Anthem

By: Ayn Rand

Narrated by: Paul Meier

Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Ayn Rand's classic best seller, 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.

This exciting dramatization features an electrifying performance by veteran actor and former BBC Drama Repertory Company member Paul Meier. It is certain to be the definitive recording of Anthem and a milestone in audio interpretation of literary classics.

Public Domain (P)2002 HighBridge Company

Superb!

It took me down memory lane to 1979 when I first read it. It was a mindblower then and even more powerful now. It's amazing how right Rand was and is. Narration was phenomenal. Several passages are very moving some brought chills. You will not be disappointed.

Who are you?

Want a fascinating story that puffs up the core of "you"? One word sums this story up, Ego, and not in the way you may imagine. Dive in and get carried away and I hope you find your Ego.

Transformational! Discover the Power of “I”

This book is a short, easy and profound work and an excellent introduction to Ayn Rand. A must read. The production and reading feels a bit overly dramatized & somewhat dated, but still quite enjoyable as the message of the book is so impactful.

The dangers of “We” vs. “I”

I’m a fan of Ayn Rand and have been for years, so be aware.

This is a short read about the worse case result of socialism taking over society for a long period of time. The value of the individual is gone.

I would recommend those new to Ayn Rand to read Fountainhead then Atlas Shrugged after Anthem. Both stories are extensions of the premise above, but in a present day allegory.

The audible is easier to go through than the book because of the tense and use of pronouns.

Humans Were Not Meant to Live as Drones

If you have read Anthem, read it again. If you haven't, read it now.

I will read this again but I will skip the long unnecessary speech at the end of the book. The story speaks for itself without hammering home the intended message. Other than that speech, it reads like a contemporary short story.

Warning- It does take some time to get used to the way the main character does not refer to himself as I, but as a long word/number distinction. Humans were not meant to live as drones.

Twenty five years ago, Ayn Rand may have seem dated and irrelevant to most. I had never heard of her anyway. My son suggested that I read this book after he read it in high school last year.

Anthem is a look at socialism through a fiction medium. Her books are brilliant and way ahead of their time. If you have read them before read them again with new eyes.

More than anything else, it helps me to know what books a reviewer loves most when deciding on whether or not to spend my time or money on a particular book. Below I have listed some of my 5 or 4½ star books from many different genres:

Anne of Green Gables, The Book Thief, Bossypants, Catch Me if You Can, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, A Christmas Carol, The Clan of the Cave Bear series, The Color Purple, The Davinci Code, A Dog’s Purpose, Emma, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, A Girl Named Zippy, Glass Castle, Gone with the Wind, The Green Mile, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Harry Potter Series, The Help, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy 1-3, The Hunger Games, To Kill a Mockingbird, Let’s Pretend this Never Happened, Little Women, Mind Hunter, Nineteen Minutes, The Outlander series, Peace like a River, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Pride and Prejudice, Saving Sammy, The Secret life of Bees, Shawshank Redemption, My Sister’s Keeper, Stand by Me, The Stand, The Time Traveler’s Wife, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn...

A bit dated...

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I loved Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. This one was a real yawner for me, however. I'm sure in its time it was relevant and new. It is a bit dated these days.

Would you ever listen to anything by Ayn Rand again?

Yes

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Disliked the rise in the tune of his sentences as they progressed.

Do you think Anthem needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No

Brillian

Would you consider the audio edition of Anthem to be better than the print version?

Absolutely. The voice acting and music are top notch, and really add to the power of this work.

great work

We read this book years ago, when we found out that the Rush rock opera 2112 was based on this book and loved it.
Listening now many years later, more than 25. We still love it. We won't even go into how politically apt it is now with the election season on us.
I, yes I said it, I, recommend this book to all.

wow

the end of chapter 11 blew my mind. great book for the intellectual mind. great views on individualism and the true value of the word I

I.

Ayn Rand's books are not supposed to be manuals, but they seem to more and more be exactly that.

Preaching the danger of collectivism using an extreme society in which the very mention of the word "I" is verboten, it's hard not to draw a parallel to the "modern" world in which living for yourself is taboo, but living for others is a venerated position. The message is clear: reject collectivism. Reject self-immolation. Reject it all.

You own yourself and the products of your labor and what you do with yourself and the product of your labor is your decision to be made freely by you.

It's a beautiful message and one that needs to be taken to heart, particularly today.