We: A Dystopian Novel That Inspired 1984 by George Orwell, Newly Translated with an Introduction by Margaret Atwood and an Afterword by Ursula K. Le Guin
The chilling dystopian novel that influenced George Orwell while he was writing 1984, with a new introduction by Margaret Atwood and an essay by Ursula Le Guin
In a glass-enclosed city of perfectly straight lines, ruled over by an all-powerful “Benefactor,” the citizens of the totalitarian society of OneState are regulated by spies and secret police; wear identical clothing; and are distinguished only by a number assigned to them at birth. That is, until D-503, a mathematician who dreams in numbers, makes a discovery: he has an individual soul. He can feel things. He can fall in love. And, in doing so, he begins to dangerously veer from the norms of his society, becoming embroiled in a plot to destroy OneState and liberate the city.
Set in the twenty-sixth century AD, We was the forerunner of canonical works from George Orwell and Alduous Huxley, among others. It was suppressed for more than sixty years in Russia and remains a resounding cry for individual freedom, as well as a powerful, exciting, and vivid work of science fiction that still feels relevant today. Bela Shayevich’s bold new translation breathes new life into Yevgeny Zamyatin’s seminal work and refreshes it for our current era.
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Community Reviews
"It is unnatural for a thinking, seeing being to live amidst irregulars, unknowns, X's... As if you were blindfolded and forced to walk, feeling your way, stumbling, and knowing that somewhere - just nearby - is the edge; a single step, and all that will remain of you will be a flattened, mangled piece of flesh. Am I not like this now? And what if - without waiting - I plunge myself, head down? Would it not be the only, the correct way - disentangling everything at once?" (177)
I genuinely can't believe this book or the ending or the characters or the writing or the author. We is one of the best books I have had the privilege of reading. It is truly hard to believe that 1984 is more popular, when what it is inspired by deserves no addition, revision, any change at all. Every page is full of rich sincerity like nothing I've read before. I spent a lot of time thinking over this book and trying to derive its exact meaning, the intention of the author, the feelings he must have poured into the pages, and I still have a lot of questions.
Putting aside its historical/political significance, I find We to be a good story through and through, with action, emotion, and love. The juxtaposition of absolute humanness to the dismal, dystopian One State was so glaring and inspiring and beautiful in a way I can't really describe. I love its diary format, I love its musings on living, I love how D-503 spirals ruthlessly all the way to the last chapter. I feel so touched by this book in a way that I wasn't expecting at all. It was funny and painfully bitter, confusing but insanely obvious. Amazing prose. I read this for book club during my senior semester of undergrad. It was a great book to read passages from and discuss over drinks and I truly enjoyed every moment. What can I say, I just absolutely love it. 5/5
I genuinely can't believe this book or the ending or the characters or the writing or the author. We is one of the best books I have had the privilege of reading. It is truly hard to believe that 1984 is more popular, when what it is inspired by deserves no addition, revision, any change at all. Every page is full of rich sincerity like nothing I've read before. I spent a lot of time thinking over this book and trying to derive its exact meaning, the intention of the author, the feelings he must have poured into the pages, and I still have a lot of questions.
Putting aside its historical/political significance, I find We to be a good story through and through, with action, emotion, and love. The juxtaposition of absolute humanness to the dismal, dystopian One State was so glaring and inspiring and beautiful in a way I can't really describe. I love its diary format, I love its musings on living, I love how D-503 spirals ruthlessly all the way to the last chapter. I feel so touched by this book in a way that I wasn't expecting at all. It was funny and painfully bitter, confusing but insanely obvious. Amazing prose. I read this for book club during my senior semester of undergrad. It was a great book to read passages from and discuss over drinks and I truly enjoyed every moment. What can I say, I just absolutely love it. 5/5
Zamyatin may have cleared way for other Dystopian novels, such as Brave New World and 1984... but criticizing Communism was not his only target; he was an equal opportunity satirist, taking aim at the "backwardness" of the provincial and the religious.
The concept of "We" is based on the idea that "..if man's freedom is nil, he commits no crimes."
Zamyatin takes this to an imaginative, and visually expressive conclusion.
The concept of "We" is based on the idea that "..if man's freedom is nil, he commits no crimes."
Zamyatin takes this to an imaginative, and visually expressive conclusion.
I liked the premise, but I found the book hard to get through, given the fragmented sentences, unfinished thoughts, and general stream of consciousness style that it was written in, especially as the narrator becomes more confused and disjointed. I couldn't really connect with any of the characters or the story because it was kind of hard to figure out what was actually going on. I did like the story and the ending however, despite the writing style, so I still gave this book 3 stars.
So many science fiction writers were inspired by this novel- written in 1920s- though few of them improved upon it. For example, in my opinion, We is superior to Brave New World, written in the 1930s. I am not usually a fan of novels that are allegories though some, like 1984, are standouts for me. This isn't a perfect novel for me but it does so many creative and literary things that it was worth the time I spent with it.