Book Description
“[Zamyatin’s] intuitive grasp of the irrational side of totalitarianism– human sacrifice, cruelty as an end in itself–makes [We] superior to Huxley’s [Brave New World].”
–George Orwell

An inspiration for George Orwell’s 1984 and a precursor to the work of Philip K. Dick and Stanislaw Lem, We is a classic of dystopian science fiction ripe for rediscovery. Written in 1921 by the Russian revolutionary Yevgeny Zamyatin, this story of the thirtieth century is set in the One State, a society where all live for the collective good and individual freedom does not exist. The novel takes the form of the diary of state mathematician D-503, who, to his shock, experiences the most disruptive emotion imaginable: love for another human being.
At once satirical and sobering–and now available in a powerful new modern translation–We speaks to all who have suffered under repression of their personal and artistic freedom.

“One of the greatest novels of the twentieth century.”
–Irving Howe ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Primo
This book is excellent -- and, unfortunately, it illustrates the kind of future we can expect if the current political trends in this country continue. It's well written, well translated, and well conceived. In the same category as A Handmaid's Tale, The Iron Heel, 1984, & Brave New World, it is quite possibly the best of the bunch.

Literary Masterpiece, Thought Provoking
This book manages to both be a thrilling romance novel and a highly thought provoking novel.It explores the idea of materialism more than i would say its strictly a purposeful dysutopian novel.In fact the speaker doesn't really show too much distress.More or less he is like a human god with access to great resources, and since he doesn't really mind the labotomies and they seem to be good for him it seems to work out pretty well for him.

Although the ending didn't really make all too much sense to me ( i won't give it away), but maybe it's because the author is a bit humble about the Integral I'm not sure.In comparing this with 1984 I'd say 1984 has a much more rebellious spirit to it.It's necessary to absolutely torture the narrator before he gives up on his love, but the narrator here is more of a willing participant in a totally drowned society, and his romantic escapades just another gift given by reason, although there's some contrivance by the author with the irrationality of it, the narrator is really a conformist throughout.

And perhaps a lot of good books show what we are drowned in?But this is a so called science fiction work because this world isn't real, but it isn't very hard to identify with b/c the world is very materialistic, and you'll see this in the people that you meet, and the stuff that they bear for materialism.And the solution for the necessary break and dissonance with the materialist logic of the Benefactor is of course solvable by a brain adjustment or labotomy.It could be called a dysutopia or just a marxist utopia, it would just depend on what you're used to?

We
"We" is possibly the most disturbing of the great dystopian novels because the main character believes, or thinks he believes, in the virtues of the totalitarian state in which he lives.The society envisioned by the author combines the worst vices of communism with an extreme view of the mentality of mass production and mechanized efficiency as applied to humans.

Natasha Randall's translation for The Modern Library is elegant and practically flows off the page with a compelling urgency.

Surprisingly Engaging
Having been a Science Fiction fan for most of my life, and possessing the ability to absorb three books per week, I was pleasantly surprised by the tact and tenacity of "We".Any fan of the Negative Utopia Genre should definitely look this one up; being the great-granddaddy of every Utopian story in existence (minus, of course, the little-known but highly engaging "The Iron Heel" by Jack London, of all people), WE combines the harsh social rigidity of 1984 with a bit of the technical know-how of "Brave New World". No opening date is given, though by the tone of the story, I was able to work out that it would be the 31st Century, according to our calendar; what remains of humanity exists inside the rigid walls of a grand city.Every second of their lives, the Ciphers (as humans now refer to themselves) have activity to keep them forever grinding forward.The wall is composed of a transparent alloy, keeping the Ciphers seperated from the rest of the world outside, but allowing them occasional glimpses of new and exotic things; there is one Chapter where our protagonist, on his way from one tedious chore to another, catches a glimpse and locks eyes with what sounds like a Bison or Wildebeast.For minutes, he and this strange, curious animal stare at one another, and he has an epiphany--he is as curious about the world outside as it seems to be about him.He begins to daydream about what lies beyond his sterile existence, and suddenly declares himself sick with the illness of Imagination--but despite this, he keeps finding excuses not to seek treatment, and keeps swaying more and more from his daily activity of dictated duties.His trouble intensifies when he notices a woman and wants her desperately, but he cannot fathom why.Aside from her eyes, he finds her rather unremarkable, and even though he and everyone else BELONGS to everyone else, he can't seem to purge her from his mind.He could have her any time he'd like, but he seems to crave something more from her that he can't quite put his finger on...and it's not too long until she notices him, too.She also has the sickness of Imagination, but hers dwarfs his; she begins to demand his time, not for sex, but for discussions.She muses on things that he finds ridiculous, such as "knowing your mother and father", "forms of governance other than the One State", and something he finds repugnant, child-rearing.He realizes that he hates her guts almost at the same time that he realizes he loves her-and from that moment their fates are inexorably linked.Their world is ruled by the Benefactor, a being with near-omnipotent power and technological wonders that would make George Lucas crap himself; while not a totalitarian system completely in deed, the One State uses laser brain surgery to correct any "sickness" within it's Ciphers, and as the Imagination begins to encompass others, our hero, who is a very important man in the State (he designs and engineers interplanteary vehicles), decides to rebel the only way he can...to take the others with Imaginations off-planet, so that they can find a new one for their own.Written from the early to mid-1920's, in the Soviet Union, "WE" makes up for its relative lack of prose with not only a tantalizing yarn, but one that shows remarkable foresight, and a keen understanding of Science Fiction long before it even existed; for a final thought, and on that subject, there is one chapter that really struck me--the author describes what could only be a modern laptop computer...pretty good imagination for the 1920's.

