All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.'
Animal Farm is an allegorical satire by one of the most influential novelists and satirists of all time, George Orwell. First published in 1945, it symbolises the power struggle of the 1917 Russian Revolution and the repressive Stalinist period which followed. Orwell, who was an adamant and vocal critic of Joseph Stalin and his totalitarian dictatorship over Russia, wrote this book with the intention of blending political and artistic purpose into one whole.
In this scathing parody on an oppressed society's blind march towards totalitarianism, the animals of Manor Farm are sick and tired of maltreatment under their enslavement from their cruel and dissolute master-man. Under the direction of Old Major, a prophetic pig, who ignites their quest by brandishing a utopian ideal, they undertake a revolution to create a life free of exploitation. The leading figures are clever pigs, one of whom, Napoleon-clearly modelled d on Stalin-is power-hungry. Released from shackles, the one key rule that all need to follow is: All animals are equal. For a brief period all the animals-dogs, horses, donkeys, goats, chickens, sheep-labour for themselves alone. But as the story progresses, it soon becomes clear: Some animals are more equal than others, as they are as exploitative as the humans they have replaced.
In a deceptively simple language, this overwhelming and timeless
classic shows how idealism can be deceived by greed for power and corruption.
This special edition celebrates the 75th anniversary of Animal Farm.