The Literazzi: May 2011

Monday, May 23, 2011

Once Is Not Enough

Ok, if we are recommending books, I have to recommend this one. This is one of the books I was highly considering making our Book Club Selection for this month. The only reason I didn't was because I had already read it in college and Jared was flipping out about that - lol. (Love you, Jared.) Anyway, this is one of my all-time favorite books!! It will catch you on page one and you won't be able to stop reading it until you are finished. Please give it a try and tell me what you think!! (PS - This is the book ChaCha always incorrectly calls, "Once On This Island" - sigh.)

Anthem

So, guys, I just finished Anthem by Ayn Rand. Of course, I didn't need to buy it apparently, although I did. There's a full online text with notes.

I have to hand it to Jordan. This was a great dystopian society. Very reminiscent of The Giver by Lois Lowry. In my mind, I definitely saw the politics of it: communism vs. capitalism. After learning that Ayn Rand grew up in Russia and was against the collectivism of the country, it makes even more sense. It doesn't quite reach the harshness of 1984 (George Orwell) or The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood), it definitely has tendings toward that and one can definitely sense the potential for the violence of these two later novels. The contrast of fear and hope is fascinating, though it's funny...while I was definitely rooting for the protagonist throughout, I had brief moments of doubt. Scary to think that the rules set in place by a dystopian society may be there for a reason, but as Franklin said, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

The point is, I'd recommend it. It's a quick and easy read, but it definitely gets you thinking.