We (Annotated)

By: Yevgeny Zamyatin, Gregory Zilboorg - translator

Narrated by: Matthew Spaur

Classic Dystopian Novel: We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, a groundbreaking work that inspired George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.

Enhanced Edition: Includes:

• Detailed character list
• Comprehensive timeline
• Summary of the novel
• Analysis guide
• Author biography
• Glossary

Setting: 26th-century AD in the totalitarian city of OneState, where individuality and emotions are suppressed.

Plot: Mathematician D-503 begins to question the regime’s oppressive control and discovers his own sense of self.

Historical Significance:

• Written between 1920 and 1921
• The first dystopian novel, predating 1984 and Brave New World
• Banned in Russia for decades; now a powerful call for personal freedom

Translation: Features Gregory Zilboorg’s acclaimed English translation from 1924.

Ideal For: New listeners and fans of dystopian fiction, offering a profound and provocative look at the struggle for individuality.

Public Domain (P)2025 C. S. Walton

Great listen

Definitely a great book to listen to. sits very engaging and the narrator does an excellent job. Very easy to follow and get into. The storyline is well done. Overall 5 stars.

Sci-fi from a century ago feels painfully fresh

An incredible story that has been inspiring books and movies for a nearly a century. We is told in journal form with a cast of characters just barely recognizable as human, and a government hell-bent on removing every last shred. Opening annotations were initially disliked, but later appreciated as more an education than an intrusion. Narration by Matthew Spaur is steady and appropriate. Overall a worthy foray into the minds and fears of citizens from yesteryear, and today. [Disclosure: I received this title for free and listened at 2.0x.]

great narrator-performs it well

The narrator does a great job and fits the character. I liked the opening intro, which helped me get oriented before the story really kicked in. The pacing felt steady and clear, and for me, I could follow the tension in the story better than in the printed book. Overall, it was an interesting listen and a good way to experience this classic book.