Why Does Everyone Hate "Animal Farm"?!

[PSY]

I mean, am I the ONLY PERSON who likes this historical, satirical allegory? o_O My roommates don't like it for the following reasons:

1) They don't like the fact that Orwell used cutesy talking animals, in order to make a political point.
(Which makes me wonder why they like Disney... what, you don't think he was making a political point with "Bambi"?)

2) They don't like the fact that everything is futile (at least, for the non-pig animals).
(Which is kind of the point... Stalin's form of Communism isn't supposed to work in practice... so I don't really understand why they can be upset by the book doing its job.)

Ugh. I dunno. Do I just have an odd taste in novels? I haven't read any of Orwell's other novels, so it's not like I'm some devoted literature student who think he's God. I just... like... the book! I think it's interesting! >_<

[emoticon]

did you watch the movie?

[esfdhtfy]

I enjoyed Animal Farm but I prefer Nineteen Eighty-Four, also by Orwell. Both are phenomenally written.

[PSY]

Originally Posted by emoticon

did you watch the movie?

No, I haven't seen either movie. It's weird, but I don't really watch animated movies that were based off of books (ex. "Watership Down", "Lord of the Rings"). I've been told that the live-action film is better than the animated one. Which one did you see, and did you like it?

[emoticon]

i saw the live action one. and i hate it. it pretty much convinced me to not read the book at all. but i do like watership down.

[Dedalus]

I loved Animal Farm. I thought it was excellent all round.

[Jack]

The reason some people hate Animal Farm is simply because they're ignorant. If they had a thorough knowledge of the time period, russian revolutionary history and what was going on in Russia at the time the book was written then they would see more in the book but some people are idiots and just go "oh, it's just a dumb book about animals".

When I first read it I just liked it as a story. Then I reread it several years later after I studied the Russian revolution in History and then went on to do a lot of extra reading around the topic and also read "Homage To Catalonia" (which will always be my favourite book by Orwell). What I found really interesting in Homage To Catalonia were the real life examples of exactly what Orwell was talking about in Animal Farm. Also, "Why I Write" by Orwell also made it a more enjoyable read. I think it's just general ignorance of communist politics and history in general that make some people hate it.

Not to mention that it's also a set book for English GCSE in some classes which means it'll almost always be hated by those people forced to study it. I nearly hated "To Kill A Mockingbird" even if looking back now I would have really enjoyed reading it without being forced to go over and over paragraphs of it for analysis.

[Speechless]

It's been sitting on my shelf for years. Guess I should take the time to read it sometime.

[amystery]

I never really hated the book. It would have probably been a lot more interesting if I was more familiar with the background though. I'm not really into stuff like that so honestly I probably wouldn't read it besides reading it for school...who knows maybe it I learnt more and got really into that maybe I'd enjoy it. I had to read it for English in Grade Twelve too so I found myself not enjoying it because of the stuff we had to do for it. I find that it's never that I hate the books we do in English...it's more the work and stress that comes with the assignments and such.

[Lizzie]

I had to read it in the tenth grade and quite frankly I just don’t think I understood and I haven’t read it since.

[ThrashAttack]

Ive read this book, its an interesting insight into how the soviet union functiond. The Animals overthrowing the evil farmer and then the Pigs who led the rebelion become Dictators themselfs.

[FriendZoneMayor]

I've seen the live-action movie, and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was both entertaining and gave great points on the world's society.

[The Morrigan]

I haven't read it but it doesn't sound like my usual choice of books. I may read it in the future since I've started reading other classics and am actually enjoying them even though they're not to my usual taste.

[Spellbound]

I haven't read this book, to tell the truth, but it seems like the kind of book that I would read. I love reading classics, I find them so intriguing and interesting.

[Briana]

I had to read the book in school and watch the movie. i think we also had to write an essay on it. I found it okay. I wasn't bothered by it.

[John 6:29]

I liked 1984 better, but Animal Farm was good too. Although Orwells writing style in most his books does get to me. I suppose it depends what kind of mood I'm in for his writing.

[Bean]

I read Animal Farm (though of my own accord, not for school) and thought it was brilliant.

[Power Cosmic]

Oooh, I liked this book ^_^.
It's been yeeears since I read it. I read it of my own accord since it came free with a newspaper and I was working weekends in a newsagents at the time, I just saw it and was like oooh *buys*.
Great book though, when you read it in context with the historical events and stuff, it's quite, well, insightful.

[Algernon]

They are too ignorant to understand it. I LOVE the last page, where you can't really tell the difference between the pigs and humans.

[MadPoet]

In eighth grade we were required to read one new book a month. In the last quarter of the school year, the teacher made up a list of books, and those were the books we had to choose from. Animal Farm was on the list, so that's the reason I'll probably never read it. I finally escaped that list, I will not succumb to the evil force of required reading lists. I guess that makes me ignorant, but whatever.

[Composure]

Originally Posted by NightOfNyx

In eighth grade we were required to read one new book a month. In the last quarter of the school year, the teacher made up a list of books, and those were the books we had to choose from. Animal Farm was on the list, so that's the reason I'll probably never read it. I finally escaped that list, I will not succumb to the evil force of required reading lists. I guess that makes me ignorant, but whatever.

Any teacher who gives me the opportunity to read Animal Farm, without analysis and for a grade, would be my number one.

Animal Farm wasn't really my cup-of-tea when I read it, simply because I had different tastes to those of someone who enjoys satire. After reading it, talking to someone at school about it who finally gave me some insight, I decided to reread it. I reread it twice every year now, almost.

[Magicalisland]

I absolutely LOVE animal farm, possibly even more than 1984 just because the characters of the animals are funny as well as being symbolic.

[Stephanie]

I read Animal Farm when I was about 12 or 13. I didn't get it then and thought it was basically just a bunch of talking animals. Talking animals do nothing for me, so I disliked the book. Actually knowing what it's about would help and probably make it better if I read it again.

[enjoydivision]

Animal Farm is such an amazing book. I actually love the way he uses animals to express his political viewpoints. The symbolism is brilliant.