AYN RAND'S ANTHEM: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL adapted by Jennifer Grossman & Dan Parsons - Illustrated by Dan Parsons
✯✯✯✯✯ Review by Astrid Galactic
In Ayn Rand's ANTHEM: The Graphic Novel, Jennifer Grossman and Dan Parsons have come up with a wonderful new
edition of Any Rand's novel, Anthem. What they've done was to retell the story,
complete with graphics. You could say that it's a comic book of sorts,
beautifully illustrated in color with nice, thick pages.
The story itself is based on an extreme
dystopian society that has completely abolished the concept of the self as an
individual. One could say that it is a sort of extreme Communism where the
whole is all that matters and any regard towards individualism is grounds for
severe punishment. They are so entrenched in the idea of a group mindset that
the word "I" does not exist within their language. Pure Collectivism
all the way!
Even the various characters have names that
reference them only as machine parts or classification tags which includes
numbers. The closest they get to any sort of concept of self is that there are
various groupings of people but they are completely departmentalized as a
company might be divided up. In some ways, they were almost like gangs. It was
a little unclear of these divisions other than that they seemed to be classed
by skills, character types or even races.
As in any social settings, there are always
those who rebel and go rogue. This is always met with some sort of public
shaming and punishment, unless they can escape from their confines which
they've been brainwashed would only lead them to danger and even death. Not
only are they brainwashed but most knowledge is kept from them and discouraged,
so any sort of personal learning must be done in secret for the sake of their
own safety.
Our protagonist, Equality 7-2521, is such a
character. One day he discovers an abandoned underground room that seemed to
have been some sort of scientific lab in many decades past. There he fiddles
around and experiments with what has been left behind until he eventually
discovers a means to create light. We would know it, essentially, as being
electricity and batteries.
Thinking that the overlords would be pleased
that he had come up with a way to aid his society, he presents his findings to
his overlords. Bad move! The light, symbolic of enlightenment, is one of the
many things they want kept from their serf class. Of course, this leads to his
punishment.
Meanwhile, Equality 7-2521 had developed a
secret bonding, of sorts, with a beautiful woman working the fields whom he
thought of as The Golden One. She too had taken a shine to him though they each
were aware that they had to keep their friendship secret from the others.
As the story progresses, the two find their
way together and out of the confines of their community and into the wilderness
and the remains of the old world abandoned for the sake of the repressive world
they left behind. In many ways, they eventually become sort of Adam and Eve
figures for the beginning of a whole new world of enlightenment based on the
original one left behind by their immediate elders.
The graphics are very good and reminiscent of
old Superman comic books as well as several images we've seen of other Fascist
type governments. In some respects, some of it struck me as reflecting the old
Constructivist Art posters from early 20th century Russia which is very fitting
to the storyline.
Besides being an important story, the book is
a beautiful work of art printed on thick paper. My only real problem with the
book is the binding. While reading the book, I found the pages would separate
from the book itself, even with the gentlest of turning. I would very highly
suggest to the publishers that they find a new method to bind the book in
future publications. This book is too nice to read once and toss. It's a
keeper!
One other note of interest is that this would
make for a great required reading for classes studying various forms of
governments, societies or other philosophic movements. Possibly have the
students do a comparison between this and what is often thought of as the
"Me Generation" for the sake of balance. There are many possibilities
of how the lessons from this book can be utilized to stimulate thought and
encourage a healthy balance in one's life, as well as compare to other existing
governments.
Fiction
Graphic Novel
Paperback, 72 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1732603707
Publisher: The Atlas Society
Release Date: July 10th, 2018
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