Anthem is a book full of unspoken meaning. It's set in a dystopian society where the idea of self has been obliterated and everyone refers to themselves as "we." It follows a man named Equality through a period of time in which he realizes that something is missing--his individuality. This book is beautifully written and is perfect for someone who enjoys spending long hours after a book trying to uncover what one just read. I loved this book, and it really helped me open my eyes to our own society and what it means to be an individual in a group of people.- Anonymous tenth-grade teen volunteer
Publisher's description:
Ayn Rand's searing portrait of a dystopian future in which all ego has been erased in a world where science and learning are banned and the simple utterance of the Unspeakable Word, I, is punishable by death, a man named Equality 7-2521 struggles with his unquenchable desire to investigate, to think, to know. His instincts are a "curse" that threatens to bring him to the attention of a government dedicated to the elimination of the self. But Equality 7-2521 cannot ignore his true nature, just as he cannot ignore the fruits of his curiosity: the discovery of the mysterious "power of the sky." His great awakening-in heart, mind, and soul-represents the inevitable triumph of the individual over the collective. A riveting, thought-provoking parable based on the author's experience of life in a socialist state, Anthem serves as an invaluable introduction to Ayn Rand, her fiction, and her philosophy.