Animal Farm

By: George Orwell

Narrated by: Ralph Cosham

Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

George Orwell's classic satire of the Russian Revolution is an intimate part of our contemporary culture, quoted so often that we tend to forget who wrote the original words. It is an account of the bold struggle that transforms Mr. Jones' Manor Farm into Animal Farm, a wholly democratic society built on the credo that All Animals Are Created Equal. Out of their cleverness, the pigs Napoleon, Squealer, and Snowball emerge as leaders of the new community in a subtle evolution that bears an insidious familiarity. The climax is the brutal betrayal of the faithful horse Boxer, when totalitarian rule is re-established with the bloodstained postscript to the founding slogan: But Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.

To supplement the full text version of George Orwell's Animal Farm, listen to the SparkNotes Guide for Animal Farm.

©1946 Harcourt Brace and Jovanich, Inc. (P)1991 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A wise, compassionate, and illuminating fable of our times....The steadiness and lucidity of Orwell's merciless wit are reminiscent of Anatole France and even of Swift." (The New York Times Book Review)

Like 1984 but with cute characters

I love this kind of story. Say very clearly what you mean to say without actually saying any of it. it's a lot of obvious metaphor but it's also just kind of fun to imagine it as an actual tell with animals. In a lot of ways it gets you thinking, wondering what will happen next and trying to compare it with real life.

Despite being a little too obvious at times the story and metaphor of it is great, so 5/5

Classic, quick read

A political drama with farm animals. A bit depressing but highly engaging. Easier Orwell book to read than 1984

Love this book

The narrator was perfect and the story was intriguing. I love is so so much

A Great Metaphor For The Soviet Union

Mr. Orwell uses many metaphors in this story to show what it was like to be in the center of the revolution that marked the era of communism.

It starts off as an idea. A thought of freedom, equality, pride and justice. Simple and noble enough, and too vague to interpret precisely. Then, seemingly over night this seed of thought springs to life and overthrows the current system of ruling.

At first all seems good enough. The power lies within the people (in this case animals), everyone does their part, and nobody steals or cheats. But very quickly the intelligent and insidious that manage the operation begin to take advantage of the uneducated and hard-working. Little by little they begin to change the rules and make up lies in order to benefit themselves, while taking away from the gullible and loyal.

With time, the small changes pile up. And just before any cry of unhappiness or protest can be heard, a decisive moment of brutal authority is administered to a figure of admiration, and an air of fear grips the confused public.

From then on things only get worse. The public is kept segregated due to fear of retaliation from the demonstrated power of the ruling class, and changes are more frequent and severe than before.

In the end, the over-burdened workers are worse off than they had been before the revolution. Though they've been so brainwashed by propaganda that they don't even know that they are.

Very imaginative and relevant even to this day. And some examples of manipulation can even be seen to be adapted in the most modern systems of ruling.

Excellent!

This clever classic story beautifully shows the evolution of a government. The narration was as enjoyable as the story. It did give me feelings of sadness, anger, and frustration, too.

Skip the intro!

Great reading of a classic, but if you are not familiar with the story ahead of time, DO NOT LISTEN TO THE INTRODUCTION. Why this is not an epilogue is beyond me.

Great Read

I own the physical copy of Animal Farm and am so glad I was able to get the audio version. Don't skip the introduction at the beginning of the story.

A tale for our times

Listen or read or watch a dramatization of this cautionary tale...however you experience it, do it now. This audible version is as good as any to get it into your head. Listen now and wake up to what's happening around you!

Great for a long drive.

The narrator has an inflection in his voice for different characters and he does a good job keeping the story interesting.

Mirrors Some Political Parties, etc.

"Animal Farm" fantastically mirrors some political parties and leaders; but America will overcome this delima, right?