Along the same line as 1984 and Brave New World. Loved it. ( )

Ayn Rand is an incredible writer; unfortunately, too many people take her writing too seriously. Think along the lines of The Da Vinci Code: it's fiction, people. ( )

As a fan of both dystopian novels and absolutist manifestos, I really enjoyed this. It was a quick read--the 90 pages took me about an hour, all told--and obviously much less fleshed-out or developed than Rand's other works. Like I said, I had fun with this book, but I will say that Zamyatin's We does "it" a lot better. ( )

I didn’t really know anything about Ayn Rand before I read Anthem – only that she seems to have the marvelous ability to polarize her readers into opposing camps: those that love her and those that hate her. So when I picked up this novella, I did so hoping that Rand would rouse great passion within me. I didn’t really care whether I fell in with the lovers or the haters, but I did want to fall in with one side or the other.

It didn’t happen. Anthem left me completely apathetic. Because it’s…well, it’s a bit boring. For a dystopia, it seems rather tame, doesn’t it? There’s certainly no question of liking the characters. And though the prose isn’t bad, it isn’t particularly spectacular either.

The only moderately interesting element is the Objectivist doctrine with which Rand insistently browbeats the reader. Really, I think Rand could have compacted this 70-some page story into a 10 page essay, and it would have been much more effective.

Probably, these are issues that Rand’s later and longer works (The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged), don’t suffer from as much…but Anthem didn’t particularly leave me wanting more. I suppose I wouldn’t object to reading more of Rand someday – but I’m not in any hurry to do so. ( )

This is the first Ayn Rand book I've ever read. I'm currently reading The Fountainhead as well.

I've been aware of Ayn Rand's views on collectivism, capitalism, and objectivism for many years now and I share her beliefs and ideology.

Anthem is a very simple story, I read the whole book in about two hours. It's the story of a man who grows up being constantly punished for thinking for himself. The concepts of "I" and self are completly forbidden in this mass collective society.

I love Miss Rand's style of writing and the great use of metaphor and imagery. The protagonist, Equality 7-2521's discovery of electricity and light describes the underlying theme that the collective mind lives in darkness and ignorance. It is the individual that matters, the individual that discovers and invents, the individual that creates.

How poignant it is to think that this book, written in the 30's, really speaks to our day and our society's slow migration towards collectivism. It's a frightening wake up call for anyone who wishes to remain free from slavery. In Ayn Rand's own words, from the forward - "People who want slavery should have the grace to call it by it's true name. Collectivism is slavery." ( )

Having the freedom of choice is something that people of this country rarely realize is a privilege. Ayn Rand’s descriptions of a futuristic society in which people have no choice in their lives truly puts this privilege of ours into perspective. In her novel Anthem, Rand gives readers a quick but thoughtful glance at life without this free choice.
Throughout the novel the reader follows the main characters journey, Equality 7-2521. Right off the bat the reader is thrown into a world in which we find that writing is illegal; being alone itself is breaking the law and the moral code of the world. Equality 7-2521 lives in a world in which not only is personal thought is forbidden, but the idea of the individual is unheard of. The terms ‘we’ and ‘they’ are all Equality 7-2521 know to describe himself and others. A general grouping of people in the “World State” is all they must think of, in one unit, one entity- the brotherhood.
In this distant future described, Rand shows the reader a place in which our world has gone from technological advancements to an entire regression in how the world is run; back to the most ancient of times. The world is run by great leaders of the “World State”, and otherwise unquestioned by those who follow its society. There is no daring dream of difference or discovery by any, as far as the reader can tell. That is everyone except Equality 7-2521. His unearthing of enjoyment and pleasure through science and experimenting is what becomes the powerful key to this rapid paced novel.
The differences between our world today and that of Rand’s world in the novel are dramatic. With her distant voice in this first person point of view tale, Rand’s model of a future dystopia is something that leaves the reader with goose bumps in the end. With the message of never forgetting to be the unique person that makes us all individuals in this world, and embracing the choice that one has to do so, it is one of the stories that may need to be read twice in order to understand its full picture. Quick but powerful, this novel truly strikes a chord in me to read more of Rand’s work. ( )

I read Ayn Rand's two larger works, _The Fountainhead_ and _Atlas Shrugged_ years ago and loved them. Therefore, it was interesting to come to this much smaller work that was much more focused on her philosophy than on a grand, sweeping story.

_Anthem_ is a story, but one that is bare bones. The protagonist, Equality 7-2521, lives in a future world that is a utopia on the societal level but a dystopia for the individual. We follow Equality 7-2521 as he (or "they" to be proper to the storyline) discovers a way to start exploring himself as an individual. The tethers of his society start to break one by one, and I found myself caught in the suspense of whether he was going to make it. Would society let one member break free?

