Animal farm

A “fairy tale” in the classic sense of a fable or a warning (as so much of Orwell's writing is). I first read this as a young teen when all it was to me was a tale of an animal uprising that spiralled out of control.

Turns out it's actually a thinly veiled commentary on communism in Soviet Russia with major animal characters reflecting the lives and ideals of major players in the Russian Revolution. I learnt this from Bradbury's introduction, Davison's notes and the appendices - including Orwell's original preface - all of which appeared in this copy adding context. If you want to know more there are plenty of articles available going into Orwell's critiques of communism, the historical events mirrored in the plotlines of the novella or even his apparently condescending attitude to the workers as uneducated followers unable or unwilling to fight back as their comrades become their leaders (not my view, just paraphrasing a critic for balance).

But don't let that put you off, you don't really need to know any of that. Its core message is just as relative today - power corrupts.