librarygrrl 's review for:

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

3.0

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"We" is a dystopian, written in 1921 but not published until a few years later. I find dystopians written so long ago to be very fascinating. It's Zamyatin's writing style that is so frustrating. It's written in the style of a journal, the narrator writing to future aliens who may want to understand their society. However, he often cuts off his sentences in mid-stream, as if he can't bring himself to finish his thought. The reader is left to infer what is meant, but it isn't always clear where he's going, or what he's feeling. I suppose that is the point, because he's so confused about what's happening to him. Also, the society is totally math based and since mathematics were never a strong point for me, I find this aspect of the book to be a bit vague. Overall, it is still intriguing and I can see how this work potentially influenced many others, such as Anthem, A Brave New World and 1984.