Anthem
Anthem is Ayn Rand’s classic tale of a dystopian future of the great “We”—a world that deprives individuals of a name or independence—that anticipates her later masterpieces, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.
They existed only to serve the state. They were conceived in controlled Palaces of Mating. They died in the Home of the Useless. From cradle to grave, the crowd was one—the great WE.
In all that was left of humanity there was only one man who dared to think, seek, and love. He lived in the dark ages of the future. In a loveless world, he dared to love the woman of his choice. In an age that had lost all trace of science and civilization, he had the courage to seek and find knowledge. But these were not the crimes for which he would be hunted. He was marked for death because he had committed the unpardonable sin: He had stood forth from the mindless human herd. He was a man alone. He had rediscovered the lost and holy word—I.
“I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals, and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities.”—Ayn Rand
They existed only to serve the state. They were conceived in controlled Palaces of Mating. They died in the Home of the Useless. From cradle to grave, the crowd was one—the great WE.
In all that was left of humanity there was only one man who dared to think, seek, and love. He lived in the dark ages of the future. In a loveless world, he dared to love the woman of his choice. In an age that had lost all trace of science and civilization, he had the courage to seek and find knowledge. But these were not the crimes for which he would be hunted. He was marked for death because he had committed the unpardonable sin: He had stood forth from the mindless human herd. He was a man alone. He had rediscovered the lost and holy word—I.
“I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals, and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities.”—Ayn Rand
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Community Reviews
Quick and easy. I don’t think this message is as polarizing as most Rand novels, however still powerful.
Poorly written novel. characters were flat, plot was boring, and I felt as if the author was screaming at me. Not a good piece of literature.
I promised to read every book my son is assigned in his 10th grade Honors English. This was the first
I couldn’t get into it at first, but he encouraged me to keep going (HE encouraged ME
I couldn’t get into it at first, but he encouraged me to keep going (HE encouraged ME
I'm big fan of dystopian novels. My personal opinion on this one-and you can take it or leave I could care less--is to read it and then decide whether it meant anything to you. It's 106 pages. Pretty short I'd say.
It's simply written, but don't let the simplicity fool you. It's one of those books that makes you think, if you give it the chance to do so, and analyze the current state of our society. Some of the passages mirror what goes on daily in our present day humanity. It's also interesting to see the evolution of the main protagonist.
As a feminist at heart (don't judge me), I can see what the author did with the secondary character. In my opinion, I don't believe that the intention was to cause a Feminist riot, but I can see what the author was intending on portraying with the characters.
Honestly, don't let my review or other reviews cloud your judgment or inclination of wanting to discover this book for yourself. Take a chance. You might be surprised :)
It's simply written, but don't let the simplicity fool you. It's one of those books that makes you think, if you give it the chance to do so, and analyze the current state of our society. Some of the passages mirror what goes on daily in our present day humanity. It's also interesting to see the evolution of the main protagonist.
As a feminist at heart (don't judge me), I can see what the author did with the secondary character. In my opinion, I don't believe that the intention was to cause a Feminist riot, but I can see what the author was intending on portraying with the characters.
Honestly, don't let my review or other reviews cloud your judgment or inclination of wanting to discover this book for yourself. Take a chance. You might be surprised :)
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