Book Review: Animal Farm

“The flag was green, Snowball explained, to represent the green fields of England, while the hoof and horn signified the future Republic of the Animals which would arise when the human race had been finally overthrown.” - Animal Farm, George Orwell

The first time I read Animal Farm, I was ten. Needless to say, it was a long time ago and although I’ve been a relatively astute reader since I was 8, I didn’t know the history relevant to understand why Animal Farm is such an important, intelligent novel.

I decided that since I barely remember reading it the first time, it deserved another read, with more knowledge under my belt. For those who aren’t aware of the story, it’s about a farm in which the animals revolt, and take over, running their owner out. Orwell uses the animals and Animal Farm as a metaphor for communists and the Soviet Union. The novel is interesting, the parallels obvious, and the language simple. The impact is enormous. Witnessing the hypocrisy and corruption that inevitably take place makes the reader question government propaganda, amongst other things.

Not much more to say about this novel. Nothing I say will add to its merit. It’s a classic.