Animal Farm is an interesting tale of the downfalls of Soviet Russia, shown through the attempts of the animals of Manor Farm to create a society in which all animals are equal and there are no humans. Orwell uses the everyday workings of a farm to highlight the issues that occurred in communist Russia, making this a great way to gain a simple explanation of some of the ways that this society failed. Particularly, the use of the eradication of historical events that do not fit the 'party' line is very memorable, showing the way that lies were used to create control.

It must be remembered, however, that this is Orwell's interpretation, so cannot be used as a historical text, but more as an engaging allegory. It also helps to have some background knowledge of the events surrounding the Russian Revolution, to fully appreciate the metaphors and comparisons used by Orwell. The book can be seen as boring if you are not interested in the meaning behind it, as on the surface it is merely a story about a bunch of animals. However, it is very rewarding if you can see past this.