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Animal Farm

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks

Soon to be an animated film adaptation produced and directed by Andy Serkis

George Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution has become an intimate part of our contemporary culture, with its treatment of democratic, fascist, and socialist ideals through an animal fable.

The animals of Mr. Jones's Manor Farm are overworked, mistreated, and desperately seeking a reprieve. In their quest to create an idyllic society where justice and equality reign, the animals of Manor Farm revolt against their human rulers, establishing the democratic Animal Farm under the credo, "All Animals Are Created Equal." Out of their cleverness, the pigs—Napoleon, Squealer, and Snowball—emerge as leaders of the new community. In a development of insidious familiarity, the pigs begin to assume ever greater amounts of power, while other animals, especially the faithful horse Boxer, assume more of the work. The climax of the story results in a brutal betrayal, when totalitarian rule is reestablished with the bloodstained postscript to the founding slogan: "But Some Animals Are More Equal than Others."

This astonishing allegory, one of the most scathing satires in literary history, remains as fresh and relevant as the day it was published.

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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 8, 2019
      In this painterly adaptation of the slim volume read by most Americans in middle school, Odyr’s expressive watercolor palette strikes a visceral note that matches the intensity of Orwell’s original text. An intelligent pig, named Old Major, inspires the other animals on an English farm to revolt against their cruel human masters, sparking a revolution. While all of the animals were considered to be free and equal, pigs Napoleon and Snowball wind up running the farm, earning extra luxuries as a result. An ideological disagreement between the pigs leads to Snowball’s brutal ouster and Napoleon rising up as a dictator harsher than their original human master. The novel was about the failure of the Russian Revolution and the betrayal of its ideals, but it stands as a general example of the desire for power overtaking idealism. This graphic novel version picks up on symbolic visuals, such as the animals’ hoof and horn flag resembling the hammer and sickle. Odyr skillfully plays to these stark elements while evoking the mood of the countryside and the plot’s shocking violence; the atmosphere and emotions are spot-on. But, while an effective illustration of the text, Odyr proves faithful to the original to a fault, not taking the opportunity to create a new, hybrid work of art. Still, the fidelity to Orwell’s vision makes it ideal for younger readers, in particular, and Orwell’s message is sustained. Agent: Bill Hamilton, A.M. Heath

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1370
  • Text Difficulty:11-12

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