The novel is very short, so the story moves at a fairly quick pace. With that said, it is still more philosophy than action, so a reader should be prepared to think. Rand's now famous philosophy of the importance of the individual is explored at a level that will be clear even to the Rand novice.

I enjoyed this book as a refresher for me. I did not give it five stars though because I enjoyed her other books much more. I believe I like her ability to tell a story more than her philosophy per say. However, it will take you only two or three days to read this book, and those others could take you months (!), so this is a great entrance into Rand and her writing. ( )

I found this slim novel fascinating. It is a tour-de-force against collectivism in all its forms, and from all ends of the political and religious spectrum, placing one man at the centre of his own life and teaching him to value himself.

Yet, from a modern perspective, particularly looking back over the capitalist me-first 1980s, I see shadows, pitfalls and darkness in Equality 7-2521's enlightenment. His enthusiasm for the discovery of "I" is all-consuming and it is difficult to see how it would be possible for everyone to live at this extreme without generating huge amounts of conflict. It is also intriguing that in describing his vision of his new world and the people who will share it with him, he does not seem to contemplate the possibility that each of these individuals in whom he intends to generate this same sense of self-discovery and self-importance (in the non-perjorative sense) may disagree with his vision of how man shall live.

The role of the Golden One also intrigued me as, even in their enlightenment, she seems subservient - Equality 7-2521 names her, rather than allowing her to discover for herself the ideas he has encountered and name herself. This surprised me, given the author is a woman. Of course, to explore the implications of a world inhabited by individualists would be a whole other novel and from that perspective, such a discussion would detract from the central message of Rand's novel, diluting the message and creating too much ambiguity. If the purpose is to expose the dystopian end-results of the increasing trend for collectivist thinking in the 1930s (both fascist and communist), an in-depth and thoughtful exploration of whether it is possible for all people to live at the extreme opposite end of individualism is not the way to do it, and to illustrate her point and create a powerful novel, Rand had to occupy the extremes. I am certainly keen now to explore Rand's other works to see how these ideas continued and developed.

The parallels between this and other dystopian novels by Rand's contemporaries are of course inescapable and yet she brings a fresh voice to the discussions, choosing to characterise the collectivists as having retreated from the advances of industrialised life rather than creating an even more modern and stylised future filled with technology and science.

Her prose is engaging and absorbing. The use of language is clever and yet, like all good writing, much of the workings are hidden, creating the intended effect in the reader but leaving them to unpick later how she did it. The use of grammar captured perfectly the dehumanising power of collectivism and the idea that you can be both within a group and utterly alone at the same time. The novel is well-paced and tightly written - every sentence advancing the story or the ideas within it.

"Anthem" is a thoroughly absorbing and entertaining way to spend an afternoon and yet will leave you thinking for many years. ( )

This was a good one. Quite a different format than Atlas Shrugged and Fountainhead. It seems like this would be a good primer for the longer works. ( )

This was a good one. Quite a different format than Atlas Shrugged and Fountainhead. It seems like this would be a good primer for the longer works. ( )

I think that Anthem does a good job of thinly veiling the ideas of Objectivism, as well as telling a vaguely compelling story that's only slightly ripping off Nietzsche's Zarathustra. I'm not sure that this is the most amazing piece of writing, but it's certainly great for the first few years of high school, and the idea that eschewing society for the greatness of the self might seem really awesome then. In all seriousness, the book is an alright little bit of dystopian fiction, but if you remove it from the Ayn Rand "brand", it's little more than a clever short story with a predictable plot. ( )

“Anthem” takes place in the future in a dystopian (opposite of Utopian) society. No one is allowed to address themselves as “I”, “me”, etc. Under the title of my ancient copy (this version was printed in 1963– before I was born!!), it’s subtitled “A Great Novelist’s Provocative Story of a Fearful Society That One Man Dares to Defy”. That One Man is known as Equality 7-2521.

Equality 7-2521 is unhappy. Then he falls in love. However, love is forbidden in this society. Members are allowed to reproduce only once a year. No love-making allowed at any other time. Equality 7-2521 eventually runs off with Liberty 5-3000. They learn the meaning of the word “I” and what it means to be individuals.

My copy of the book was only 123 pages long. So it was a quick read.

So what did I think of it this time around, since the last time I read it was at least 20 years ago? Well, it was OK. I felt the writing was somewhat dated; and that the portion of the book after the defiant couple runs off was very short compared to the rest of the book. I’m not sure that they could really have lived Happily Ever After, just the two of them, as a new Adam and Eve.

