Animal Farm

One of Time magazine's 100 best English-language novels and the most famous of all twentieth-century political allegories • “A wise, compassionate, and illuminating fable for our times.” —The New York Times

This story of a group of barnyard animals who revolt against their vicious human master, only to submit to a tyranny erected by their own kind, is a universal drama. Taking as his starting point the betrayed promise of the Russian Revolution, Orwell lays out a vision that, in its bitter wisdom, gives us the clearest understanding we possess of the possible consequences of our social and political acts. Orwell is one of the very few modern satirists comparable to Jonathan Swift in power, artistry, and moral authority; in Animal Farm his spare prose and the logic of his dark comedy brilliantly highlight his stark message.

With an introduction by Julian Symons

“Remains our great satire on the darker face of modern history.” —Malcolm Bradbury

“Orwell’s satire here is amply broad, cleverly conceived, and delightfully written.” —San Francisco Chronicle"

Everyman's Library pursues the highest production standards, printing on acid-free cream-colored paper, with full-cloth cases with two-color foil stamping, decorative endpapers, silk ribbon markers, European-style half-round spines, and a full-color illustrated jacket. Contemporary Classics include an introduction, a select bibliography, and a chronology of the author's life and times.

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Published May 25, 1993

97 pages

Average rating: 7.91

947 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Oree
Jun 25, 2025
8/10 stars
This book was required reading when I was in middle school but I definitely appreciate it more as an adult. The more things change the more they stay the same. The creativity of using different animals to portrait different types of citizens in an oppressive regime was uncanny and unique. This book is one of my favorite satirical pieces.
The.Gouda
Mar 18, 2025
10/10 stars
Even though the book parallels elements of Soviet Russia in the 1940's, this book closely reflects our current political climate.
abookwanderer
Oct 09, 2025
6/10 stars
I figured since I assigned this to my girls to read I should probably read it as well. I see the merit in it, but it's not the kind of book I enjoy; the heaviness of the underlying message can be overwhelming to take in all at once. Maybe I shouldn't have read it in one sitting, or maybe I should have read it when I was younger. However, I definitely think everyone should read this at least once.
Papa J
Oct 08, 2025
9/10 stars
Nakakainis
Nayri
Oct 07, 2025
8/10 stars
Very clever modern-day fable

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