Anthem [Hardcover]

Ayn Rand (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 21, 2005

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. Ayn Rand's classic tale of a future Dark Age of the great "we" - a world that deprives individuals of name, independence, and values - anticipates her later masterpieces, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged." This centennial edition of Anthem, celebrating the controversial and enduring legacy of its author, features an introduction by Rand's literary executor, Leonard Peikoff, which includes excerpts from documents by Ayn Rand - letters, interviews, and journal notes in which she discusses Anthem. This volume also includes a complete reproduction of the original British edition with Ayn Rand's handwritten editorial changes.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Rand's dark portrait of the future was first released in England in 1938 and reedited for publication in the United States in 1946. This 50th-anniversary edition includes a scholarly introduction and a facsimile of the original British version, which bears Rand's handwritten alterations for its American debut.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

A writer of great power. She has a subtle and ingenious mind and the capacity of writing brilliantly, beautifully, bitterly. (The New York Times) --The New York Times --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (April 21, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525948937
• ISBN-13: 978-0525948933
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (703 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #975,147 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ayn Rand's first novel, We the Living, was published in 1936. With the publication of The Fountainhead in 1943, she achieved spectacular and enduring success. Through her novels and nonfiction writings, which express her unique philosophy, Objectivism, Rand maintains a lasting influence on popular thought.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

168 of 185 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is not a book., April 9, 2000

By 

Kat McFall - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anthem (Mass Market Paperback)

Anthem is not a book. It is not a philosophical or governmental treatise. As Ayn Rand herself admitted, it has neither a real plot nor a real climax. Anthem is a poem.
Its final two chapters are (according to Rand) the "anthem"--the celebration of the human ego. This is not done in logical terms, but in pure emotional exultation. In my opinion, Rand's writing throughout the book is skilled, passionate and evocative, but in the last two chapters she really shines.
For presentations of Rand's philosophy, Objectivism, in logical form, read Atlas Shrugged. For a ruthless, beautiful evocation of the emotional aspect of Rand's philosophy of egoism, read Anthem. If you have socialist leanings, or simply have always assumed the many is more important that the one, the book may disturb you greatly (it did me, when I read it the first time). It will change the way you feel, and Rand's later work will change the way you think.
Highly recommended. This book is often misunderstood, but if you read it with the understanding that it is a poem, and not a book, your understanding of it will be enhanced.

77 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We Are Lemmings Being Led By the Least of Us, October 17, 2009

By 

Michael A Neulander "Political Philosophy" (VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Anthem (Paperback)

I read this book for a graduate class in political philosophy.

Ayn Rand (1905-1982), in this book written in 1937, expertly refutes collectivists schemes; such as, Communism and Fascism and shows the utter peril that collectivism poses to individual freedom. One of my favorite historians, Lord Acton, warned us in the 19th century "that socialism is slavery."

This is a short novel about a man who escapes a society from which all individuality has been squeezed. Written a full decade before Orwell's "1984" Rand expertly shows how collectivism is destroying individuality and is being practiced throughout the world including the "New Deal" programs in the United States. During this time in world, history people are becoming serfs to the state as F. A. Hayek, the noted libertarian economist would put it. Rand's philosophy is really quite simple; planning is a synonym for "collectivism" and "collectivism" is a metaphor for Communism. Rand's literary style is easy to read and understand, I love how she uses the third person plural in the book until the hero finds his "ego" at which time she switches over to first person singular. This is a book that should be read by all who wonder what role the government should have in our lives.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in political philosophy.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy read, great for travel or when you've got just a little time., February 5, 2008

By 

J. CALL "Jive" (Rexburg, ID) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Anthem (Paperback)

This is a good travel book for anyone looking to get hooked right away. It is a simple read and easy to follow, so it's great for reading through in one sitting or in spurts. The book takes place sometime in the distant future. Somehow, mankind has become completely and utterly socialized. They no longer think or act for themselves. The word "I" has become the unspeakable word, the unpardonable sin. Only "we" exists now, and "we", the society as a whole, is all that matters.

This story is told through the eyes of a man called Equality 7-2521 because people no longer have names. Ayn Rand gives us a glimpse of the dangers and evils of social totalitarianism and loss of self, and also shows the beauty of freedom. It really makes you think...