monjure's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Physical abuse and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Animal death, and Blood
jeremie's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I knew going into Anthem that I wasn’t going to necessarily agree with all of its philosophies. I had never read an Ayn Rand novel before, but was aware of her beliefs, and knew that I didn’t agree with them. I was open to learning about her philosophy, and if not that, I was hoping to at least get a pleasant story out of Anthem, rather than some kind of revelation about the morals of mankind etc etc. With that being said, the quality of the story does not at all make up for its strange moral compass. The plot and the characters are both bland and unlikable. I personally found the writing unimaginative and cliché. It simply cannot be compared to other classics that were written around the time of its publication.
There are some things that I liked (keep in mind that I am very easily pleased so these might bore you rather than interest you) There are some quotes from it that I like. It was short and I finished it in an afternoon, so even though I didn’t like it all that much, I don’t feel like I wasted a big amount of my time.
Spoiler
I liked the whole switch from ‘We’ to ‘I’ at the end. It was predictable, but well done.Here are some things I didn’t like: The usage of Capital Letters to make some Very Boring Concept sound Very Ominous definitely got annoying after a while. There’s a lot of repetition, especially the phrase “save…” (something I thought was intentional at first but upon reading further I do think it was just an oversight)
Spoiler
The protagonist’s love interest is a minor for seemingly no reason. Gaea has no personality outside of Prometheus. She doesn’t even get to choose her own name. The protagonist choosing the name “Prometheus” also kind of gave me a headache. Mary Shelley did it long before Ayn Rand and with much more subtlety. The characters in general are just unlikable. You start off sympathising with the protagonist and by the end you don’t like him very much at all.All in all, do I recommend Anthem? Yes. Though I disagree with many of things Ayn Rand stands for, the book itself is short, and won’t take you long to finish. I wasn’t bored to death while reading it. It isn’t an incredible book, but if you’re trying to read all the classics like I am it’s worth giving a shot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
maurits's review
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
This dystopia feels unreal, in the sense that there is no risk of such a society ever becoming real. It is plain anti-communist strawman propaganda.
That said, it does have some interesting themes.
That said, it does have some interesting themes.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor spoiler:Spoiler
There is a relationship between a man who is 22 years old and a woman who is 17 years old.
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