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Anarchist Farm
Margaret treats her animals well, but is old. When she dies, they run the farm themselves.Meanwhile the Forest Protectors, a group of wild animals, are battling the Corporation. But it isn't just the forest that is in danger. The Corporation declares Circle-H in default and plan to auction its animals off. How can the animals at the Circle-H, now renamed the Circle-A, save themselves and their farms from the Corporation?
It's a chaotic world; nothing goes according to plan. But sometimes, that's not such a bad thing.
It's a chaotic world; nothing goes according to plan. But sometimes, that's not such a bad thing.
- GenresFiction
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1996
5 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Jane Doe
368 books328 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
"Jane Doe" is a name frequently used as a pseudonym by women who wish to be anonymous.
"Jane Doe" is a name frequently used as a pseudonym by women who wish to be anonymous.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 28, 2017
Hayvan Çiftliği'nin bir versiyonu. Tavsiye edemeyeceğim.
July 17, 2007
Cute and moderately enjoyable, but perhaps just a little too cheesy.
Obviously a spin on Animal Farm, Anarchist Farm is a fable of farm and woodland animals coming together and, rather than experiencing the corrupting effects of power, finding new ways to cooperate in non-hierarchical fashion to resist the destruction of both the forest and the farm by the tag-team alliance of corporations and government.
It was encouraging to read (which is a big plus, given that most works critiquing destructive power systems - like Orwell's work - are more depressing rather than constructive or encouraging), but things like the puns in play with some of the animal's names and the exact correspondence between historical events in the animal world and our own history were just a little too blatant and overdone. (For instance, the IWW Wobblies become the "Woollies," animals refusing to work in factories producing fabric when their wages in oats are decreased.)
Of course, I also realized while reading that until about a month ago I wouldn't have known a lot of the history to which the book refers, or caught some of the jokes which are sort of activist in-jokes or good-humored self-deprecation. I think for those who are pretty familiar with the history of environmental activism, there may exist a whole separate dimension to the book which is actually pretty amusing. And for those who are not, the book hints at what you might want to know, while also providing a good introduction to a positive form of anarchism (as opposed to those forms of anarchism which are really just nihilism hiding under another name).
Obviously a spin on Animal Farm, Anarchist Farm is a fable of farm and woodland animals coming together and, rather than experiencing the corrupting effects of power, finding new ways to cooperate in non-hierarchical fashion to resist the destruction of both the forest and the farm by the tag-team alliance of corporations and government.
It was encouraging to read (which is a big plus, given that most works critiquing destructive power systems - like Orwell's work - are more depressing rather than constructive or encouraging), but things like the puns in play with some of the animal's names and the exact correspondence between historical events in the animal world and our own history were just a little too blatant and overdone. (For instance, the IWW Wobblies become the "Woollies," animals refusing to work in factories producing fabric when their wages in oats are decreased.)
Of course, I also realized while reading that until about a month ago I wouldn't have known a lot of the history to which the book refers, or caught some of the jokes which are sort of activist in-jokes or good-humored self-deprecation. I think for those who are pretty familiar with the history of environmental activism, there may exist a whole separate dimension to the book which is actually pretty amusing. And for those who are not, the book hints at what you might want to know, while also providing a good introduction to a positive form of anarchism (as opposed to those forms of anarchism which are really just nihilism hiding under another name).
November 23, 2016
guzel benzetmeler var, okudugum en guzel fabllardan biri...
May 25, 2008
i found this book at my local anarchist infoshop/community library (pitchpipe infoshop: myspace.com/pitchpipeinfo).
it's an admitted spin-off of Orwell's Animal Farm with an anarchist take. It has critiques like Orwell, but it also imagines an alternative.
it's pretty darn nutritional yeasty (aka cheesy for those non-vegans out there) and enjoyable. there are memorable characters, and funny animal counterparts of anarchist institutions and tactics like food not bombs, direct action, and consensus-based meetings.
it has a sweet ending and is the kind of cheesy utopia i like. it was a quick read because it was short, which also means i couldn't get super into the characters and the story wasn't that meaningful for me, but i see if as more of a light-hearted cutesty, quasi-inspirational, anarchist fable.
if you're looking for something light and silly, grab Anarchsit Farm (if you can find a copy). It's by a weird publisher that has a far-out anarchist fiction series about jesus vampires and stuff.
