This updated version of 'Animal Farm' sees Orwell's famous novel remade for our modern era, replete with fake news and pandemics, and retaining the razor-sharp satire and political commentary of the original. You will wince as you spot the real-life allegories, groan at the all-too-familiar politicians of the farmyard, but laugh at the dark humour that runs throughout the novel.
A week after Lionel the alpaca's death, Manor Farm awoke to another horrific scene. Six of the hens had been slaughtered. They had been yanked from the coop in the night, their necks snapped, their breasts rent apart, their entrails dragged out of them and strewn across the farmyard. [...]
'Perhaps,' [Curly] was saying, 'it was not an act of slaughter by a fellow animal at all, but something the hens had done to themselves.' [...]
Just as Curly finished speaking, Martha noticed his gaze flicker towards the back of the crowd, as if seeking approval. George the fox was standing there, licking what looked like congealed blood from his muzzle. He caught Martha's frightened gaze. At that moment, Martha knew. And George knew that she knew. But instead of exhibiting any fear that he might be exposed, he simply licked his muzzle, extravagantly, one more time just for her.
