450: Animal Farm by George Orwell

With special guest Longinus the boys drink and review a "cold IPA" by Jailbreak Brewing, then discuss a short novella. Crowhill starts with a brief bio of the author, then the boys review the structure and plot of the book. The book was written at a time when large numbers of the so-called intellectual elites were enamoured of communism. The novel starts on Mr. Jones' farm. He's not the best or kindest of farmers, and the animals decide to rebel. They take over the farm with some high ideals. All animals are equal, and they don't serve humans. One of the big themes in the book is the appeal to "equality," but that doesn't last. (It never does.) The pigs quickly take over leadership and become "more equal than others." The pigs go on to break all the original commandments of the commune, but they maintain their authority. It's an interesting allegory for the Soviet Union and other communist states, which pretend to believe in equality, but never practice it.