Anthem

Ayn Rand

1938

February, 2026

7/10

At first, the archaic writing style feels somewhat forced and unnatural — and that remains throughout the book. However, the story remains captivating in a way that demonstrates how writing itself sometimes isn't as important as the contents of that writing. And Anthem is well-written.

As for the story, while the point is addressed rather quickly, ideas such as how everyone secretly thinks "wrong" things are hinted at very subtly. Of course, this is the main theme of the book, but such subtleties are expressed well. Though sometimes the exact means by which something progresses is somewhat silly such as how the protagonist single-handedly discovers and controls electricity or when he manages to kill a bird with a thrown rock as if it were nothing.

The philosophy is also very strong in the book. My favorite part was the discussion on candles during the book's climax. While the protagonist is exploring this idea of individualism, the world around him, while seemingly cruel in nature, poses a very good question: Are we better off with advancements? Of course, then there's the question of freedom which Rand focuses on in the book, but I think it would be interesting to explore the broader implications of that brief candle discussion.

For such a short book, I recommend it, noting its flaws. It ends with extravagant, determined speech which felt too intense (in a similar way to the electricity topic). That said, the story is captivating albeit too short for true depth.