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We (Penguin twentieth century classics) (Paperback)
$13.58 - Save $0.71 (4%) - RRP $14.29 Free delivery worldwide (to United States and
all these other countries) Usually dispatched within 48 hours | |Short Description for WeIn a glass-enclosed city of absolute straight lines, ruled over by the all-powerful 'Benefactor', the citizens of the totalitarian society of OneState live out lives devoid of passion and creativity - until D-503, a mathematician who dreams in numbers, makes a discovery: he has an individual soul. This is the dystopian novel.
Full description- Publisher: PENGUIN CLASSICS
- Published: 25 November 1993
- Format: Paperback 256 pages
- See: Full bibliographic data
- Categories: Contemporary Fiction | Classics | Science Fiction
- ISBN 13: 9780140185850 ISBN 10: 0140185852
- Sales rank: 6,978
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Reviews for We
- Top review
Harrowing and Weird
This is the forefather of socialistic dystopian literature. You can absolutely see the inspiration that Orwell drew from this book with his ingenious "Nineteen Eighty-Four".
The city is not allowed privacy, except for on Sex Days, when the people are provided an hour or less to go about their "business". Their lives are regimented and brutally dominated by mathematical logic... even if it doesn't always add up. Nobody is an individual, and the mere idea of individuality makes the people's skin crawl. To be thoughtful and pragmatic is almost sinful in their world.
The similarities between Orwell's and Zamyatin's respective masterpieces (and this is what they are: masterpieces) are striking. They both tell the tale of a man conflicted with guilt and loathing (whether for himself or others) over his betrayal to Big Brother/The Benefactor. They both harbour amorous feelings towards rebellious women, which is ultimately their downfall. They both keep a journal (D-503 more so, as this is what "We" is totally comprised of [his journal; his grand treatise for the Venusians and Uranites, and the other otherworldly beings]). People who act against the leader are vaporised (literally in "We") -- the similarities are almost endless.
All in all, a very enjoyable read. I'm not sure if the translation is totally perfect, as some of the imagery seems mildly skewed in places, but perhaps this is exactly how the Russian author intended it to be. There's quite a few mathematical terms in use as well, but this is also, presumably, to show just how ineffably lost their world has become; relying on strict, logical guidelines (numbers), instead of words and free, autonomous thinking. by Charlie
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