from here:
quote:If you loved George Orwell's Animal Farm, you'll love this "sequel." Many who have read Orwell's classic missed the basic underlying anti-authoritarian message, instead reading it as an allegory about the Soviet Union. In Anarchist Farm we find an extension of the philosophies underlying Animal Farm, but this time with a more upbeat outcome. Contemporary concerns such as ecocide and animal rights are also woven into this readable book. In fact, it is written in a style appropriate for teenage readers.
As in Animal Farm, the main characters here are animals and they talk. They also have cute names. Pancho is a pig who has escaped from the regime that has taken over the farm portrayed in Animal Farm. He is befriended by some wild animals, who are later revealed to be the "Forest Defenders." The Defenders turn out to be very similar to Earth First! Pancho eventually finds a farm whose owner has recently died. In response to the death of their benevolent owner, the animals turn the farm into a successful anarchist collective. As the months roll by, the animals start to worry about what might happen to them when the humans come to auction off the farm. The ending will surprise you. It should also be mentioned that the book also deals with monkeywrenching and its consequences.
from an amazon review:
quote:"Anarchist Farm" continues the story of Snowball, Napoleon's exiled partner, who, under the assumed name of "Pancho" (Trotsky in Mexico?), meets up with different groups of animals who all practice different forms of imaginative, cooperative, non-government.
Throughout the book, which is rather simply (and sometimes poorly) written, the focus shifts from character to character and we see that the story is not as important as the messages (some subtle and some, unfortunately, rather preachy) Jane Doe wants us to get. The bottom line message, i.e., that we don't need anyone to govern us, is often explained in metaphor and through the realizations of the major characters, and it is usually handled well, in an even-handed manner. Other issues which are effectively highlighted include the tricky topic of non-vilonece versus violence, and the notion that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Many other points, though, including homosexual equality, organic farming, punk rock - basically the entire spectrum of politically correct buzzwords and catch phrases - are touched upon in an almost rote, mechanical way (as if Jane Doe had a list of all the "liberal" topics she had to fit in) and so the essential political message of anarcho-socialism is unfortunately watered-down.
I've never heard of the thing.
How'd you come across it, Rage? |
