Book Fifteen

Faster than Pob can shout "Yes Shane!" or "Bowling Warney!" during a spectacular second innings collapse, I give you Book Fifteen.






















It’s supposed to be about Stalin. I thought it was about animals taking over a farm.

Either way, it’s a beauty of a book. It reminded me a lot of 1984 (but I thought it was even better), most probably because of the style of writing, but also because it seemed to tell a similar tale. Winston could have easily been any one of the animals that weren’t a pig, dog or sheep, with Big Brother Nasty Napoleon and his Inner Party comrades ruling the show with iron trotters.

Having learnt my lesson from 1984, I avoided reading the Introduction until I’d finished the story. I’m glad I did because once again, it would’ve told me what happens in the story before the story even starts. I don’t know why publishers do this with classics. I think they think the Introduction is as important as the book. I don’t. Either way, it didn’t really interest me (I found the Introduction to 1984 was quite interesting though but I guess I have had my fill of them now). I have never been into history or politics even if it is what inspired the book. Maybe it reminded me too much of A’ Level English Literature with GCSE History thrown into the mix.

I guess I should avoid reading the Introductions altogether, but then I wouldn’t feel like I’ve actually finished the book.

I did find the “Notes On The Text” section quite interesting though, and the two Appendices which were actually written by Orwell himself, which gave his own reasons for writing the book.