Anthem - Softcover

Rand, Ayn

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1420952242 ISBN 13: 9781420952247

Publisher: Digireads.com, 2016

Synopsis

Upon original submission of “Anthem” to Macmillan publishing the book was rejected on grounds that “the author does not understand socialism.” For the harshest of Ayn Rand’s critics this might as well be an analysis of all her work. However, for those who revere Rand’s work and subscribe to her particular philosophy of objectivism this novel could be set in the present day instead of some unidentified future in which mankind has entered a dark age characterized by irrationality, collectivism, and socialistic thinking. In this dystopian novella we find a world where technological advancement is now carefully planned and the concept of individuality has been eliminated. The central characters of the story are Equality 7-2521, a free thinking inventor, and his love interest, Liberty 5-3000. Like most dystopian works, “Anthem” describes a strange and unfathomable world which could never exist. It is in the creation of this extreme world that Rand creates a parable to warn us against what she believed were the perils of socialism. What is clearly a response to the oppressiveness of the Soviet Union, “Anthem” continues to resonate with those fearful of collectivist political philosophy gone too far. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

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 crime 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" -- in which individuals have no name, no independence, and no values -- anticipates her later masterpieces, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

About the Author:

Ayn Rand (1905-1982) was born in Russia, graduated from the University of Leningrad, and came to the United States in 1926. She published her first novel in 1936. With the publication of The Fountainhead in 1943, she achieved a spectacular and enduring success, and her unique philosophy, Objectivism, gained a worldwide following.

About this edition

• Publisher: Digireads.com
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1420952242
• ISBN 13: 9781420952247
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 46