Tuesday Intros and Teaser Tuesdays - 'Anthem' by Ayn Rand

Today I'm sharing a book with you I recently bought for a train-journey down to London next weekend! This book is Ayn Rand's Anthem. I read her book The Fountainhead during my first year at University and was in love. I waited until I found an edition with the exact cover on the left.

Anthem has long been hailed as one of Ayn Rand's classic novels, and a clear predecessor to her later masterpieces, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. 

In Anthem, Rand examines a frightening future in which individuals have no name, no independence, and no values. Equality 7-2521 lives in the dark ages of the future where all decisions are made by committee, all people live in collectives, and all traces of individualism have been wiped out. Despite such a restrictive environment, the spark of individual thought and freedom still burns in him - a passion which he has been taught to call sinful.

In a purely egalitarian world, Equality 7-2521 dares to stand apart from the herd- to think and choose for himself, to discover electricity, and to love the woman of his choice. Now he has been marked for death for committing the ultimate sin.

Tuesday Intros is hosted by Diane over at Bibliophile by the Sea and Teaser Tuesdays is hosted over at A Daily Rhythm.


Intro:

'It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is base and evil. It is as if we were speaking alone to no ears but our own. And we know well that there is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone. We have broken the laws. The laws say that men may not write unless the Council of Vocations bid them so. May we be forgiven!' p.1

I love this beginning! It is perfectly direct and to the point without the prose losing its beauty.


Teaser:

'They brought the Transgressor out into the square and they let them to the pyre. They had torn out the tongue of the Transgressor, so they could speak no longer.' p.52

This is one hell of a tease! I'm now wishing that I had not decided to wait with this one until the train journey. It is quite a slim book as well so I should be able to actually get it read on the way to London. I think Rand's writing, especially The Fountainhead, is very misunderstood by most critics and I can't wait to see how this book develops.

Heidi from New Paper Adventures pointed out to me  in the comments that Anthem is actually currently free on Amazon Kindle, so hop on over and have a look! Thanks Heidi :)

What are you teasing with today?