Animal Farm

Animal Farm comes across as a scything critique of the communist revolution. Things start out with an old, wise pig predicting an overthrow of the cruel human opressors and the establishment of an animal utopia. Later, given a bit of human cruelty, the revolution is carried out. Two pigs end up being the primary influencers in utopian animal farm. Initially the animals are happy and the farm is more productive than it has ever been. Eventually, the "militant" pig chases away the intellectual pig. The ruling class of pigs gradually inflict greater repression on the other animals, while enriching themselves. Eventually they reduce the utopian animal rules to the immortal "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." The ruling pigs eventually becoming nothing more than a more cruel class of humans.
Absolute equality may appear good at first. However, tendencies towards power and laziness will lead to to eventual problems. While the book seems to directly relate to Russian communism, the themes are also applicable to many civil rights and quests for equality.