Animal Farm by George Orwell

 

What classic have you always meant to read, but you haven’t quite gotten to it yet?

My son Daniel and I read most of Animal Farm by George Orwell together years ago (he was in middle school at the time. He is now a senior in high school.)  For some reason, we never read the last chapter.  I finally finished it up last month.  I had never read this book in my time in K-12 or in college, but I have always heard about it.  Unfortunately, it seems very relevant to the times we live in.

In this classic novella, animals on a farm in England rise up against their cruel master, Mr. Jones, and take over the farm to run it for themselves.  Things seem to go well until a pig named Napoleon and other pigs take over.  They change rules to help themselves and a pig named Squealer has the job to convince the other animals that their memory is faulty, “Comrade Napoleon is always right.”  Will the animals ever find the equality that they seek?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is a quick read and short book.

·       This story is written in the style of fable.

·       It is a dystopian story. 

·       We read the illustrated classic and liked the drawings in this version.

·       This book is on the banned book list.

·       I loathed Napoleon.

·       The different animals are supposed to represent different people in the history of the USSR.  For example, a pig called Snowball represent Leon Trotsky and is driven off the farm.

·       As the food rations smaller, pigs say that its is better than life under Farmer Jones.  Rules change slowly and no one is sure what is true. 

·       The story shows how a pure idea of freedom that is supposed to benefit all is corrupted by powerful people who take advantage of the uneducated masses to go along with things that do not benefit them.  The eventual dictator/leader turns to capitalism.

·       It seems like this book would be a better high school read rather than a middle school read where you could really dig into the history of the USSR and also current topics.

·       This book seemed heavy handed at times but did get the point across.  I got a lot more out of 1984 by George Orwell. 

Favorite Quote: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.

The Battle of the Frogs and the Mice by George W. Martin

Title: The Battle of the Frogs and the Mice


Author: George W. Martin

Read by: Graeme Malcolm

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Length: Approximately 22 minutes

Source: mp3 Download from Penguin Audio – Thanks!

The Battle of the Frogs and the Mice is a Homeric Fable. As it is told in the author’s note at the end of the fable, this fable has been translated numerous times and at one point was thought to be authored by Homer. Homer is not the author and the true author is unknown. George W. Martin (not to be confused with George RR Martin), put together the threads of the tale to make a complete and moving parable.

The death of Crum-snatcher, a Mouse, after he mounts the back of Puff-jaw, King of the Frogs, to explore the pond is seen by another mouse. Soon the mice and frogs are at war after this tragic death, and it is interesting to see how things escalate. The battle is epic, and I can see why it was thought to be a Homeric tale, it sounds a lot like the Iliad, but with critters. The narrator, Graeme Malcolm is perfect and brings gravity to the proceedings.

I enjoyed the fable and I think it would be a great audio for older children as well, perhaps 10 or so, as it is a tragic fable with death. I am a great fan of fables, myths, etc. and I thought this was entertaining and also very interesting. The author’s note on the origins of the story was fascinating.

Overall, a nice quick audio that will enthrall both adults and older children alike.