Discovery of I. Review on Anthem - Ayn Rand

What happens to a world where the concept of I is lost? What happens to a society, where the very words I, my, mine, myself and the like, are not only forgotten, but are forbidden? What happens, when human beings are made to live like ants; without egos, without will, only as a part of collective; with society deciding the functions, the choices, the partners, the work and everything; living for everyone, except oneself?

Welcome to the world of Anthem. It starts with exactly this bleak scenario. It shows, in essence, what happens when the morality of collectivism is taken to its logical extreme. It shows a world where human beings literally can't think for themselves, or think of themselves as Individuals. The characters don't even have names, they have numbers.

But that's not all. The Anthem is about the (re)discovery of I. Through this fable author conveys what it means to think, to work, to love, to live, for oneself. And all that, without any complicated storyline, fancy language, or long sermons.

Anthem is the celebration of Individualism, and an excellent book to read in the teen years, before picking up the two essential AR books for the youth - The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged .