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stargazerave's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Orwell, in enrapturing detail, documents through an allegorical lens the repeated cycle of capitalism, dictatorship, and just how easily people (or in this book, animals) are manipulated by language. Reading this book made me viscerally angry at points and heartbreakingly sad at others. To see the cycle laid out so plainly forces the reader to acknowledge the presence and repetition that continuously plagues political landscapes. In a mere 96 pages (of the edition I read), Orwell highlights with haunting clarity how easily political dogma can be transformed into propaganda, especially over the course of time.
This novella left me horrified at moments with how many of the pigs' atrocious actions I found myself relating to our current sociopolitical climate. While written as an allegory for the Soviet Union, Orwell's work now highlights the atrocities committed by current governments and world leaders in a very blunt way. Yet, even as the book reaches its final pages, we see that this "accord" between the men and the pigs is strictly surface level with Orwell alluding to the start of the Cold War as both leaders play an ace of spades simultaneously.
Graphic: Animal death, Slavery, Animal cruelty, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Cannibalism
cloud_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Slavery, Gaslighting, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Blood, and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Slavery, Gaslighting, and Death
d00rframe's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Alcohol, Animal death, Death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Murder, Alcoholism, Classism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Slavery, Physical abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Torture, and Suicide
q_bert13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Gun violence
Minor: Alcohol
prishaa_23's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: War, Animal death, Violence, Death, Classism, Murder, and Gun violence
nineinchnails's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Classism
Moderate: Gaslighting, Gun violence, Death, Slavery, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cannibalism
pkc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Grief, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
rainbowrocky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Classism, Slavery, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Violence and Gaslighting
Minor: Fatphobia, War, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Alcohol, Gun violence, and Grief
riverofhorton's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I went into this knowing it was an allegory for Stalin's Russia, but knowing little about the USSR, I didn't know how that would present. I found it most interesting that we see a lot of Napoleon's early tactics in the politics of today, especially right-wing groups, I also find this parallel to be deeply unsettling in nature, and and wonder how long it will be before we are like the other farm animals of this book, if our real-world politics continue down the path they are on.
On a more personal note, I saw a lot of my past self within the character of Boxer, as well as a lot of people no longer in my life in Napoleon's character. It was slightly disconcerting as such an animal lover myself to draw these comparisons, but it did remind me of how far I've come in the past few years.
To end on a lighter note, I enjoyed reading about the dynamic between Boxer and Benjamin, and find myself wondering if the intention was to portray a queer love between the two male characters, or if that was just my brain. I did also find the characterisation of the cat to be perfect throughout.
Graphic: Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Blood, Bullying, Grief, Gun violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Ableism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Murder, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Classism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, War, Xenophobia, Death, Gore, Racism, Alcohol, and Chronic illness
aniston_pond's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Classism, Violence, Animal cruelty, and Slavery
Moderate: War, Murder, and Gun violence