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We: Review

We is a novel about a totalitarian future society in which one's day is extremely regimented by the state and relationships are largely emotionless. The protagonist struggles with unlearning a lifetime of routine as he discovers a whole new side of his world.

The novel is not an easy read, with many technical allusions. Some fantastical passages gradually veer far from reality for long periods.

However, the world, scope, and dystopian vision of this novel are impressive, especially considering that it was written in 1920. The influence on 1984 is clearly very strong. For example, the use of military time in We was followed to great effect in the opening sentence of 1984, "...the clocks were striking thirteen."

Rating:

Recommend? Yes
Buy as a gift? Only for post-apocalyptic completionists or 1984 superfans

Last modified on 30 May 2022 by AO