2013-06-08

Animal Farm







I finished reading this book two days ago and I wanted to write the review so that the details that it contains did not start vanishing from my mind. Now, once I have decided to turn on my laptop lots of images, scenes, scents and sounds come to my mind from its pages. 

George Orwell tells us a story in which a group of animals, that live in Major Farm, tired of being punished and overexploited by Mr. Jones, the Farm’s owner, decide to take over the farm under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball. Animal Farm has just born.

Everything turns out to change in Animal Farm. New rules and commandments are written on the wooden barn walls, commandments that protect the animals, ‘the four legs’, from the human beings, ‘the two legs’. At the beginning, the peace fills the air in the farm, all animals are happy, they can eat whatever they want and rest peacefully in the orchard, but things are about to change.

The pigs consider themselves such as the cleverer animals in the farm. The rest of the animals follow their orders blindly and little by little they realize that they work even harder, do not have time to rest and feel hungrier than before the rebellion.

Napoleon becomes the leader of the group and, with his comments, makes the rest of the animals feel hatred towards Snowball, who finally is expelled from the farm.  The tyranny of pigs is spread on the farm. They do whatever they want, manipulate the rest of the community by changing the commandments on their own benefit and the promised quiet and fair life in the farm turns out to be a hell except for the pigs which even learn how to walk on their hind paws, drink whiskey, make deals with humans and spend the money both hands so, after some years, there is no difference between pigs and human beings.

In the end, the initial feelings of equality, animalism and justice disappear and only one commandment is written on the wooden barn wall ‘ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS’.


Despite of the first edition was published in 1945, I strongly believe that, after reading it, things have not changed too much concerning to the relations between workers and employers. When power pollutes our mind our heart becomes hard and insensitive to the others and, as a consequence, unhappiness is spread all around the world.


to my dear H.
Vic

5 comments:

  1. I finished reading this book two days ago and I wanted to write the review so that the details that it contains did not start vanishing from my mind. Now, once I have decided to turn on my laptop lots of images, scenes, scents and sounds come to my mind from its pages.

    George Orwell tells us a story in which a group of animals, that live in Major Farm, tired of being punished and overexploited by Mr. Jones, the Farm’s owner, decide to take over the farm under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball. Animal Farm has just BEEN born.

    Everything (turns out to) changeS (in) ON Animal Farm. New rules and commandments are written on the wooden barn walls, commandments that protect the animals, ‘the four legs’, from the human beings, ‘the two legs’. At the beginning, (the) peace fills the air (in) ON the farm, all THE animals are happy, they can eat whatever they want and rest peacefully in the orchard, but things are about to change.

    The pigs consider themselves (such as the cleverer) TO BE MORE CLEVER THAN THE OTHER animals (in) ON the farm. The rest of the animals follow their orders blindly and little by little they realize that they work even harder, do not have time to rest and feel hungrier than before the rebellion.

    Napoleon becomes the leader of the group and, with his comments, makes the rest of the animals feel hatred towards Snowball, who finally is expelled from the farm. The tyranny of THE pigs is spread on the farm. They do whatever they want, manipulate the rest of the community by changing the commandments (on) FOR their own benefit and the promised quiet and fair life (in) ON the farm turns out to be (a) hell except for the pigs (which) THAT even learn how to walk on their hind (paws,) LEGS, drink whiskey, make deals with humans and spend the money both hands (I DON`T UNDERSTAND SPEND THE MONEY BOTH HANDS) so, after some years, there is no difference between pigs and human beings.

    In the end, the initial feelings of equality, animalism and justice disappear and only one commandment is written on the wooden barn wall ‘ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS’.


    Despite (of )the first edition (was) BEING published in 1945, I strongly believe that, after reading it, things have not changed too much concerning (to) the relations between workers and employers. When power pollutes our mind our heart becomes hard and insensitive to (the) others and, as a consequence, unhappiness is spread all around the world.

    Very nice review of the book vicente. I have never read this book, I will have to search for a copy written in Spanish.

    Katie

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  2. Thank you Katie. With SPEND MONEY BOTH HANDS I wanted to express that they don't save up money, they enjoy things that are not allowed fir the rest of animals. They are not worried for the money

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  3. In Spanish it is said GASTAR DINERO A MANOS LLENAS

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  4. Ok,in English we would say = Spend money hand over fist. (lose or spend money very quickly)

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  5. I was trying to think of an equivalent expression, but Katie beat me to that one. "To spend money like it's going out of style" is another one. But I also like "to spend money with both hands", although I haven't heard it before.

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