point across clearly. Be ready for long post. The last time I ever was learning about the world history was last school year. I forget after that. Besides, I never paid attention. Now, I'm stuck doing U.S. History. It's not their fault that I didn't fully understand it; they let me do my online lessons alone ever since I could read, and they helped me time to time. I used to know Stalinism and Communism really well, but I didn't give a care to them. Therefore, I forgot 'em. They are mostly trying to expose me, yet not let me get brainwashed. Did that make sense? I know what you mean, but I disagree. You would have to know us personally to understand. I can't explain well enough using letters.

 

[Superbird]

Animal Farm: Seen a cartoon movie, know the general plot (very general)

1984: BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU. That is all.

Also, I found Fahrenheit 451 (by Ray Bradbury) to be vastly similar to 1984. Maybe it's just me, but. I recommend that as well.

 

[Byrus]

I've only watched the cartoon of animal farm someone uploaded onto youtube. Some nice animation on it too. It didn't really motivate me to read the book though.

About a third of the way through 1984, Winston and Julia fuck in the woods.

You're not going to be reading that book for a looong time.

(Also, recommending Animal Farm in a literature thread is akin to making a thread where you tell everyone about this great band called the Beatles that everyone ought to check out.)

I thought the scenes of Winston getting tortured would have been a lot more disturbing than a consensual sex scene... it's not like Orwell goes into smutty fanfiction detail on it anyway.

I really love the concept of 1984, but I thought the book kinda dragged a bit.

 

[opaltiger]

Also, I found Fahrenheit 451 (by Ray Bradbury) to be vastly similar to 1984. Maybe it's just me, but. I recommend that as well.

All dystopian novels are broadly similar. That's not exactly surprising; individual novels are set apart by their particulars.

I will stop now. I could spend a lot of time going on about dystopian fiction. :D

Mewtini: important question. Do you know who Marx and Engels were?

 

[Dannichu]

Animal Farm was, I think, the first 'proper' classic I read, and I really enjoyed it. I was too young to really understand what was going on - I was only dimly aware of the Russian Revolution at the time, but having read the book made learning about the RR easier, because I could go "ooooh so the Kulaks were the chickens" and get strange looks form everyone else doing GCSE History.

Do you know who Marx and Engels were?

So Marx was like "COMMUNISM HELLZ YEAH \o/"
And Engels was all "...yes dear."

One day I will draw a picture book of their epic adventures.