Rand's Anthem (Cliffs Notes) [Paperback]

Andrew Bernstein (Author)

Book Description

Series: Cliffsnotes Literature Guides | Publication Date: June 26, 2000

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also features glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

CliffsNotes on Anthem is an excellent introduction to Ayn Rand’s philosophy of human nature. The novella’s theme and central conflict – the individual versus the collective – is an important element of her moral and political philosophy.

This study guide will help you understand the story of Anthem which takes place in an unnamed Communist- or Facist-like dictatorship of the future. Meet the hero, Equality 7-2521, a brilliant young man who yearns to be a scientist but is held back by a government that fears his intelligence. Your grasp on this novella will be strong with these features that help you study:

• Character analyses of major players
• A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
• Critical essays
• A review section that tests your knowledge
• A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites

Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

39 New and Revised Titles. The Best Just Got Better! Plus Glossary from Webster's New World^™ Dictionary Anthem Atlas Shrugged Beowulf Brave New World The Canterbury Tales The Catcher in the Rye The Contender The Crucible The Fountainhead Frankenstein The Grapes of Wrath Great Expectations The Great Gatsby Hamlet Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer Huckleberry Finn The Iliad Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Inherit the Wind Jane Eyre Julius Caesar The Killer Angels King Lear The Lord of the Flies Macbeth 1984 The Odyssey Oedipus Trilogy The Once and Future King Othello The Outsiders Pride and Prejudice The Red Badge of Courage Romeo and Juliet The Scarlet Letter A Separate Peace A Tale of Two Cities To Kill a Mockingbird Wuthering Heights See inside for the complete line-up of available CliffsNotes! Check Out the All-New CliffsNotes Guides To AOL^®, iMacs^™, eBay^®, Windows^® 98, Investing, Creating Web Pages, and more! More Than Notes! CliffsComplete^™ CliffsTestPrep^™ CliffsQuickReview^™ CliffsAP^™ Over 300 CliffsNotes Available @ cliffsnotes.com Downloadable 24 hours a day Free daily e-mail newsletters Free tips, tricks, and trivia Free online CliffsNotes catalog Free self-assessment tools Freeware and shareware downloads

About the Author

Andrew Bernstein holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Graduate School of the City University of New York. He teaches Philosophy at Pace University in Pleasantville, New York, and at the State University of New York at Purchase. Dr. Bernstein is a speaker for the Ayn Rand Institute and lecturer on Ayn Rand's novels throughout the United States.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Cliffs Notes (June 26, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764585576
• ISBN-13: 978-0764585579
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #711,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Books & Reading > Reference

More About the Author

Andrew Bernstein holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Graduate School of the City University of New York. He teaches Philosophy at Pace University in Pleasantville, New York, and at the State University of New York at Purchase. Dr. Bernstein is a speaker for the Ayn Rand Institute and lecturer on Ayn Rand's novels throughout the United States.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A surprise, July 18, 2000

By 

Michael Raveling (St. Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rand's Anthem (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

I have read Anthem many times and I was pleasantly surprised by this cliffsnotes summary and analysis of the book. It includes a short biography of Ayn Rand but the bulk of the book is spent on a detailed going over of Ayn Rand's plot, theme, and characters. It is fascinating to read an intelligent analysis of the characters I love. The gems of the book are the three critical essays; The Meaning and Importance of "I", The Role of Free Will in Anthem, and the Regression of a Future Collectivist Society into a Second Dark Age.

This book is written by an Objectivist author and is definately worth buying.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unnecessary for this particular book, August 29, 2001

By 

A.Trendl HungarianBookstore.com "What should ... (Glen Ellyn, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rand's Anthem (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

For a book which takes three hours or less to read, and ideas which are common pop-philosphy, Cliff's Notes for "Anthem" is a little over-kill. The essays are more difficult than the original book. The entire concept of having Cliffnotes for a book like "Anthem" is antithetical to one of the points Rand is trying to make, to think and assess for one's self.

Her thesis comes to a simple idea: it is up to the individual to think for the individual. "Anthem" is just an allegory to present the idea.

I recommend this, but barely. It can help the reader unwilling to read Rand's short book, or unable to process her basic tenets.

Anthony Trendl

3.0 out of 5 stars Not really worth for school project, February 13, 2011

By 

Laurie Fez "Laurie Fez" (Pueblo Colorado) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rand's Anthem (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

I purchased this to help with book but found it not necessary. The book itself is very short and this seemed as detailed if not more so.