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Animal Farm.

Animal Farm.

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Animal Farm.

by ORWELL, George

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
See description
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
London, London, United Kingdom
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About This Item

London, Secker and Warburg, 1945. . First edition, first impression; 8vo; light spotting to half-title and endpapers, else unmarked internally; publisher's green cloth, titles to spine in white, minor browning to head and tail of spine, with the unclipped dust-jacket on the red printed Searchlight Books blank, short closed tear to top edge of front panel, rear panel slightly soiled, minor edge-wear, some rubbing to spine (as usual), else an attractive example.
The first edition of Orwell's socio-political classic, intended by the author to serve as a satirical take on the events that led up to the Russian Revolution and Stalinism whilst simultaneously illustrating the weaknesses inherent in the human condition that make any political and economic ideal almost unworkable. As the author states himself in his 1946 essay Why I Write, the motivation behind Animal Farm was 'to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole'.
Examples in this condition are of the utmost scarcity. The jackets for the entire edition were printed on the porous side of recycled wrappers, due to paper supply regulations in the UK during World War II. As a consequence they are extremely prone to rubbing and chaffing.
The book was banned in the Soviet Russia for obvious reasons, however it is interesting to note that printers were discouraged from printing it in the United Kingdom during the second world war as it was thought it might provoke their Soviet allies. The book was also banned in the United Arab Emirates in 2012 for 'un-Islamic' values and North Korea which is unsurprising given that the book questions authoritarian leadership.

Synopsis

Animal Farm is a dystopian novella by George Orwell. Published in England on 17 August 1945, the book reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era before World War II. Orwell, a democratic socialist and a member of the Independent Labour Party for many years, was a critic of Joseph Stalin and was suspicious of Moscow-directed Stalinism after his experiences with the NKVD during the Spanish Civil War.

Read More: Identifying first editions of Animal Farm.

Reviews

On Feb 22 2019, a reader said:
George Orwell is an author everyone must have the experiencing of reading. In this short novel, Orwell satirically criticises the Russian Revolution as well as other forms of government in the portrayal of animals to overthrow the human owner of a farm and begin to outline rules they must live by to be happy and free. This text covers topics of betrayal, leadership, honesty, and dishonesty. Orwell has always been ahead of his time, and this text exemplifies that in his advanced understanding of human behavior. I would say this is a must read, especially for those interested in politics and philosophy. Great book.
On Nov 21 2017, a reader said:
This book is absolutely wonderful. It is a fantastic read for many audiences that holds a strong historical meaning.

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Details

Bookseller
Shapero Rare Books GB (GB)
Bookseller's Inventory #
109291
Title
Animal Farm.
Author
ORWELL, George
Book Condition
Used
Binding
Hardcover
Place of Publication
London, Secker and Warburg, 1945.

Terms of Sale

Shapero Rare Books

30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.

About the Seller

Shapero Rare Books

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2020
London, London

About Shapero Rare Books

Specialising in rare books on Travel & Voyages, Natural History, Literature (including modern first editions), Children's Books, Guide Books, Judaica & Hebraica, titles of Russian interest, and Islamica.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Rubbing
Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
Tail
The heel of the spine.
Spine
The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
Wrappers
The paper covering on the outside of a paperback. Also see the entry for pictorial wraps, color illustrated coverings for...
Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Soiled
Generally refers to minor discoloration or staining.
First Edition
In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...

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