Book Review of "Animal Farm" and "Of Mice and Men"

         Animal Farm by George Orwell is a powerful, simply written fable recommended for all. It tells the story of farm animals who overthrow their human farmer to create an equal society, but the pigs, led by the evil Napoleon, take over and become corrupt tyrants, transforming the revolution into a dictatorship. The animals of Manor Farm rebel against Mr Jones, aiming for a society where all are equal. Still, the clever pigs slowly take control and change the rules to benefit themselves, leading to a dictatorship.

The book explores how power corrupts, the danger of lies, and the importance of leadership, acting as a clever allegory about fairness and corruption. It’s a very slim, simple volume that can be read quickly, making a complex subject accessible. It teaches critical thinking about fairness and encourages questioning authority.

As readers, we find the story engaging, but sometimes it is a bit dark or heartbreaking because of how the hardworking horse, Boxer, is treated. It is recommended for students as they might find it violent or difficult to grasp the political metaphors.  It is widely considered a genius fable that reads easily but leaves us with profound lessons about history and humanity. 

 

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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a tragic 1937 novella about George and Lennie, two Depression-era migrant workers chasing a dream of owning their own farm. Lennie, physically strong but mentally disabled, accidentally kills a woman, forcing George to make a heart-wrenching decision to protect him, highlighting themes of loneliness, friendship, and failed dreams.

In a world where workers travel alone, George and Lennie’s partnership is unique but doomed. The story shows how economic desperation makes dreams difficult, or impossible, to achieve. Lennie’s inability to understand the world, combined with his strength, leads to unintended violence. Companionship in Of Mice and Men is primarily demonstrated through the friendship of George and Lennie, as there are no other meaningful relationships between people in the book. The unusualness of their bond is emphasised throughout the novel.

Steinbeck chose the title Of Mice and Men after reading a poem called “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns, in which the poet regrets accidentally destroying a mouse’s nest. The poem resonates with several of Of Mice and Men’s central themes: the impermanence of home and the harshness of life for the most vulnerable. The struggles of the mouse whose home is destroyed parallel the struggles of George, Lennie, and other migrant workers whose dreams of purchasing land are destroyed by the trials of the Great Depression. Their own fate is not so different from the poem’s mouse, or the dead mouse Lennie pulls from his pocket—the characters are destined for destruction beyond their control.