We

By: Yevgeny Zamyatin

Narrated by: Philippe Duquenoy

Before George Orwell’s 1984 or Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, there was We, the dark dystopian tale by Yevgeny Zamyatin. In this Russian novel, Zamyatin gives the listener a look inside a glass city where a totalitarian society thrives, at least on the surface.

Those who live in this futuristic city are always taken care of but they lack creativity and individuality. This all changes when a mathematician named D-503 discovers that he has a soul that is separate from the OneState. He and the citizens of OneState live out their lives deprived of passion and creativity. Their names have been taken away and replaced with numbers, their daily routines are dictated by the “Time Tablet” which tells them what they should do, and when they should do it, hour after hour.

This powerful science fiction novel has been a source of inspiration for dystopian writers since its publication in 1921. We is as powerful today as it was nearly a hundred years ago.

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Impressive

Got my full attention! Now I understand why people says it inspired 1984…. I also understand the reasons for what Soviet government sensors banned it!

Better Received as a Snapshot in Time

For those seeking the fuller context of dystopian depictions of communist and authoritarian societies in literature, this is a valuable experience. If one approaches literature as having conversations with notable minds, this is a mind and a work that inspired the timeless works that have guided free societies for decades to come.

It touches upon concepts that authoritarians would come to take as a lesson and free societies would take as a warning: the panopticon of mass surveillance, revolutionary fervor, and rule by unquestioned intellectuals.

That being said, the book is not as easy to read as the works it inspired. The format of a journal and the robotic style of the narrator also do not help in this regard.

Philosophical

I enjoyed the way they resoned the One state. I enjoyed the connections between philosophy, physics, religion, and mathematics. An amazing tale about the search for meaning and exploration of soul.

Wonderful narration of a dystopian novel!!

This is one of my all time favorite novels, and is highly recommended for any sci-fi fan. The narrator did a wonderful job giving each character their own personality. 2 thumbs up!!

This was a slog.

It was just too much hard work for me. Maybe it was the mood I was in. But nothing seemed to be happening and I just can't be bothered at the moment with that sort of thing. The narrator was OK but was let down by the slow almost standing still burn of the story. Not many books I can't finish, this is one of them. It might be interesting from an historical perspective but... not for me at this moment in time. I may give it another go in the future.