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Anthem

By Ayn Rand

(3.5 stars) • 10 reviews

"Anthem" by Ayn Rand is a dystopian novel written in the early 20th century. The story is set in a society that prioritizes collectivism to the extent...

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Released
1998-03-01
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Overview

"Anthem" by Ayn Rand is a dystopian novel written in the early 20th century. The story is set in a society that prioritizes collectivism to the extent that individualism is all but eradicated, and follows the journey of the protagonist, Equality 7-2521, as he grapples with the oppressive nature of this world. The book explores themes of identity, freedom, and the struggle against conformity. The opening of the novel introduces us to Equality 7-2521, who begins writing in secret, aware that self-expression is forbidden. He lives in a society where individuality is considered a great sin, and where people are assigned roles and names by the Council. As he reflects on his life and experiences, he recounts the pain of being different from his peers due to his height and intellectual curiosity. In a world that demands conformity, he yearns to understand his own identity and seeks knowledge, leading him to a discovery from the Unmentionable Times that propels him toward rebellion and self-realization. The reader is drawn into Equality 7-2521’s internal conflict and the oppressive nature of his environment right from the beginning, setting up the stage for his pursuit of individualism against a repressive collective society. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

About the Author

Alice O'Connor, better known by her pen name Ayn Rand, was a Russian-born American author and philosopher. She is known for her fiction and for developing a philosophical system she named Objectivism. Born and educated in Russia, she moved to the United States in 1926. After two early novels that were initially unsuccessful and two Broadway plays, Rand achieved fame with her 1943 novel The Fountainhead. In 1957, she published her best-selling work, the novel Atlas Shrugged. Afterward, until her death in 1982, she turned to non-fiction to promote her philosophy, publishing her own periodicals and releasing several collections of essays.

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