A Must and Continuous Read

 

With thousands of reviews of Animal Farm in the press since 1945, Amazon with over 1,187 as if today, it's hard to find something extra to say.  With Soviet era Communism in his crosshairs first, with particular disdain for Stalinism, and the danger of totalitarian regimes in general, George Orwell was and will remain one of the greatest political yarn spinners for generations to come.  Concealing his hatred of Communism, not Socialism, with humor and perhaps the most poignant political moment in history, when we realize that Boxer is headed to the glue factory and not to the promised green pastures for his retirement, we understand the true nature and lethal danger of totalitarian politics left unchecked.    Most who read Animal Farm will look quickly to the farms and the characters as representations of life in post-revolution communist Russia under Stalin.  Perhaps they will expand the political commentary to include more modern totalitarian regimes, as well they should.  But, Orwell's greatest contribution is not the recasting of Stalin's absolute abuse of his power, but the way in which the people, the masses, were led down the absolute wrong path by the subtle manipulation of ideas.  Animal Farm is more than a denunciation of a political system; it is a call to the literacy, political awareness, and participation one must have in any political system in order to avoid the inevitable corruption of power.  A must and continuous read.