Animal Farm by George Orwell

I picked up this book on a whim while perusing the shelves in Powell’s City of Books in Portland last December (2015). I hadn’t read it as a young adult and wanted to give the classic story a chance to make an impression. It found a temporary home on my bookshelf next to ~50 other books waiting to be read.

Short in length, I picked it up last week for a quick read before diving into a larger work. Little did I realize that it would leave quite a large impression. It’s a modern day (1940’s) fable with a storyline to fit our current political environment in the U.S.

I read the Signet Classics edition with the Preface by Russell Baker and Introduction by C.M. Woodhouse. Those were enlightening and interesting, providing a sense of Orwell’s (Eric Blair’s pen name) state of mind based on his life experiences, especially in World War II. They gave just the right amount of background and history along with high level explanations of how the events in the book satired certain world political events at the time.

The story is easy to read and entertaining. The characters are given enough personality so that you empathize with their situation and feelings.

The plot and story arc are a tale of warning for all to keep in mind as the politicians continue their games. Their unchecked actions, often born of selfishness, greed, and desire, have a huge impact on our quality of life. They should be held accountable when election time rolls around.

This should be read by all voters before casting their ballots.

All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others.