We
The label "forgotten classic" is overused, but it definitely applies to We, a dystopian novel written in 1921 by Yevgeny Zamyatin, a Russian author who would soon disappear into exile and obscurity as a result of his work. We is a precursor to Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-four, but in my opinion it is the most powerful and most perfect of the three.

The story is told by D-503, a male mathematician in a society organized on the principles of mathematics. The setting is centuries in our future, long after a war has reduced the human population to a few millions and led to the formation of One State, a single enclosed city-state. The guiding principle of One State is that freedom is unhappiness. To ensure uniformity, all buildings, including private dwellings, are made of glass so there is no privacy. The people (called "ciphers") all rise at the same moment, eat together, and take exercise by marching in formation.

The true nightmare of We is not its grim picture of society, but the fact that so many of the ciphers, D-503 included, find it a delightful way to live. There are exceptions, however, including the seductive and mysterious I-330 with whom D-503 falls in love. Such attachments are, of course, forbidden, and D-503 is in anguish over his inability to control his feelings.

The style in which We is written is unique and adds substantially to its appeal. D-503, as noted, is a mathematician, and his memoirs rely heavily on the language and metaphors of mathematics. At times, however, it is an outpouring of emotion from someone utterly unused even to the concept of emotions, much less the experience.

We, as one might expect, is a satire against the totalitarian excesses of the new Soviet regime. Both a Communist and a Russian patriot, Zamyatin was astute enough even as early as 1921 to see that the revolution was leading in a direction away from the desires of many of its proponents. But the novel is also a powerful, even shocking statement about out concepts of happiness and freedom.
... Read more

Book Description

In the One State of the great Benefactor, there are no individuals, only numbers. Life is an ongoing process of mathematical precision, a perfectly balanced equation. Primitive passions and instincts have been subdued. Even nature has been defeated, banished behind the Green Wall. But one frontier remains: outer space. Now, with the creation of the spaceship Integral, that frontier -- and whatever alien species are to be found there -- will be subjugated to the beneficent yoke of reason.

One number, D-503, chief architect of the Integral, decides to record his thoughts in the final days before the launch for the benefit of less advanced societies. But a chance meeting with the beautiful 1-330 results in an unexpected discovery that threatens everything D-503 believes about himself and the One State. The discovery -- or rediscovery -- of inner space...and that disease the ancients called the soul.

A page-turning SF adventure, a masterpiece of wit and black humor that accurately predicted the horrors of Stalinism, We is the classic dystopian novel. Its message of hope and warning is as timely at the end of the twentieth century as it was at the beginning.

Customer Reviews (105)

One Of Science Fiction's Earliest And Most Disturbing Looks At A Possible Future
A lot of very early science fiction remains great reading, but it's remarkable that a science fiction novel written in the 1920s and set approximately a thousand years in the future reamins so plausible and eerily realistic.The horrifying vision of the future presented in "We" could still take place.In many ways, it has taken place, time and again (most obviously in Stalinist Russia).In many ways, the disturbing scenarios described here continue rearing their ugly heads even today.

"We" is one of the earliest (to my knowledge) 'dystopian future' stories, a field that also encompasses such tales as "1984" and "V For Vendetta".It is presented in the form of a journal, written first person by a character known as D-503 (individual names no longer exist in this future; all are numbers) and intended to be read by the inhabitants of alien planets, describing the world (Earth) and how it came to exist in its current (future) state.D-503 makes new entries daily, so we read from the beginning, where D is an adamant supporter of the world order, through later entries as disillusionment begins to creep in on the narrator before he's even aware of it.The alien planets in question are those to be visited by the Integral, mankind's first interplanetary spaceship, nearing completion as the novel begins, and intended to bring the 'benefits of the One State' to all the stars.

The world of "We" is one of a single city state of millions, where all 'wild' (trees, grass, birds, etc.) has been permanently banished behind the walls of the city.All citizens of the One State exist to serve the One State, and individuality has been pretty much abolished.The One State makes all major decisions and most smaller ones, each life is regulated, hour by hour, to an extraordinary degree; the very buildings people live in are transparent and 'Guardians' are everywhere, watching to make sure no one steps out of the precise lines the One State has so carefully formulated.Its similarities to real-life authoritarian regimes are unmistakable, but taken to an even more all-encompassing degree.

