Anthem

Rating:
Summary: Supports Individuality and Religion
Review: Anthem is a good book that focuses on the importance of individualism in society. It does not, however, mention or imply anything of socialism, as mentioned by other reviews.
In a socialist society, people are supposed to be equal to each other and not envy other's joys. The main character is forced to be a street sweeper because he is smarter. He envies the town leaders and doctors, there will always be jealousy. This is more of a monarchy, the few leaders decide everything for everyone and have total power.
Anthem will not turn you away from organized religion, if anything, it will bring you closer to belief in God. It will not make you question your religion. Anthem doesn't support agnostic ideas. Besides faith and hope, the purpose of religion is to bring people together and set rules.
Anthem is a book that at first hints atheist views only because the Bible has not been discovered in the small community that they live in. The characters in the book do not interact with each other or enjoy eachother. They have no religion or faith, no idea what their purpose in life is. When the bible is later found, he realizes that he is expected to love others. He later speaks of God's gift of individualism, narcissism, equality and love.

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Summary: Ayn Rand made sense
Review: Anthem by Ayn Rand is by far the best book by hers that I've read in a long time. I have several of her other books already and have gone so far as to underline the most meaningful parts (I've read each several times). She says things that others are afraid to say for fear of being (gasp) selfish. She, in her books, tells us that it's ok to be selfish, that it's our duty to look out for ourselves first. No one else will look out for you other than you. I realize that's an extreme way to look at things, but in this day and age of if you are more successful than your neighbor you get taxed more to help "others". Helping and the insidious guilt for not doing so is a terrible way to enforce this forced servitude as Ms. Rand calls it. Her books and her philosophy are eye openers indeed. It's a pity she isn't around anymore to keep writing what we all know is true but afraid to say most of the time. It's even worse to know that when we do speak up about the status quo, we get shut out like the characters Howard Roark and Dagny Taggart.

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Summary: Anthem review
Review: Anthem, by Ayn Rand, is a futuristic, political novel supposed to represent the outcome of a world overrun by communism; though quite brief, the book sends a very clear, to-the-point message about the importance of individualism and freedom. Rand, in this novel, drives home her point that communism would corrupt a country to the point of absolute government domination and complete disaster. The situation she presents in Anthem is a society that has spiraled backwards into a life devoid of almost all technology; in fact, candles had only just been invented somewhat prior to the time of the story.
The plot revolves around a man, named Equality 7-2521, who lives in this primitive world, and dares to question in his mind the precepts that his world is run by. Everything is run by the government; from birth; every aspect of an individual's life is predestined and the individual must comply without question. There is no freedom nor sense of individuality; for example, all of the characters in the book refer to themselves as "we" instead of "I," the forbidden word that is lost in history, never to be spoken lest the transgressor be burned at the stake as a martyr. Equality 7-2521 dares to go against all of this regulation, first in his mind and then through his actions. He dares to think, to prefer, to question, and to fall in love. Eventually and through much tribulation, he comes upon the truth and vows to change his world into one worth living.
Though extremely short, this novel is highly slanted against communism, and it doesn't take a highly skilled reader to figure that out. The book also presents a story line with a strong protagonist that the reader can relate to, and the story is presented in a somewhat believable fashion. Though through reading this novel one may not be convinced that communism is utterly evil, it causes questions to arise. Short and sweet, this novel is worth reading, if only for the fact that is short enough to present its profound message in few words. The reader does not necessarily need to agree with the message, but Anthem is a good book that helps present another possible side to the constant dispute between political sides. Finally, Anthem makes one sincerely appreciate freedom, a truth that many people often take for granted.

Rating:
Summary: Woo-hoo, what an awesome book!
Review: This book was very short but combined a lot into a mere 12 chapters. By far the most pleasing book I've been forced to read this year in school, "Anthem" is bizarre and futuristic and thought-provoking. The narrator refers to himself as "we" because his society condems individuality. All men must agree with all other men. The only purpose of men is to serve their brothers. Anything not known to all men does not exist. Concern for oneself is evil. No one knows what they look like. And names do not distinguish one person from another. Until Equality discovers long-lost science and is banished to the Uncharted Forest for wondering...and being different...and thinking about the Unspeakable Word. So he and the Golden One (his girlfriend, even though people are not allowed to be attracted to one another; preference is evil and they must love everyone equally)live alone in the woods, discovering old knowledge and forming a new society again in which everyone is I. It's a very, very interesting book and doesn't take a lot of your time. I read it in about an hour and a half. Good stuff.

