Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Animal Farm

I love stories that are like this and showing how things can become corrupt later on even with good intentions. It shows how history repeats itself and I just love it. I know this book is old and people have read it in high school but I wasn’t one of those since my teachers resorted to using articles instead of books but reading this now and willingly felt more intriguing compared to being forced to read this as well as write an essay about it so I highly recommend people to read classic books that you’ve read back then or haven’t read. Anyway, knowing that I haven’t read it now explains why I was shocked when I read that the pigs started walking on their hind legs because after everything they’ve said to the other animals they went and betrayed them and became the one thing they hate. A human, a thing that walks on two feet who also drinks alcohol. It’s the one thing I love in stories like how I said in the beginning. I’ve seen the reviews on here but most are complaining about reading it in school so I hope people can reread it and grow to like it now that it’s not being forced upon you. But to me, I highly enjoyed it. I won’t ever forget what happened to Boxer though like reading that was a stab to the heart.

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fleabagb's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This was just wow. I put it off for a few years because of the 'classic' label I was worried it wouldn't hold up well with time or it wouldn't be as comprehensively readable. But wow! I was so pleasantly surprised that it was and it did. I had to make myself take this book in spurts because of how much it is. It holds a scary amount of truth that pretty much all still is relevant today if not more so. I'll tell ya, I was not expecting to cry over a darn horse, but alas, here I am. There are no proper words to describe the experience this book is unless you've read it yourself. The first time read, the putting it all together, figuring it out - it's next level. I was wanting to yell, scream, cry, fight and everything else in between. This book also reminded me just how crucial community can be to our survival, I never quite thought about it like that before I read this. If I could read it again for the first time right now all over again I would; that's an experience everyone should have at least once in their lifetime.

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tardati's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I read it for school, found it really interesting and funny.

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riverofhorton's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

This was an incredibly thought-provoking book from start to finish and something that I can see myself revisiting in the future.

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.

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