Book 2: Animal Farm, by George Orwell

Dear Mr. Martel,

Well, I'm getting in just under the line, it being 11 pm PST. I just finished rereading Animal Farm, and am very pleased to have done so. The details of the book had been buried deep amongst most other memories from my high school years, and I 'm sure it was easier to reread it than to attempt an excavation of such memories. It is always interesting to read books at different stages in life, and see how it affects you depending on what experiences and education you've had or gained since your last reading. I would like to say that the political satire was more evident to me this time around, but sadly my knowledge of the Russian Revolution has not increased a great deal since grade seven, and without the notes on the text provided by Peter Davison in the recent Penguin edition I had out of the Greater Victoria Public Library (acquired by the GVPL on May 28th of this year - I think I was the first patron to read this copy!) I would not have known that Orwell intended Napoleon to be reminiscent of Stalin. Yes, the notes were helpful (and if you will allow another one of my digressions, on a little amazon hunt earlier this week I happened to notice that there is an edition out with an introduction by Ann Patchett. I would like to read what she has to say about it too. I like her - do you? Especially Bel Canto- I wonder if that would be a good one to send Stephen Harper). But what is wonderful about Animal Farm, I think (and surely why they made us read it in high school), is that you don't need to fully grasp the satire to appreciate its meaning.

The novel made all sorts of diverse thoughts surface in my brain, beginning with the personification of animals in literature (really, I could only come up with Aesop and Art Spiegelman's Maus in adult lit, but I think that is because my brain has become over-saturated with all the talking animals in the children's books I have been reading to my kids over the past nine years - there must be others). For all three (Aesop, Spiegelman and Orwell) the use of talking animals provides some distance from political commentary. Hmm. Maybe not so much with Maus. Speaking of children's books, have you come across Farmer Duck, written by Martin Waddell and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury? A rather peculiar children's story with some faint echoes of Orwell.

Animal Farm reminded me of my trips to Prague in '95, and Cuba in '97, and all the various perspectives on socialism I was exposed to in those places. I thought about bears a lot, although this is because I was reading it on a camping trip, and I have some qualms about camping in bear country. With small children. I also thought about how we treat animals. I was especially moved by the death of Boxer, and wondered why Orwell chose the pigs to be the cunning ones, while the other animals are all dense - did he observe this in a farmyard, I wonder? I have never viewed pigs as being particularly smart animals, however I haven't spent much time with farm animals. And I thought about your book - the one you mentioned to Harper when you sent him this book. I wonder how it is coming along - I am looking forward to reading it. Have I not yet mentioned it? I am a fan of your work. I thoroughly enjoyed The Life of Pi - I read it shortly after my second child was born, and remember becoming completely absorbed in it, but again, the details are foggy - I blame the sleepless nights of that period. (It's on my reread list). It is your Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios that is more fresh in my mind. I read it in 2004 before going to see it put on at the Bain St. Michel, and it blew me away. (Twice. The story and then the play.)

I have not had a reply from you yet, but I expect this is because you haven't really heard from me yet. I only mailed out the last letter earlier today. First I was delayed because my printer was out of ink. Then when I replaced the cartridges and printed it up I was a little paralyzed with self-doubt. Was this all too crazy? Shouldn't I have some better comments to put down before I sent off my responses? Etc. I got over that, but then the envelope got lost in the bottom of my purse, and then we went camping. So finally today, two weeks after writing the letter, I actually plucked up my courage and dropped the letter in a mailbox. Hopefully I will get this one off to you in a more timely fashion.

Wishing you a good two weeks (I see your birthday falls between this letter and my next so please accept my best early birthday wishes - I noticed that you wished the Prime Minister a happy birthday when you sent him Animal Farm, so there seems to be a nice symmetry there),

Rebecca Baugniet