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carlottareadslikeaworm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Murder, War, and Classism
Slayedinkysoph's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I often find it difficult to rate older books. We, in particular, is a challenge because it's impossible to separate the book itself from its context.
This book is over 100 years old. It was written almost at the same time as Brave New World and has been credited by Orwell as an influence for 1984.
The description of an anti-utopia is amazing. The ideas and concepts explored in this book feel ahead of their time.
However.
It was also quite a confusing read at times, the narrator was prone to waffling and I wasn't entirely sure what was going on a lot of the time. As with all books of a certain age the descriptions of women and black people were deeply problematic. Zamyatin's obsession with lips was quite repetitive and offputting (his friend seemed entirely defined by his 'Afeican Lips'). I recognise that this has to be taken within the context of the time it was written but it did detract from my overall enjoyment.
Reading 'We' feels like seeing a foundational stone being placed: I can absolutely see its influence on subsequent sci-fi and, for that, I am grateful.
This book is over 100 years old. It was written almost at the same time as Brave New World and has been credited by Orwell as an influence for 1984.
The description of an anti-utopia is amazing. The ideas and concepts explored in this book feel ahead of their time.
However.
It was also quite a confusing read at times, the narrator was prone to waffling and I wasn't entirely sure what was going on a lot of the time. As with all books of a certain age the descriptions of women and black people were deeply problematic. Zamyatin's obsession with lips was quite repetitive and offputting (his friend seemed entirely defined by his 'Afeican Lips'). I recognise that this has to be taken within the context of the time it was written but it did detract from my overall enjoyment.
Reading 'We' feels like seeing a foundational stone being placed: I can absolutely see its influence on subsequent sci-fi and, for that, I am grateful.
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Racism
theaceofpages's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Set in the future, we get to explore a world of glass walls in which freedom and privacy are seen as bad and undesirable. We learn of how life works and how people experience and love the system of complete control through D503's writings.
Although there are definitely "of it's time" elements (e.g. the misogyny) overall this was an interesting read that explores complete governmental control. A lot of it still feels very relevant. I found the looking back at our time and our freedoms rather interesting and sometimes amusing (e.g.the love of the train schedules and how everyone sees them as a monument that they and possible we study in school !) This is one of the earliest dystopian books and there are definitely clear similarities between this one and better known books (like 1984) that were inspired by it.
Although there are definitely "of it's time" elements (e.g. the misogyny) overall this was an interesting read that explores complete governmental control. A lot of it still feels very relevant. I found the looking back at our time and our freedoms rather interesting and sometimes amusing (e.g.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Racism, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Racism is about how everyone should look the same. We get a weirdly long section on how pwoplw have different noses...saraaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It's a great book. One of the first of its kind. This novel was written between 1919 and 1921. Huxley claimed to have not read it before the publication of Brave New World; George Orwell, on the other hand, read it and thoroughly enjoyed it, so it's safe to say it might have been of inspiration for 1984.
Although this reads more similar to Animal Farm, with its bitter irony, facing the readers with the cold hard truth of the situation and letting them come to a conclusion fn their own. A fine piece of literature, in this sense.
It's full of mathematical and even biblical references, but nothing too hard for the common reader, and offers some brilliant, very modern philosophical and sociological considerations – truly a book that makes you think.
There were some racist descriptions and misogynistic observations that made me physically wince – were the prejudices really so engraved in Zamjatin's head that he couldn't imagine they would have not persisted in a culture 900 years into the future?
Apart from this, it was almost funny to note how technologically "backwards" (though I hate this term) such a culture was if compared to ours, just a century after the novel was written. Really puts into perspective how much has been discovered and invented in so little time, and how unexpected this development must've been.
But back to the book. I'd say by the end of story, it gets almost unbearably slow – otherwise it's a very quick read –, but I guess I have to take into account that this was a reread for me. Still, I highly recommend it – has to be read at least once in a lifetime.
Although this reads more similar to Animal Farm, with its bitter irony, facing the readers with the cold hard truth of the situation and letting them come to a conclusion fn their own. A fine piece of literature, in this sense.
It's full of mathematical and even biblical references, but nothing too hard for the common reader, and offers some brilliant, very modern philosophical and sociological considerations – truly a book that makes you think.
There were some racist descriptions and misogynistic observations that made me physically wince – were the prejudices really so engraved in Zamjatin's head that he couldn't imagine they would have not persisted in a culture 900 years into the future?
Apart from this, it was almost funny to note how technologically "backwards" (though I hate this term) such a culture was if compared to ours, just a century after the novel was written. Really puts into perspective how much has been discovered and invented in so little time, and how unexpected this development must've been.
But back to the book. I'd say by the end of story, it gets almost unbearably slow – otherwise it's a very quick read –, but I guess I have to take into account that this was a reread for me. Still, I highly recommend it – has to be read at least once in a lifetime.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical trauma, and Alcohol
Minor: Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Pregnancy
saraaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Pregnancy
Minor: Body horror, Death, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, and Alcohol
itszosia's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism