Is Orwell's narrative too prosaic?

Yes. Me too. He flirted with ultra socialism but after studying The Russian Revolution saw it as replacing one set of tyrannical rulers with another.

I would have to say-No. I'll admit I'm not one to read many political essays unless you count common political columns in the broadsheet newspapers (I'm from the UK) but I find orwell's writing anything but prosaic. I feel it is nuanced and his work is some of the best I have ever read. I know I'm not alone in this and if his work was uninspired and derivative, I'm sure it would not have entered our culture in quite the way it has ('big brother is watching you' and 'some are more equal than others' spring to mind as lines quoted by those who have never even read orwell).

If you really want to get to the heart of the man though, leave the big two alone and read 'Coming up for air'. It's a real treat though very different from Animal farm and 1984

Too much plot, character development, and drama to be simple "essays".

The BIG twist in the Orwell story is the clamorous shouting that he is trying to illuminate the evils of Communism, or Socialism, or some such nonsense.

He is showing the evils of TYRANNY.

Tyranny comes in MANY forms, and by MANY avenues.

Capitalist societies can be tyrannical (China) just as easily as any other society.

I always thought they were extremely accurate descriptions of life in a so-called communist controlled society and personally find them both gripping and absorbing.

Chaq'un a son gout!

No! They are political satire, to the extreme. How'd you miss this?