Animal Farm And 1984: (Authorized Orwell Edition)―A Mariner Books Classic

Good quality, good way to read the 2 classics

Keeping in mind both of these works were written in the 1940's, George Orwell comes across as visionary.Animal farm details an uprising by farm animals against their owner. Initial elation at their new found freedom turns to a somber, sorrowful existence of work, work, work with very little to show for it. The self proclaimed leader, Napoleon the pig, creates evil in the form of another pig who he runs off the farm. The need for fear is realized as a weapon used to control. Napoleon becomes more isolated and rules with an iron fist. The workers work harder and harder in the hopes of the bounty promised them by Napoleon. In reality, the lives of the majority have changed little between pre-revolution and post-revolution. Eventually, no one can distinguish between pigs and humans. All animals are created equal, but some are more equal than others.1984 - wow, what an absorbing read. A post-apocalyptic England is the setting for a dark tale of warning. We follow Winston as he struggles with the indoctrination handed to him 24/7 by Big Brother. War is peace, freedom is slavery and Ignorance is strength is the mantra for this dark, controlled world. The past is constantly changing as per the dictatorial orders and the proletariat are ruled by fear and summary justice. Again, the need for a constant threat is used as a form of propaganda which controls the masses as, they are led to believe, they are kept safe by Big Brother. So many parallels with recent world events.Reading both these works, readers notice similarities with what they see today. It's hard not to see elements of the story, especially 1984, in society today. The constant fear we see banded about, the promise of better times in return for hard work etc etc. Personally, I found myself wandering inside my own mind and equating what I was reading with my own life here in America. Orwell certainly seemed to have a crystal ball and, whether or not this is purely a musing on Orwell's part, it is certainly prophetic.The text is easy to read. Orwell strikes a marvelous balance between giving us just enough description to put us at the scene but not too much to leave us yawning as background overwhelms the narrative. The reader always knows where the protagaonist is in space and time. Also, we always know who the subject he or she is. Masterful stuff from a great author.Excellent work on Orwell's part.

Animal Farm and 1984 are some of the greatest books I've ever read. I read them both a few years ago but decided to buy this edition as a gift. The hardcover edition looked extremely nice and I would give it 6 stars, as one of the reviewers wrote.My only take on this edition, is that the foreword was written by Christopher Hitchens. Those books are about how tyranny changes its outer shell and keeps its core, how leaders exploit people's vulnerabilities, fears, simplicity, and good nature to deceive them into thinking that bad is good and good is bad. I found it ironic that someone who rallied for the Iraq invasion and called it " just and necessary" wrote the foreword about a book meant to warn people from lies and manipulation.When you read them think about the current states in America not only of the USSR and don't miss the point. The bad only change their shape.

This was my second time through Animal Farm and third time through 1984. I haven't read either for a long time though. Animal Farm is entertaining, easy to follow, and not too demanding emotionally. 1984, on the other hand, is much more demanding emotionally to read as an adult than as a high school kid. The scenes are perfectly evocative . . . . your own mind adds to his words and you really feel the thought police looking at you. Similarly in 2020, different readers will view the Ministry of Truth from their own perspective. Some will see the doublespeak and doublethink coming from the New York Times, MSNBC, and CNN (and that they are the new Ministry of Truth) and others will see it coming from One America, Newsmax, Daily Mail and Breitbart. Some will see structural racism as a fake perpetual war with a fake history in tow, a myth designed to keep the proles permanently subjugated as the ruling class "clerisy" seeks more power for the state and themselves and others will see the same from the war against climate change and its globalist/one world agenda; others instead will see this same idea of a permanent war coming from the right to life movement. Finally, is cancel culture a real thing? If so, this book tells us to fight like crazy to prevent it because without the past, totalitarianism is a real possiblity.Both books reinforce the lesson from history that the Mensheviks got clobbered by the Bolsheviks because the Bolsheviks, especially Stalin, had no objective other than to consolidate power . If you are a modern day Menshevik (i.e., center left Democrat in the U.S.), you have three choices: (1) yield to the totalitarian far left as in 1984, (2) fight back against the totalitarian far left before it is too late and as has happened throughout the last 120 years in the U.S. -- the center left is much larger than the far left after all, or (3) finally join with the center-right as happens in center coalitions for parliamentary democracies around the world.

the book had some damage on the back pages but nothing that affected reading the story . bought this for my Grandson he thought it was a cool book since he was born in 2000.

Ein Klassiker den eigentlich jeder gelesen haben sollte. Deshalb stand er auch bei unser Kind auf dem Wunschzettel

Muy buena edición y buena calidad. Y lectura imprescindible para todos.

Delivered in perfect condition and on time. Two great books in one volume, neither of which need an introduction.

Good for readers