Just finished the book "Animal Farm" by George Orwell. One of the best pieces of political satire of any form (article or story) that I have read. It is an excellent description of a failed revolution(read Communism) told in the form of a rebellion in a farm .For of those who have not read the short but intend to do so later, do not read any further, for here is how the basic story line goes...
The animals in Manor Farm are ill-treated by the owner of the farm, Mr.Jones. They stir up in rebellion and drive out the human owners of the farm and create a farm where all the animals are equal (as in Communism). The pigs (mainly Napoleon and Snowball) in the farm take charge of the administrative duties of the farm while rest of the animals slog it out in the farm. Slowly but surely the pigs take control of the farm and virtually make the other animals their slaves. The story ends in a bleak note where the rest of the animals see that the rebellion did not serve any purpose and they are in the same position that they found themselves under Mr. Jones.Try this for a more detailed summary (aha!! nice oxymoron).
This was a story published in 1945. George Orwell clearly describes the events in story in accordance to the recorded history of communism(till 1945) in the Soviet. He describes the various political players in the Soviet as various (animal) characters in the Soviet. I have been able to link most of the characters to actual people in history but not all.
Anyway it is a great short story (espcially for a guy like me whose leanings are socialist). I strongle recommend it.
