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Animal Farm
Posted on 9/26/24 at 9:56 am
Posted on 9/26/24 at 9:56 am
I read this book in HS and thought little of it. Required reading.
I read it again last year with more knowledge of history understanding the meaning behind it.
I then dove into the wikipedia page to see about reception, and from what I can tell, due to the dissemination, it had an incredible effect on the global perception of communism.
That's all good and well, but after reading it and giving it some thought, doesn't the reaction seem a bit outsized? Maybe it's the hindsight, but if you know what the book is about as you read it, it's incredibly on the nose.
I feel like if someone wrote a book right now about something of similar consequence people would toss it as a failed allegorical attempt, as the message would be stronger had they just said what they meant.
Anyone explain where my blinders might be here? I think it's an incredible book, but part of me feels like I think that because of the cultural significance.
I read it again last year with more knowledge of history understanding the meaning behind it.
I then dove into the wikipedia page to see about reception, and from what I can tell, due to the dissemination, it had an incredible effect on the global perception of communism.
That's all good and well, but after reading it and giving it some thought, doesn't the reaction seem a bit outsized? Maybe it's the hindsight, but if you know what the book is about as you read it, it's incredibly on the nose.
I feel like if someone wrote a book right now about something of similar consequence people would toss it as a failed allegorical attempt, as the message would be stronger had they just said what they meant.
Anyone explain where my blinders might be here? I think it's an incredible book, but part of me feels like I think that because of the cultural significance.
This post was edited on 9/26/24 at 10:00 am
7
Posted on 9/26/24 at 10:51 am to Odysseus32
quote:
Anyone explain where my blinders might be here?
Access to information and history of the Russian revolution in 1945 wasn't as accessible to the common man. Couple that with the fact that the book was written as the worst of the effects of it were just about to kick off and England was still reeling from being nearly destroyed from WW2. All of that together with the fact that the book was intended for a less educated audience.
Posted on 9/26/24 at 6:05 pm to Odysseus32
I did the audiobook for this a few months ago and it completely went over my head. I didn’t care for it at all
Posted on 9/26/24 at 8:59 pm to Odysseus32
Not to get political, but I think much of the book’s power comes from the social context of an avowed Democratic Socialist being willing to speak out against the authoritarianism of both the left and the right back then.
Also: the allegory goes pretty deep to the point that individual animals represent specific political figures (Trotsky, Marx, Stalin, etc..).
Also: the allegory goes pretty deep to the point that individual animals represent specific political figures (Trotsky, Marx, Stalin, etc..).
This post was edited on 9/26/24 at 9:00 pm
Posted on 9/27/24 at 8:08 am to hogfly
quote:
Not to get political, but I think much of the book’s power comes from the social context of an avowed Democratic Socialist being willing to speak out against the authoritarianism of both the left and the right back then.
I think this is important. At the time it was written, the UK was going through a political situation where the popular political parties at the time were either far right or far left. (sound familiar) There were also still a lot of communist sympathizers. The book presents the ideas in a very simple way that could be understood by a population with limited knowledge of the communist system. I think this is where it's so successful in it's accessibility. It's very easy to see the parallels to the communist system.
The UK government ended up taking a more middle of the road approach setting up it's welfare system and addressing worker's rights issues while dealing with the unions which were very strong politically.
Posted on 9/27/24 at 11:55 am to Odysseus32
quote:
I feel like if someone wrote a book right now about something of similar consequence people would toss it as a failed allegorical attempt, as the message would be stronger had they just said what they meant.
Anyone explain where my blinders might be here? I think it's an incredible book, but part of me feels like I think that because of the cultural significance.
As others have said, the time it was written is a large part of its importance (which dovetails into your thoughts on its cultural significance). More importantly though is that the cultural significance is why it still garners initial attention. That attention then sparks understanding for many who read it. To put it another way, Animal Farm is an allegory for its time, but it is also a dissertation on human behaviors and the cyclical nature of oppression which can lead a society into totalitarianism and keep it there.
If you look at it from a slightly different view, that path from the point where they had finally chased off Mr. Jones for good through to the end is how you end up with a world like the one we see in 1984 where the central government/pigs have taken such power that it has employees dedicated to making sure all references to unagreeable prior history ("all animals are created equal" vs. "all animals are created equal, but some are more equal than others" for example) are completely deleted (as opposed to simply forgotten by animals like Boxer and the sheep).
In many places in the world today, a story like Animal Farm is still considered dangerous due to the spotlight it shines on power and those who may pursue it.
Posted on 9/28/24 at 3:15 pm to Odysseus32
quote:
Anyone explain where my blinders might be here? I think it's an incredible book, but part of me feels like I think that because of the cultural significance.
Orwell was a lefty who fought for the left in the Spanish civil war, where he saw the enormous hypocrisy of the communist philosophy and leadership. Then he turned against them with a great narrative about the viciousness of the soviet style totalitarian regimes, the bankruptcy of their economic and political systems and a ridicule of the useful, obtuse idiots that help prop them up. All wrapped up in an easy to read allegory for the masses. It was an idea who's time had come.
My largest critique of the book is that he handles the Snowball(trotsky) character with relative kindness, as if Trotsky was a hero of the people or some such nonsense. He wasn't as psychotic as Stalin, but, if he had defeated Stalin, in typical communist fashion, he would have been as brutal of an oppressor.
Posted on 10/10/24 at 9:08 pm to Odysseus32
I had maybe a different perspective because I first read it when I was about 7 or 8 years old (I was a ridiculously advanced reader) but only saw it as a story about talking animals. Then, when I read it later, the politics and allegories jumped off the page in a way hard to describe. It wasn’t just a pig, it was a dictator. Boxer became the useful idiot, Benjamin the sarcastic cynic, Squealer the manipulative propagandist. I wasn’t schooled enough to assign historical individuals to the various characters, but the transition in my mind from simple-but-strange fairy tale to powerful social commentary was mind-blowing.
Posted on 10/21/24 at 9:21 pm to Odysseus32
I don’t know if it’s my favorite book, but it’s certainly the book I’ve read the most times. Several in 1 sitting. Of course most of those have been in the past 20 years. Still so timeless. Orwell was a fricking prophet.
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