We
Yevgeny Zamyatin
Usually when I'm reading a book for class, I try to write up the review before I get to a lecture. This way, I can be sure I'm recording my own distinct impressions. Unfortunately, due to a large confluence of papers, here I am a couple of days later. With We, though, I think it might be good, as I'm liking this novel more and more as I gain distance from my reading of it. The book isn't terribly strong on plot or imagery, but it has food for thought. In spades.
The story is a traditional dystopian tale, where we are exposed to a radically altered world of the future. In We, the main change that has been made to society is utter devotion to mathematics, which culminates in worship of F.W. Taylor and his theories of scientific management. Life has been co-opted and the denizens live in glass houses under the watchful eye of the (aptly named) Benefactor. What I found most intriguing about this premise, however, is the fact that repression seems to be more internal than external. Sure, the government is ready and willing to squash revolts, but D-503 (the main character) is just as ready to submit to optimal mathematical efficiency as the next guy. There has been a fundamental shift in what it means to be human, as humans desire to be more like machines.
If we understand this, the novel and its schizophrenic plot become more accessible. For one thing, its form becomes more clear and easier to decipher. On a first read, the rambling prose and constant ellipses only confuse and muddle the already ethereal plot. This clears up during further reflection, as it reveals the quickly shifting state of the narrator. D-503's world is absolutely imploding around him; that he can write at all about the worst catastrophes to befall the world is in itself a gift. The increasing shakiness of the text also precisely parallels D-503's descent into insanity. The more I think about this, the more I'm reminded of how I felt after reading A Farewell to Arms. That book is coming up on the docket, so we'll see how a second read can affect a book so outside of itself.
Back to We. Zamyatin has created a fascinating dystopia that speaks volumes about his own time and even ours, as our lives become increasingly dominated by technology. Unfortunately, the power of the dystopian image is often overshadowed by the screwball plot, which is all over the place and hard to follow, even if it is consistent with the narrator's character. I would like to give this book some space and come back to it later, as I believe it is a rich work chock full of interesting tidbits. It's a whirlwind, but for those interested in dystopian literature (and the book was a direct influence on 1984 and Brave New World), it's definitely worth a shot.
Grade: B
Yevgeny Zamyatin
Usually when I'm reading a book for class, I try to write up the review before I get to a lecture. This way, I can be sure I'm recording my own distinct impressions. Unfortunately, due to a large confluence of papers, here I am a couple of days later. With We, though, I think it might be good, as I'm liking this novel more and more as I gain distance from my reading of it. The book isn't terribly strong on plot or imagery, but it has food for thought. In spades.
The story is a traditional dystopian tale, where we are exposed to a radically altered world of the future. In We, the main change that has been made to society is utter devotion to mathematics, which culminates in worship of F.W. Taylor and his theories of scientific management. Life has been co-opted and the denizens live in glass houses under the watchful eye of the (aptly named) Benefactor. What I found most intriguing about this premise, however, is the fact that repression seems to be more internal than external. Sure, the government is ready and willing to squash revolts, but D-503 (the main character) is just as ready to submit to optimal mathematical efficiency as the next guy. There has been a fundamental shift in what it means to be human, as humans desire to be more like machines.
If we understand this, the novel and its schizophrenic plot become more accessible. For one thing, its form becomes more clear and easier to decipher. On a first read, the rambling prose and constant ellipses only confuse and muddle the already ethereal plot. This clears up during further reflection, as it reveals the quickly shifting state of the narrator. D-503's world is absolutely imploding around him; that he can write at all about the worst catastrophes to befall the world is in itself a gift. The increasing shakiness of the text also precisely parallels D-503's descent into insanity. The more I think about this, the more I'm reminded of how I felt after reading A Farewell to Arms. That book is coming up on the docket, so we'll see how a second read can affect a book so outside of itself.
Back to We. Zamyatin has created a fascinating dystopia that speaks volumes about his own time and even ours, as our lives become increasingly dominated by technology. Unfortunately, the power of the dystopian image is often overshadowed by the screwball plot, which is all over the place and hard to follow, even if it is consistent with the narrator's character. I would like to give this book some space and come back to it later, as I believe it is a rich work chock full of interesting tidbits. It's a whirlwind, but for those interested in dystopian literature (and the book was a direct influence on 1984 and Brave New World), it's definitely worth a shot.
Grade: B
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