Two events that coincidentally both happen in the months leading up to the completion of the Integral are of great signifigance.State scientists discover the physical location within the human brain of the 'illness' known as imagination, and the means to finally excise it completely; and D-503 himself discovers emotions he's never experienced before, triggered by a chance meeting, and subsequent acquantaince with, a woman known as I-330.

"We" is a grim and profoundly troubling book, but there are moments of brightness and optimism from a fairly early stage.Such things as friendship and hope have survived into the future, often within those who aren't even conscious of their prescence.And as change continues within this future socity toward an even bleaker future (the possible eradication of imagination; the forcible spreading of this severe existance to space beyond), change also remains capable of moving in the opposite direction...

Thought-provoking and overall a great story with an intriguing plot, memorable characters, and great turns and surprises.Highly recommended.

Happy or Free
Written before such well recognized books as "1984" and "A Brave New World", "We" is the original dystopian novel. As you read you may get a sense of dea vu, but when you remember that this book came first you will realize just how heavily other authors have "borrowed" from it.

Zamyatin explores the relationship between freedom and happiness. He shows that though happiness can be forged through the elimination of nature,and free thought and the establishment of uniformity and rituals, it is a limited and incomplete happiness. By limiting people to being parts of machine, rather than letting them be individuals the State is robbing them of their humanity. Though a free people may not always be happy, their ability to be unhappy, to experience the world, is exactly what makes them happy and free.

Written to represent Zamyatin's astonishinglyaccurate fears for the future of his nation, the novel's message is just as pertinent today. The book can serve as a wake-up call to those of us who are living in an increasingly authoritative State that is attempting to export happiness to the rest of the world. Zamyatin shows that a State exporting happiness is robbing its recipients of their humanity, just as it does of its own citizens.

While sending a hefty message, Zamyatin puts the reader through an amazing adventure. A first person narrative, you get an inside view of exactly how life in a dystopian state would be. you experience the life and romance of the protagonist as he systematically looses his mind over the paradoxes of his life.

Zamyatin's classic novel is exiting, and thought-provoking. It's story is brilliantly told, and the messages it sends ends up being as important today as it was almost 90 years ago when he published it. overall a great read.

Novel Poetry
I've had this book on my 'to read' list for some time and just finished it tonight. Writing as someone who is pursuing fields in math and physics, the main character, D-503, came off as someone who is really in tune with the philosophy of math and the universe. Truly written from the point of someone who 'got it'.

I'm not expert in early 20th-century Russian dystopian novels, but this, by far, is the best dystopian novel I've read. In comparison to 1984, We is more poetic and from the vantage point of someone losing their mind (really apparent), whereas 1984 is more of a linear read, though still riveting.

The pace of the book was a little slow to begin with and one can really get lost in the thoughts of D-503. Some may find this frustrating, as many thoughts trail off into ...s, but I found it even more compelling. Most thoughts trail off as one writes them, and, as D-503 puts it, he wanted to write without editing. A double-edged sword: people who wish to have a book to read and have everything explained to them will find a difficult learning curve ahead, people into abstractness would probably find it more appealing.

I don't give many books 5-stars. I give lots of books 4/5 stars because they're great, but not books that, once you begin reading, make your knees buckle into a comfy chair. Books that make you think, and think hard, are ones I personally enjoy (and this will vary from person to person, so by no means is my review an authority) and We certainly delivers. Answered questions lead only to more and more, until you're developing a soul of your own...

A fantastic tour of the imagination.

Slo w start - excellent ending
Written as a revolutionary response to the Revolution in 1917 in Russia this book is rich in text. As a read, however, the introductory "chapters" are slow and at around "chapter 14" begin to speed up quickly.

Enjoy the read though, the last 20 chapters make it worth while!

awe inspiring, hugely fulfilling
Straight from page one, I was floored by the detailed world set-up for the book. I was also floored by everything else the book offered on its pages: moving plots propelled by interesting and deep characters, the detailed culture of a future Earth, the emotions experienced, the words exchanged and the streams of thought which alter the soul. I'm not one to go into detailed analysis of everything within the book and I'm not one to compare this greatness to other books either: it's a symbol of great achievement for such a beautiful, moving translation to have ever come about. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Extrapolation, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2007. The length of the article is 12403 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Revolutions from the waist downwards: desire as rebellion in Yevgeny Zamyatin's We, George Orwell's 1984, and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.(Critical essay)
Author: Thomas Horan
Publication: Extrapolation (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 48Issue: 2Page: 314(26)

Article Type: Critical essay

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
Word count: 2978. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Insipid parody.
The author tries to give us a picture of life in England before World War I through the tribulations in a nobleman's marriage. The main themes are religious fanaticism, conformism, hypocrisy and the Salvation Army. The pinnacle of indecency is a nobleman who becomes a boxer.

This book has not the same quality as 'We'. It lacks biting humour and is far too slow.

For a cruel and devastating picture of the same period I recommend 'Winter notes on Summer Impressions' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. ... Read more