Animal Farm
Animal Farm is a brilliant political satire and a powerful and affecting story of revolutions and idealism, power and corruption. 'All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others.' Mr Jones of Manor Farm is so lazy and drunken that one day he forgets to feed his livestock. The ensuing rebellion under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball leads to the animals taking over the farm. Vowing to eliminate the terrible inequities of the farmyard, the renamed Animal Farm is organised to benefit all who walk on four legs. But as time passes, the ideals of the rebellion are corrupted, then forgotten. And something new and unexpected emerges..
Themes & atmosphere
Books in conversation with Animal Farm
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
Also by George Orwell
All works by George Orwell →
What you might want to know about Animal Farm
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
The animals of Manor Farm overthrow their drunken human owner and try to run the farm themselves. The pigs take charge, the rules begin to shift, and an old slogan slowly gets rewritten on the barn wall.
Yes. Animal Farm is a satirical allegory of the Russian Revolution and the rise of the Soviet Union under Stalin. Specific characters and events map to real historical figures and moments, with the pigs representing the Bolshevik leadership.
Animal Farm has been banned in numerous countries throughout history, including the Soviet Union, Cuba, North Korea, and parts of the Middle East. It has also been challenged in some American schools, though it is widely taught in literature courses.
Animal Farm is often taught starting in middle school. The animal characters and short length make it accessible, though the political themes and instances of violence and betrayal benefit from adult or classroom guidance.
Animal Farm distilled a complex critique of Soviet totalitarianism into a short fable that has been read for almost 80 years. The maxim All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others has become shorthand for hypocritical power.
Animal Farm was written by George Orwell, published in 1945 by Signet Classics.
Animal Farm is 128 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Animal Farm takes most readers 2 to 3 hours to finish.
Animal Farm is a standalone novel by George Orwell, not part of a series.
Animal Farm is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.