Anthem

By: Ayn Rand

Narrated by: Paul Meier

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.

Cliches Start Somewhere

This dystopian tale is a cliche, but the cliche came after Rand wrote this. This fast but insightful story is a warning against the evils of collectivism, and rings as true today as the day it was written.

The power of I in a society of we

I enjoyed the perspective, The ideology of going from respect and appreciation for our individuality to a society centered on socialism is a special kind of dystopia. The end has a few monologues that while powerful were a tad distracting because of the change in tempo and pace but the story is very true to the authors style. I liked it.

Still Resonates

Any Rand’s powerful short story about the perils of totalitarian collectivism still resonates to this day. The states complete control of an individuals life course, the use of gender neutral language and the complete lack of personal autonomy shows the dangers of state overreach. The book was very well narrated. I preferred the first half to the second half.

meh

Nothing particularly new in dystopia and cringe narration with even cringier music sometimes. Just read Brave New World and 1984 and you've already read this.

Great Narration

This was so well narrated - gripping even - that my young children understood the underlying concept of the dangers of "We" and wanted to hear more.

Amazing

This is an amazing story, narrated in such a way to make it easy to understand and FEEL.

Perfect for FREE Thinkers

What other book might you compare Anthem to and why?

The Giver seems comparable to me as they were in a similar community that was living to function as a whole rather than an individual.

What about Paul Meier’s performance did you like?

Paul Meier has a great voice! He has some of the best inflection and carries so much emotion in his voice. He made the listening experience better by 10 fold.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I!

Any additional comments?

Recommended to all young entrepreneurs and thinkers. Use this to light a fire under you and take your ideas to the next step. This book is filled with so much inspiration to help build yourself up it is amazing.

Okay...

As short stories go this was a decent science fiction. It reminded me of the stories my classmates and I wrote in high school English class.