Opinion: Past favorites, part I

Last September, I wrote about several of my favorite books. These were mostly novels that I read many decades ago, but they’re the ones that “stayed with me.” I believe each could be called a “modern classic.” Reminiscing was pleasurable for me and perhaps for readers who don’t care about recent copyrights.

Unless I get a lot of hate mail, I’ll do it again this month. I’ll start with a fable and add a fantasy.

Animal Farm

England (and its allies) were engaged in World War II when George Orwell wrote “Animal Farm” (1945) between November 1943 and February 1944. Like the ancient Greek fabulist, Aesop, Orwell tells his story through barnyard animals. Many authorities of English literature believe that the “beast fable” is a criticism of communist ideology under Joseph Stalin.