Animal Farm

By George Orwell

"Still outlawed by regimes around the world, Animal Farm has always been political dynamite." - 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Actuel Editions
• Release date: Jun 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9781925788761

George Orwell

George Orwell (1903–1950), the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair, was an English novelist, essayist, and critic. He was born in India and educated at Eton. After service with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma, he returned to Europe to earn his living by writing. An author and journalist, Orwell was one of the most prominent and influential figures in twentieth-century literature. His unique political allegory Animal Farm was published in 1945, and it was this novel, together with the dystopia of 1984 (1949), which brought him worldwide fame. 

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About the Author

Eric Arthur Blair (1903-1950), better known by his pen-name, George Orwell, was born in India, where his father worked for the Civil Service. An author and journalist, Orwell was one of the most prominent and influential figures in twentieth-century literature. His unique political allegory Animal Farm was published in 1945, and it was this novel, together with the dystopia of Nineteen Eighty-Four, which brought him world-wide fame. His novels and non-fiction include Burmese Days, Down and Out in Paris and London, The Road to Wigan Pier and Homage to Catalonia.

Published by Actuel Editions. First published in 1945 by Secker & Warburg, London, England. This edition published in 2020 © Actuel Editions.

all rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior consent of the publishers.

Orwell, George [Eric Arthur Blair, 1903-­1950], author.

Animal Farm / George Orwell.

isbn

: 978-1-925788-75-4 (paperback)

isbn

: 978-1-925788-76-1 (ebook)

Book design and typesetting © Actuel Editions

a note on the type

The text in this book is set in Sabon. Sabon was designed by Jan Tschichold in 1964. The typeface is named after the sixteenth century typefounder, Jacques Sabon, a student of the great French punchcutter Claude Garamond. Tschichold loosely based his design on types from the 1592 specimen sheet issued by the Egenolff-­Berner foundry: a 14-­point roman attributed to Claude Garamond, and an italic attributed to Robert Granjon. Classic, elegant, and extremely legible, Sabon is one of the most beautiful Garamond variations.

Contents

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER V

CHAPTER VI

CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VIII

CHAPTER IX

CHAPTER X

CHAPTER I

Mr. Jones, of the Manor Farm, had locked the hen-­houses for the night, but was too drunk to remember to shut the popholes. With the ring of light from his lantern dancing from side to side, he lurched across the yard, kicked off his boots at the back door, drew himself a last glass of beer from the barrel in the scullery, and made his way up to bed, where Mrs. Jones was already snoring.

As soon as the light in the bedroom went out there was a stirring and a fluttering all through the farm buildings. Word had gone round during the day that old Major, the prize Middle White boar, had had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals. It had been agreed that they should all meet in the big barn as soon as Mr. Jones was safely out of the way. Old Major (so he was always called, though the name under which he had been exhibited was Willingdon Beauty) was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour’s sleep in order to hear what he had to say.

At one end of the big barn, on a sort of raised platform, Major was already ensconced on his bed of straw, under a lantern which hung from a beam. He was twelve years old and had lately grown rather stout, but he was still a majestic-­looking pig, with a wise and benevolent appearance in spite of the fact that his tushes had never been cut. Before long the other animals began to arrive and make themselves comfortable after their different fashions. First came the three dogs, Bluebell, Jessie, and Pincher, and then the pigs, who settled down in the straw immediately in front of the platform. The hens perched themselves on the window-­sills, the pigeons fluttered up to the rafters, the sheep and cows lay down behind the pigs and began to chew the cud. The two cart-­horses, Boxer and Clover, came in together, walking very slowly and setting down their vast hairy hoofs with great care lest there should be some small animal concealed in the straw. Clover was a stout motherly mare approaching middle life, who had never quite got her figure back after her fourth foal. Boxer was an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together. A white stripe down his nose gave him a somewhat stupid appearance, and in fact he was not of first-­rate intelligence, but he was universally respected for his steadiness of character and tremendous powers of work. After the horses came Muriel, the white goat, and Benjamin, the donkey. Benjamin was the oldest animal on the farm, and the worst tempered. He seldom talked, and when he did, it was usually to make some cynical remark—for instance, he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies. Alone among the animals on the farm he never laughed. If asked why, he would say that he saw nothing to laugh at. Nevertheless, without openly admitting it, he was devoted to Boxer; the two of them usually spent their Sundays together in the small paddock beyond the orchard, grazing side by side and never speaking.

The two horses had just lain down when a brood of ducklings, which had lost their mother, filed into the barn, cheeping feebly and wandering from side to side to find some place where they would not be trodden on. Clover made a sort of wall round them with her great foreleg, and the ducklings nestled down inside it and promptly fell asleep. At the last moment Mollie, the foolish, pretty white mare who drew Mr. Jones’s trap, came mincing daintily in, chewing at a lump of sugar. She took a place near the front and began flirting her white mane, hoping to draw attention to the red ribbons it was plaited with. Last of all came the cat, who looked round, as usual, for the warmest place, and finally squeezed herself in between Boxer and Clover; there she purred contentedly throughout Major’s speech without listening to a word of what he was saying.

All the animals were now present except Moses, the tame raven, who slept on a perch behind the back door. When Major saw that they had all made themselves comfortable and were waiting attentively, he cleared his throat and began:

"Comrades, you have heard already about the strange dream that I had last night. But I will come to the dream later. I have something else to say first. I do not think, comrades, that I shall be with you for many months longer, and before I die, I feel it my duty to pass on to you such wisdom as I have acquired. I have had a long life, I have had much time for thought as I lay alone in my stall, and I think I may say that I understand the nature of life on this earth as well as any animal now living. It is about this that I wish to speak to you.

"Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours? Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. No animal in England is free. The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth.

"But is this simply part of the order of nature? Is it because this land of ours is so poor that it cannot afford a decent life to those who dwell upon it? No, comrades, a thousand times no! The soil of England is fertile, its climate is good, it is capable of affording food in abundance to an enormously greater number of animals than now inhabit it. This single farm of ours would support a dozen horses, twenty cows, hundreds of sheep—and all of them living in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining. Why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because nearly the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human beings. There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word—Man. Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever.

"Man is the only creature that

Reviews for Animal Farm

[morcys · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Spectacular

[jaylabelle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The allegorical tale of the Russian Revolution: what happens when farm animals revolt and drive the humans out... only to be ruled by the smartest and idlest of the animals - the PIGS!

[missnickynack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned--a razor-edged fairy tale for grown ups that records the steos from revolution against tyranny to a totalitarianism just as terrible.

[katfusion_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an amazing story about how sometimes you get what you wish for and it's worse than when you started. There's also political themes but everything is wrapped up in a nice package of talking animals that fight for their own freedom from mankind. A great read.

[missyr46 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a story of the affects of communism portrayed through the lifeon a farm. The animals take charge over the humans and start their own democracy, but abuse the power and create a dictatorship among them. Main characters include various animals such as a pig named Napoleon, who dictates the farm, a horse named Boxer, who is popular among the rest of the animals and another pig named Squealer, Napoleon’s strong follower.

[mrsmauck · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was definitely an interesting read, if it wasn't much of a page-turner. I think it would be a great discussion book for my high school students: which animal would you want on your side in case of battle? What rulers would you compare Napolean to? What part of the system did Squealer represent? Why is education important in a democracy?

[badgenome · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A scathing indictment of Stalinism wrapped in the charming trappings of a fable, Animal Farm is a concise masterpiece and one of the best books you can read in a single sitting.

[br77rino · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An allegory using farm animals as a society experimenting with socialism, and realizing too late the mistake they have made in accepting it.

[ashishg_50 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well written tale satirizing communism.

[sdtaylor555 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really good book. I read this one just for fun too, not in school.

[arkholt_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An incredible allegory. It's useful for better understanding the Russian Revolution, as well as governmental corruption and exploitation of the citizenry. A very sobering ending, as well. My wife was shocked by it. "That's it?!" she said. Well, yes, unfortunately.

[parp-4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An important and smart parable on communism. Very telling.

[darwin.8u · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Where, oh where is the 21st century's Orwell? The man is insightful, bold, and spot on. Although this book is taught as a primer in High Schools across America (probably for its size and the obviousness of its satirical allegory of Soviet totalitarianism). I loved it, and it still charms, as much as an allegory about totalitarianism can charm really.

[areadingmachine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Utterly brilliant. Far more clever, well-read and eloquent people than me have preached the intelligence of this novel so I don't need to. It's relevance exists now more than ever. Read it. Give it to your kid to read and let them become disenchanted with the franchise before they grow up and go psycho at the injustice and irony.

[tiffy_reads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was alright for me. Nothing remarkable to me but it was ok. I found myself wanting to yell at the animals for just blindly following the pigs. It ticked me off what happened to Boxer.

[tateortot · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book is a obstract reanactment of the russian revolution. Georege Orwell uses animals to represent major people that were involved. The book starts, a pig, Old Major, has a dream about life with out the rules from man. Old Major's dream is to live without the farmers rule, but when he dies, it is up to the animals to fulfill his lifelong dream.

[brendan.h · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't know if it's because I knew it was coming or I've grown more jaded, but Boxer's death didn't make me cry this time. Orwell's skeptical socialism only appeals to me more as the years go by.

[takeitorleaveit_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

the communist manifesto told through animals! YAY communism doesn't work and Orwell knows it and states it beautifully. George Harrison knew whazup too, in his song "Piggies". The Georgies...

[docliz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another chilling classic

[jayney576 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good but have to have a political background information to understand.

[foof2you · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An animal farm teaches us about life and politics who'd of thought it. A must read if you haven't already.

[jonfaith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I first started in the human services, way back while still at Uni, I was schedulled to work overnights for a while at a group home. I read this novel my first night. There are more symbols than I'd like to admit in my subsequent career. I've read three times since and remain amazed.

[kymarlee_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

classic political satire which explores the tenets of communism and the history of the Russian Revolution. This book can be discussed and analyzed at many different levels.

[heidilove_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

amazing. a must read for everyone who works in our Corporate Age

[balthazar0lawson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an analogy for the rise of the Soviet Union. A classic story that shows how power corrupts. It's short and to the point. Enjoyable.

[cala3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I felt like the only adult who hadn't read this book, yet. From the comments here it looks like it was loosely based on Russian Communism. I got the communism link but did not link to actual historical characters. All-in-all, I thought it was a good quick read of "be careful what you wish for" and how quickly corruption from within can take over a supposed Utopian society.

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Disturbing allegory about the Russian revolution and how it went awry.

[diovival · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a haunting tale written in a straightforward and simple style. Farm animals revolt and gain control of the farmland and their lives...or so they think. They had a vision of a great future free from the tyrrany of humans but, as the story unfolds, greed and a lust for power corrupts the dream for all.

[barb_h_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Listened to the audiobook version. I enjoyed it. I like this type of book

[kaelirenee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The classic political satire by the same man who brought us ideas about Big Brother. This is one of the books I was made to read in school that I've come back to years later and learned a whole new level of respect for.