WE (A Dystopia)
The Precursor to George Orwell's 1984 and Aldous Huxley's A Brave New World (The Original 1924 Edition)
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Publisher Description
Yevgeny Zamyatin's 'WE' is a groundbreaking work of dystopian fiction that explores a totalitarian society where individuality is suppressed in favor of conformity and surveillance. Written in a unique literary style that combines elements of science fiction and philosophy, the novel provides a chilling glimpse into a future where the government controls every aspect of its citizens' lives, including their thoughts and emotions. Zamyatin's use of symbolism and vivid imagery creates a haunting and thought-provoking reading experience that challenges readers to question the value of freedom and individuality in the face of oppressive regimes. 'WE' holds significant literary importance as a precursor to iconic dystopian works like George Orwell's '1984' and Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World.'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
First published in the Soviet 1920s, Zamyatin's dystopic novel left an indelible watermark on 20th-century culture, from Orwell's 1984 to Terry Gilliam's movie Brazil. Randall's exciting new translation strips away the Cold War connotations and makes us conscious of Zamyatin's other influences, from Dostoyevski to German expressionism. D-503 is a loyal "cipher" of the totalitarian One State, literally walled in by glass; he is a mathematician happily building the world's first rocket, but his life is changed by meeting I-330, a woman with "sharp teeth" who keeps emerging out of a sudden vampirish dusk to smile wickedly on the poor narrator and drive him wild with desire. (When she first forces him to drink alcohol, the mind leaps to Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel.) In becoming a slave to love, D-503 becomes, briefly, a free man. In Randall's hands, Zamyatin's modernist idiom crackles ("I only remember his fingers: they flew out of his sleeve, like bundles of beams"), though the novel sometimes seems prophetic of the onset of Stalinism, particularly in the bleak ending. Modern Library's reintroduction of Zamyatin's novel is a literary event sure to bring this neglected classic to the attention of a new readership. (On sale July 11)
