This stunningly different, thought-provoking book about a possible bleak dystopian future hooked me from the very beginning, when I didn’t know what the heck was going on because the singular individual was referring to himself as ’’we’’ ’’us’’ and ’’our’’. And so begins the story...
Some minor plot details are the following: the character lives in the future, where individuality is completely erased. The forbidden word, ’’I’’, isn’t even remembered or ever used. This discourages people to think for themselves. The people are like robots, and live, work, sleep, eat, and exist solely in a community setting, kind of like dormitories.
The main character feels slightly different from everyone else though, and although he is scared of his feelings, he also can’t resist them. The book is his personal journal that he knows he would be killed for writing. In this respect, it brings to mind ’’1984’’ by George Orwell. This book is much easier to understand though. 1984 is very complicated, talking about a government party and propaganda and such, trying to advance itself as a society, but Anthem is the opposite - they’ve gone backwards, they’ve reverted. Electricity, computers, transportation, engines... all this is gone. Candles are just about their highest form of technology. The book tends to be easier to understand because of this simplicity.
This book really makes you think, as most books portraying frightening, repressive futures tend to do. Reading this book is an experience that will leave you changed forever, and alter your way of thinking.