Anthem
Anthem by Ayn Rand is a dystopian novel published by Penguin in 2008, featuring 112 pages in English. The story follows Equality 7-2521, a man who feels isolated in a society where individuality is forbidden. Set in a world shaped by The Great Rebirth, the narrative explores themes of conformity and the struggle for personal freedom as Equality 7-2521 discovers a connection to the past that inspires him to challenge the oppressive norms of his existence.
Readers will find a thought-provoking exploration of individualism and competition within the confines of a repressive regime. The novel presents a stark portrayal of a society that suppresses personal identity and love, emphasizing the importance of self-discovery and autonomy. As Equality 7-2521 embarks on his journey, the book delves into psychological and political dimensions, making it a significant work within the realms of fiction and science fiction.
Official synopsis Publisher
A powerful dystopian novel from a writer who experienced firsthand the dehumanising conditions of Soviet Russia, Ayn Rand’s Anthem includes an introduction by Leonard Peikoff in Penguin Modern Classics.
Equality 7-2521 is a man apart. Since The Great Rebirth it has been a crime in his world to think or act as an individual. Even love is forbidden. Yet since his childhood in the Home of the Infants, Equality 7-2521 has felt that he is different. When he is sent by The Council of Vocations to work as a road sweeper, he stumbles upon a link to the old world that gives him the spur to break free. First published in England in 1938, Ayn Rand’s short dystopian novel crystallizes the ideas of individualism and competition that would make her name.
Ayn Rand (1905-82), born Alisa Rosenbaum in St. Petersburg, Russia, emigrated to America with her family in January 1926, never to return to her native land. Her novel The Fountainhead was published in 1943 and eventually became a bestseller. Still occasionally working as a screenwriter, Rand moved to New York City in 1951 and published Atlas Shrugged in 1957. Her novels espoused what came to be called Objectivism, a philosophy that champions capitalism and the pre-eminence of the individual.
If you enjoyed Anthem, you might also like Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We, available in Penguin Classics.
‘She created a new credo for all individualists’
The Times Literary Supplement
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