Ayn Rand seems to be an author whose works readers either love or hate. At the time of this review, I have not yet read any of her other works; so based on that, I rate this book two stars. ( )

Man is individual, unique. It is the mind that makes each person different from another. When the mind is twisted, warped, centered on the 'we' as opposed to the 'I' something gets lost. That is what Anthem is about. It's about the heart of man, the spark of the individual. It's about how one life means more than the betterment of the whole. That's not to say one should choose their life over the whole, but merely that they should have a choice because it is their life. The last two chapters are the declaration, the anthem, of what it is to simply be. ( )

This book is neither compelling, nor interesting. It is a short story designed to make a case for Rand's egoistic philosophy, but it reads more like propaganda than philosophical fiction. A better representation of her philosophy can be found in her longer works, or perhaps through reading her wikipedia article.

The story is science fiction after a fashion - a world that has forgotten all its technology after descending into a new dark age with the death of individualism, seeks to prevent any individuality in the people that now occupy it. Others have written this story much better - perhaps missing the egoist angle - but that is really Rand's import into the story in any case.

This storyline is better carried out in H M Hoover's "This Time of Darkness". That book is the story Rand should have written here.

In her defense, this book was written many years ago, and before much of the later science fiction work we now have - but it is not a work that stands the test of time, unfortunately. ( )

In a world of "we" the main character rediscovers the word "I." This story takes us on a journey as Equality or Prometheus discovers the power of individuality. In the unknown future they are only for the good of the people as a whole. The society shuns its people for thinking selfish thoughts or doing something without the concent of their brothers. In the end prometheus breaks away from his brothers and discovers himself.
I suprisingly enjoyed this book. Ayn Rands philosophy (objectivism) opened my eyes to a brand new way of thinking. The writing style is genius and I loved the moral of the story. Some people may misinterprit the message as selfish. But I think it is telling us to be aware of our government. The ideal government needs to look out for its people as a whole but also encourage the rights of an individual. I encourage you to analyze this book for the deaper meaning, it is worth it in the end. ( )

I wish I could somehow recover the 1/2 day I wasted on this book!! Tedious style, flat characters, unbelievable storyline, failed atemmpts at suspense, incredibly predictable ... and the ending... oh, dear, the ending.

The only thing that keeps me from flat-out handing a single star is the fact that maybe, just maybe, this book had at least a single original idea back in the late 30's when it was originally published.

It's not even that I don't agree with her views (I do, to a certain extent)... it's just that she's a lousy writer and this book is painful to behold. I'm afraid it might have permanently put me off reading another book by Aynd Rand. ( )

This is an excellent book to introduce the concept of objectivism and distopia. ( )

Anthem was a bit of a disappointment to me. It felt like she used the generic utopia story as a vehicle to shove anti-communist jargon down my throat. I can respect any philosophical idea in any book, but subtlety is a tool that talented authors have at their discretion.

I haven't given up on Rand yet, this is the only book of hers I've read. ( )

It's very philosophical, and I agree with everything it says. (If you don't agree in capitalism or democracy, then this is NOT for you.) It's amazing to me how a book this small can portray such a huge message. ( )

At once so familiar and so strange, Ayn Rand's Anthem is a phenomenal experience. She exalts the joy of man and individuality, and impresses upon the reader not only the importance of thought and scholarship, but the importance of original thought, and of self. ( )

Equality 7-2521 lives in a dark futurist dystopia in Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem. He has no words for love or self, and being alone is a crime. Yet, as do characters in countless other dystopian novels, he still finds moments to write his story of discovery.

By itself, Anthem is slim - just 100 pages - and quick to read. I enjoyed the story of Equality 7-2521’s literal self-discovery and I love the concepts within it: What is joy? What is pleasure? What is self?

Anthem has its faults, notably a complex ideology that Rand obviously hopes to impart to the reader. For me, this philosophy seemed to overshadow the story of Equality 7-2521 a bit too much. But, because it is a slim story, it was still a worthwhile reread for me. In the end, Anthem was an appropriate “hymn” to the individual.

More detailed review on my blog

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I have read everything Ayn Rand and while I think the objectivism crap is just that, crap, her way with language and emotion is amazing. She perfectly captures our PC culture where everyone is trying so hard not to see how different each and every being is and totally missing out on what makes man so special. ( )

This book was actually really interesting. It takes place in the future where everyone is supposed to be equal and they all refer to themselves as "we". It really makes you think about the way that we live and what it would be to live like they did in the book. ( )

Shares similarities with other dystopian novels I've read this year - 1984 & Brave New World. I liked that there wasn't a huge discourse into what the world was like, just a reflection of that world through the eyes of the narrator. In keeping with the themes of her other novels, Ms. Rand champions individuality as the driving force for progression and improvement. ( )

If you liked Brave New World and 1984, this is worth a read. ( )