I read my first book of 2025, and it was a re-read from over twenty years ago: "Anthem" by Ayn Rand. I didn't recall much about it, so it was a fresh read for me. I loved the dystopian environment and the story, though, and the main character developed nicely as the story progressed. I bought a copy from Barnes & Noble using a gift card I had gotten in December. I used to have this book, but don't know what happened to it...I either gave it away or sold it to Half Price Books but found myself missing it so I bought another.
"Anthem" tells the tale of a street sweeper living in a society that is regimented and suppressed. It struck me quickly, after confusing me briefly, that the community uses the pronoun 'we' to refer to oneself and 'they' to refer to another individual. This ends up being portrayed as a main catalyst for the society to devolve from what we enjoy today to a 'dark age' without electricity, innovation, or individuality. Ayn Rand specifically calls out the word 'we' as being particularly instrumental in society's destruction.
The main character, after rediscovering electric light, ends up being tortured and imprisoned. The authorities are initially just curious about where he had been since his departure from his role was against the rules. He breaks out of prison, which isn't very secure or even guarded, since rules simply weren't broken much in that society. He uses his apparent freedom to show his discovery to a council of so-called wise leaders. He is more than admonished for this and they make moves to execute him. This threat drives the protagonist to escape the city entirely and go into the forest. He continues to forage through the wilderness and even comes across someone else he knew from his old life....a woman he was endeared to.
The two of them continue to increase their distance from the city seemingly without being pursued, eventually heading into the mountains. They come across a house from before the 'dark ages' that is furnished, filled with books, and electrical components. The main character endeavors to get the electricity working again, reads the books available, and finds himself a new man. He strives to make his home an epicenter for a new society - one where people are allowed identity and will.
This is a stunning story and, brief though it may be, packs a powerful punch. The last couple of chapters include the word 'I' as his identity and purpose becomes clearer to him. The woman he is living with becomes pregnant with the protagonist's son, though how they knew the gender before his birth isn't clear. The book ends on a message of self-fulfillment and hope. Remarkable.
I loved reading "Anthem" again. I think I like the author's "Fountainhead" more but this book, in its simplicity and directness, seems to be more impactful to me. It was her second novel I believe, which is also remarkable. The volume I had included the first UK version of the book with Ayn Rand's markups on it to edit it down for conciseness and clarity into the version that I read. It's a neat addition and one that the original copy of this book that I used to have also included. Again, it is a short novel, so there's room for that in the volume. I haven't read through he edits, and don't believe I will.... love the book and respect Ayn Rand as a writer and philosopher, but she isn't as high on my list of favorites as many others are.
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