Anthem

Ayn Rand's classic bestseller, Anthem, is the unforgettable tale of a nightmarish totalitarian future—and the ultimate triumph of the individual spirit. First published in 1938, and often compared with Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World, this beautifully written story has introduced millions to Rand's provocative worldview.
Rand's protagonist, Equality 7-2521, describes a surreal world of faceless, nameless drones who "exist through, by and for our brothers who are the State. Amen." Alone, this daring young man defies the will of the ruling councils and discovers the forbidden freedoms that prevailed during the Unmentionable Times. In other words, he finds and celebrates the power of the self. In doing so, he becomes the prototypical Rand hero—a bold risk-taker who shuns conformity and unabashedly embraces egoism.

from bn.com

Nathan says 4 stars...

Some may pound me for trying to rate this book, or for underrating it. So, as always this is my opinion, and I'm basing this more on what it made me think, and how I reacted. This is one of the "modern classics," so it's hard to judge. Now that I've ended the preamble, here we go. Ayn Rand knows what she is doing when it comes to making a point. Anthem is the perfect vehicle for her ideals on individualism. The book is a bit conceptual, and there isn't much in the way of detailed explanation. The story is written in first person, which really adds to the general mood of the novel. I don't exactly agree with Rand's ideas, so that takes away from my opinion, but still I appreciate Rand's fantastic writing. The novel is fast-paced, so don't expect a long read. I actually read it on my iPod (it's a free e-book, check out the Stanza app) and it didn't take long at all. In the end my take is read it, make your own decisions on Rand's philosophies, and get back to me, our comments section is always open.