Rating:
Summary: An indictment of the socialists who want to think for us.
Review: I'm not an Objectivist by any means, mainly because I'm a Christian, which puts me completely at odds with one of Objectivism's six major tenets. However, I agree to some degree or another with all five of the other tenets. This is the perspective I come from.

Anthem is a beautiful little story, the single most important thing Rand ever wrote. Her political beliefs will come and go, but this story is timeless, part post-modern fairy tale and part cautionary warning of a very real-world danger.

Anthem accidentally entered the public domain some years ago, which may seem ironic given Rand's capitalist background, but somehow it's fitting. Yes, property is EXTREMELY important to freedom and individuality, but if any one story needed to belong to everybody, it's this one.

This book should be read in high school paired with Orwell's 1984. They offer similar visions, but Rand's story is one of enduring human optimism, as opposed to Orwell's pessimistic, fatalistic outcome. As cautionary tales, both work beautifully, but I'm a "glass half full" kind of guy, so I greatly prefer the empowering message of Anthem to the utter helplessness that 1984 evokes.

Rating:
Summary: Motivation For Individuals
Review: This book brings true reason to why the individual is important, without pushing selfishness. It gives each person meaning, and it rocks.

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Summary: Pls, do not even consider this as an introduction to Rand...
Review: If you have never read a book by Ayn Rand before, please do not
even consider this as an introduction to her works. "Anthem" is very irritating and almost painful to read, even if you agree with Rand's ideas on individualism, capitalism, and objectivism. It does not even read as a piece of literature, but rather a piece of propoganda.
The novelette does not allow the reader to draw his or her own conclusions, or even react emotionally or mentally to the writings. Her characters are cardboard-cut serving merely as vehicles to push forth her flawed, adolescent philosophy.
Even the odd reader who agrees entirely with Rand's warped ideas on capitalism, ego, individualism, and objectivism will no doubt be disgusted. Anybody who might have taken her other works seriously will most likely be "turned off" completely.
Please try "Atlas Shrugged" or "Fountainhead" for something of a little more merit.

Or ditch Rand entirely and try a similar (but better written) book from this mini-list of classics:

"We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin
"Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
"A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess
"1984" by George Orwell
"Lord of the Flies by William Golding
"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Rating:
Summary: An Exercise in the Power of Man
Review: Firstly, let me preface this review by saying that I am wholly stricken with Ayn Rand's objectivist philosophy. However, I do not believe -- like all authors -- that everything a particular writer, no matter how much I may like them, turns every piece of writing they have into a masterpiece. Anthem is a primary example of a brilliant thinker simply slipping below the impossibly high bar that they've already set for themselves.

Anthem can be taken in two ways. Firstly, it is the story of a man who - in a coloney - discovers that, rather than serving one specific purposes in the hive, that he has the power to be an individual. This is the literal translation of this text. However, it is incredibly important to look at Anthem as more than simply a story of self-recognition.

Rightly or wrongly, Anthem is one eight-eight page pithy story of the power of man as an individual. Is this symbolism evident? Yes - it's about as obvious as it can possibly be made. Of course, I found this frustrating, hoping that Rand would make her agenda slightly less blaringly obvious. However, this book is meant to spell out to the reader the theory of objectivism (such as most of Rand's books are). It seems to me that rather than leaving the reader with a chunk of literature to digest, Rand instead lays out a flowchart of what the reader should be internalizing. Good if you don't want to spend the energy to think, not so good if you enjoy the merits of more "gray" literature (re rather than black and white).

Overall, a strong showing of Rand's abilities as a writer, if not a little stiff. This is worth reading, most assuredly -- It's just not one of her best books. It is a good introduction to the objectivist philosphy, even if it is not "displayed" as such. A worthy effort, but does have fundamental flaws.

Rating:
Summary: Put on the hip waders for this one
Review: This parable is pretty much the anti-Steinbeck. Where Steinbeck has marvelous prose and love for his characters, Rand has stilted language and remarkably two-dimensional portrayals. The central message appears to be that the magic of "I" is all anyone really needs. An appalling book whose near-fascist tendencies should have long ago consigned it to the junk-heap of historical curiousities. There's no real merit here at all.

Rating:
Summary: A True Classic
Review: The first time I opened this small book I was drawn in. I couldn't put it down. The story is truly horrifying, a world with no identity, "everything is for the good of society" mentality, and life is one long prison sentence, working for The State. Ayn Rand, who escaped from communist Russia, knows what she's talking about here. Like the movie "The Sixth Sense" you won't want to give awaythe ending. More scary when you realize it's beginning to happen in the US.