it's an admitted spin-off of Orwell's Animal Farm with an anarchist take. It has critiques like Orwell, but it also imagines an alternative.
it's pretty darn nutritional yeasty (aka cheesy for those non-vegans out there) and enjoyable. there are memorable characters, and funny animal counterparts of anarchist institutions and tactics like food not bombs, direct action, and consensus-based meetings.
it has a sweet ending and is the kind of cheesy utopia i like. it was a quick read because it was short, which also means i couldn't get super into the characters and the story wasn't that meaningful for me, but i see if as more of a light-hearted cutesty, quasi-inspirational, anarchist fable.
if you're looking for something light and silly, grab Anarchsit Farm (if you can find a copy). It's by a weird publisher that has a far-out anarchist fiction series about jesus vampires and stuff.
September 15, 2008
Where Animal farm left off....Awesome fable wherein farm animals find out that they can feed themselves and run the farm by themselves after their owner dies. Meanwhile, forest animals are organzining to stop the evil corporation from cutting down the trees. When the two groups meet up, the government and corporations better look out!
I would give this five stars but the ending is a little weak.
I would give this five stars but the ending is a little weak.
October 10, 2024
Det var helt perfekt att läsa detta direkt efter Djurfarmen! Den öppnade upp en helt annan syn på första boken och fortsatte historien på ett sätt som verkligen behövdes. I samma andra som Djurfarmen var denna ju också förskräckligt rakt på, men det va fint och positivt. Upplyftande. Det enda negativa jag har är att den hade alldeles för många namn och karaktärer. Första boken är ju inte heller helt oskyldig till det, men jag tyckte det blev värre här. Svårt att hänga helt enkelt.
Annars? Bra rakt igenom. Den gjorde mig lite pirrig.
Annars? Bra rakt igenom. Den gjorde mig lite pirrig.
December 12, 2024
finally some good anarchist escapism!! loved it
February 8, 2016
I picked this up with some pretty low expectations. I imagined a crude revision of Orwell's book, this time with the farm animals trying anarchism instead of socialism. I was very wrong! I pretty much loved this right from the start, mostly for the subtle humour and quirky details. I was about halfway through when I realized that I couldn't remember what the original Animal Farm was like so I went back and reread that. I have to say that Jane Doe's book stacks up pretty favourably. It lacks some of the fine language and the narrative isn't as tight. However it's just as imaginative and of course, much more upbeat.
The central character is Snowball the "good" pig, who was chased off Orwell's farm by Napoleon's dogs. He heads into the forest where he encounters a bunch of eco-activist raccoons (it's slightly dubious that raccoons would be living next door to Orwell's very English farm, but no matter). Snowball changes his name to Pancho because it sounds tougher and he embarks on adventures that bring him to the circle A farm - another farm without humans. The animals are a bit smarter here and there are lots of funny characters. One of my favourite moments is when Pancho falls in love with a female pig, only for her to tell him that she prefers girls. To say too much more would be spoiling it. Corporations are presented as the ultimate evil which is probably going to put some conservative folks off the story, but for most this is going to be a fun read, whatever their politics. The death and murder is pretty minimal too so it makes a good read for children. Check it out!
review first appeared at: http://bench-press.blogspot.com.au
The central character is Snowball the "good" pig, who was chased off Orwell's farm by Napoleon's dogs. He heads into the forest where he encounters a bunch of eco-activist raccoons (it's slightly dubious that raccoons would be living next door to Orwell's very English farm, but no matter). Snowball changes his name to Pancho because it sounds tougher and he embarks on adventures that bring him to the circle A farm - another farm without humans. The animals are a bit smarter here and there are lots of funny characters. One of my favourite moments is when Pancho falls in love with a female pig, only for her to tell him that she prefers girls. To say too much more would be spoiling it. Corporations are presented as the ultimate evil which is probably going to put some conservative folks off the story, but for most this is going to be a fun read, whatever their politics. The death and murder is pretty minimal too so it makes a good read for children. Check it out!
review first appeared at: http://bench-press.blogspot.com.au
July 18, 2012
In 1996, when this book was written, many of the ideas expressed were new to me. Now that these concepts are being discussed widely and put into action by Occupy groups around the world, the book has become even more relevent.
September 2, 2008
I read this ages ago and I think I really enjoyed it then, maybe?
June 20, 2013
It goes a bit better this time around.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews