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a_reader_is_me2014-01-12 04:54 pm
catness) wrote in a_reader_is_me2014-01-12 04:54 pm
Entry tags:
Book: We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
Title: We
Author: Yevgeny Zamyatin
Genre: sci-fi
Book Number/Goal: 25/52
My Rating: 5/5
Notes: reread
Download: English | Russian
Review:
This classical dystopian story is a diary of D-503, the chief engineer of the spaceship "Integral" being built by the One State. He lives a happy life, with the state controlling every aspect of the citizens' behavior, up to hourly schedule, and enforcing everyone's fervent devotion to the leader, the Well-Doer. D-503 is a mathematician and he often reflects on the glorious order, so much more beautiful and reasonable than the barbaric customs of his ancestors. However, one day he meets a mysterious woman, I-330, who turns out to be a deviant and a rebel. Falling in love with her shatters his comfortable world and releases his dormant human instincts.
The writing style is unique - a little stilted like a scientific treatise and in the same time, poetic and full of vivid imagery. The writing becomes more and more disjointed, incoherent and intense, as D-503's mental stability deteriorates and the chaos breaks out.
Much of the story is devoted to romance, but the best part is the world-building and especially the brilliant descriptions that give the reader a glimpse into the insider's mind. The premise of the diary being written for aliens unfamiliar with the One State's way of life allows the author to provide some amount of the background info without distracting from the plot. This world is both horrifying and fascinating. I can't even help feeling a little envious.
Author: Yevgeny Zamyatin
Genre: sci-fi
Book Number/Goal: 25/52
My Rating: 5/5
Notes: reread
Download: English | Russian
Review:
This classical dystopian story is a diary of D-503, the chief engineer of the spaceship "Integral" being built by the One State. He lives a happy life, with the state controlling every aspect of the citizens' behavior, up to hourly schedule, and enforcing everyone's fervent devotion to the leader, the Well-Doer. D-503 is a mathematician and he often reflects on the glorious order, so much more beautiful and reasonable than the barbaric customs of his ancestors. However, one day he meets a mysterious woman, I-330, who turns out to be a deviant and a rebel. Falling in love with her shatters his comfortable world and releases his dormant human instincts.
The writing style is unique - a little stilted like a scientific treatise and in the same time, poetic and full of vivid imagery. The writing becomes more and more disjointed, incoherent and intense, as D-503's mental stability deteriorates and the chaos breaks out.
Much of the story is devoted to romance, but the best part is the world-building and especially the brilliant descriptions that give the reader a glimpse into the insider's mind. The premise of the diary being written for aliens unfamiliar with the One State's way of life allows the author to provide some amount of the background info without distracting from the plot. This world is both horrifying and fascinating. I can't even help feeling a little envious.