I first read Animal Farm when i was in the 7th or 8th standard. It was an era before 24 hour TV channels. The internet was an American Defence Department pilot. And, without the distractions of TV or web, I fell in love with books. I read anything I could get my hands on. The parents encouraged the reading habit. There were some taboos – I remember them telling me not to read the translation of Chemeen – but otherwise, they didn’t really have any major restrictions. Animal Farm was a gift, when I came home one day, having heard about the Russian Revolution as a part of history, and thinking it was such a great idea. “Ni orwell padi di, then you will understand” they said, getting me both Animal Farm and 1984. I think this was my family’s way of ensuring that I didn’t get swayed by stupid ideas.

I am fairly certain that I didn’t get the analogies with Trotsky and Stalin and the rest of the Soviet high command. But I understood that Communism was not a great idea. And, I enjoyed the book. I loved the characters. Boxer, the hardworking horse, being my favorite.

In the intervening years, i became a history buff (20th century) for a period and pulped on the key events – the two world wars, the Soviet revolution, the Indian Independence Movement, the Chinese revolution, and the Holocaust and the formation of Israel. As i re-read Animal farm in these years, it began making more sense. the correlations came into play. But, i still read it as a book about animals who want to create an ideal space, where they could live in freedom and dignity. And, the way the ideals get corrupted, the hopes shatter, and the thirst for power becomes all-consuming.

At its core, Animal Farm by George Orwell is a dystopian tale. An allegory of the Communist takeover of Russia, and the despotism that was unleashed by Stalin. the story starts with the revolution, the animals in the manor farm, overthrowing their despotic ‘master’, and establishing a republic where all animals are equal. It is a world where the animals have gained human-level intelligence. They can read. They can talk. They can even build windmills.

A novella, rather than a novel, Orwell is said to have written the book to bring home to people, the brutal nature of the Soviet setup. At the start of the story, the animals chase out the cruel owner, and establish Animal Farm, with 7 commandments. But before you know it, the Pigs take charge of the farm and soon corner the power. Gradually, each of those commandments is violated, and changed, while the propaganda Pig, Squealer (i always saw him more as Goebbels than anyone from Stalin’s ministry) gaslight the animals to believe that their memory was cloudy. My favourite characters are the sheep, who keep bleating “4 legs good, 2 legs bad” drowning out all other thought and opposition. They remind me of today’s online mobs who keep trying to trend hashtags to control the agenda.

I discovered the Orwell Collection as a freebie on Audible Plus. Stephen Fry’s narration is gold. I learned more about Animal Farm and the motivation of its inhabitants from the audio book, than i had from reading it. Then, as now, my favourite character remains Boxer – and Fry’s rendition of Boxer’s faith in the system that doesn’t flag till the very end is touching. Boxer’s two maxims “I will work harder” and “Napolean is always right” reminds me of loyalists, even today. Those who stand on burning decks, looking at the havoc around them, and remain loyal to a cause or a leader.

Napolean (loosely based on Stalin) is, as always, incredibly dislikable. Fry’s narration gives Napolean a rather sinister air, right from the beginning. This is not someone who gets corrupted by power, and derails over a period of time. This is a person whose very purpose is power. His ruthlessness, his cutting out everyone else from the power structure, and his training of the next generation – be it the guard dogs or the new brood of pigs – is ominous.

Orwell wrote a book about the Soviet Politburo and the gradual unravelling of ideals, in one man’s mad grasp for power. But, the Soviet Union is gone. China is a Capitalist system with a Unitarian government. And, the communist ideal – as envisaged by Marx and Engels – is fairly dead and buried.

My reading of Orwell saw it less as a Soviet thing – probably because i wasn’t really exposed to the system that they had – and more of power thing. Look at any political party – and this is what we see happening. The party itself is set up with those who believe in common aims. And, sooner or later, there is a grab for power, and a fine tuning of ideas to suit the larger world. There is the propaganda surround sound, with bleating sheeps galore; and there are the loyal and faithful who will believe in the cause till they die. You can apply this to organisations too – except that for most outsiders, what takes place within organisations is not really life and death (though for those inside, it may be).

If you have a few hours to spare, and want to hear a story being told very well – please check out the Stephen Fry narration of Animal Farm. I am going to listen to 1984 – but not just yet. Animal Farm is ultimately a depressing book. The take away is ‘nothing changes’ as those who overthrow the old system, take on the symbols and behavior of those they vanquished. And that is unfortunately both true, and soul crushing