"Anthem"

“Perhaps, in those days, there were a few among men, a few of clear sight and clean soul, who refused to surrender that word. What agony must have been theirs before that which they saw coming and could not stop! Perhaps they cried out in protest and in warning. But men paid no heed to their warning. And they, these few, fought a hopeless battle, and they perished with their banners smeared by their own blood. And they chose to perish, for they knew. To them, I send my salute across the centuries, and my pity.

Theirs is the banner in my hand. And I wish I had the power to tell them that the despair of their hearts was not to be final, and their night was not without hope. For the battle they lost can never be lost. For that which they died to save can never perish. Through all the darkness, through all the shame of which men are capable, the spirit of man will remain alive on this earth. It may sleep, but it will awaken. It may wear chains, but it will break through. And man will go on. Man, not men.” Ayn Rand

I am a long time lover of the written word. Each new book I stumble upon affects me in a foreign way, and leaves me hungry for more. Sometimes the cravings are so intense, that I find myself tangled in numerous books at once. I’m trying hard to tame myself to focus on one at a time, or else I find I miss out on experiencing the entire essence to be found in the bound pages. And just as we all want to share the things we love with everyone around us, I too, want to share with you, my phantom audience, my love of the written word.

It was merely minutes ago that I finished reading Ayn Rand’s novel, “Anthem”. Amazing. She is now one of my favorite authors, and I cannot wait until my next paycheck, so that I might go and add her other works to my small, but growing library. But what an incredible book! Fiction though it may be, it gives the reader a glimpse of a future world. A world where the individual has been erased, and traded for that of a collective. Men vs. Man. So were the revolutions of France and America. One was for the collective men, and one for the individual man. There IS a difference! If you have a few hours, give it a read. It’s a short 100 pages, so a few hours is all you need.