2008-05-30 A Well Deserved Classic

Unlike other books which you are forced to read at school, or which are labelled classics and which turn out to be wildly disappointing, this book lives up to its hype.

It is a simple political allegory acted out in a farmyard setting with the animals deciding they have had enough of being 'ruled' by the farmer and that they could do a better, fairer job by themselves. Orwell charts their progress with its initial ups and final horrifying downs with a sense of wondrous glee which lifts this book out of the ordinary and well above the usual fairytale standards.

The book is simple, short and yet breathtakingly powerful. It has huge emotional impact and will stay with you long after reading it. I am glad that I didn't read it at school and discovered it later in my adult life when I could really appreciate it properly. This and 1984 are two of Orwell's greatest achievements and given the high standards of the rest of his output that is really saying something.