I have been reading books for a while now, and I wanted to read something different to keep reading interesting. I came across a YouTube Short where the presenter talked about this short book, and I thought it was unique, mainly because the main characters were animals. Since there was no physical copy available, I listened to the audiobook.
The book centers around a farm named Manor Farm, which is owned by Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones has lots of animals on the farm, from horses to pigs. One night, the animals gather to hear Old Major, a pig, talk about how humans exploit them. He inspires the animals to rebel so they don’t have to depend on humans anymore.
After the animals drive the humans off the farm, they take control and rename it Animal Farm. Power and greed slowly come into play as two of the pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, take on leadership roles and begin making decisions for the farm. The other animals naively follow them, which doesn’t turn out great.
Later, a divide develops between the two pigs. Napoleon drives Snowball off the farm with the help of his dogs and takes complete control. In the middle of all this, the humans try to take the farm back but are defeated by the animals.
Eventually, Napoleon starts making deals with the humans, which don’t really benefit the other animals. By the end, the animals are left wondering which are the pigs and which are the humans. This is a subtle way of letting the audience know that the pigs have become just like the humans they once rebelled against.
Overall, it was great to listen to the audiobook, and the best part was that animals were the main characters. If you are interested in a satire about animals, power, and corruption, this book is a great choice and one you can finish in a single sitting.
My rating: 9 / 10