wow! I loved this. I’ve never really felt the urge to read any of orwell’s books or any dystopian novel as it is so mainstream, but this essay really made me want to give it a try, at least to ’We’. Congrats on the essay, its a shame it didn't turn a video as I feel it would have spread to a bigger audience, but I really liked the fact that you prioritized the content to your possible benefits. I expect more essays like this!
I subscribed to your Substack based purely on this post. Just three weeks ago I pitched Zamyatin's novel to my Harvard world literature class as being worthy of the course's syllabus for future iterations of the class. I've read the work three times in the last two years and will be reading it a fourth time this year. I am not versed enough in the art of satire to really understand satire, so that may be the underlying factor of my sentiment here, but I didn't pick up on "We" as being satirical. I found no humor in it at all, it was so bleak and sad, to say nothing of disturbing if one reads the book and looks around themselves at the world as it is now and compares the two. I'll be on the lookout for satirical elements and humor on my next read through.
Hi, Jared, thank you for this beautiful essay. I am one of those people who read We first. I was growing up in the 90s in Russia and it was a time when what was forbidden flooded in. We was first published in ussr in the end of 80s. I remember the feeling that I read something very important and smart. I think I was 12 or something. Taking in account the state of the world, it might be a good idea to reread Zamyatin. I also got curious about his non-fiction writings, will try to find and read it. For me personally it is a way to see how people reflected on the experience of living through totalitarian times, exile, fear to speak out etc.
PS: your channel is gold! It is awesome that you have a Substack too.
wow! I loved this. I’ve never really felt the urge to read any of orwell’s books or any dystopian novel as it is so mainstream, but this essay really made me want to give it a try, at least to ’We’. Congrats on the essay, its a shame it didn't turn a video as I feel it would have spread to a bigger audience, but I really liked the fact that you prioritized the content to your possible benefits. I expect more essays like this!
I subscribed to your Substack based purely on this post. Just three weeks ago I pitched Zamyatin's novel to my Harvard world literature class as being worthy of the course's syllabus for future iterations of the class. I've read the work three times in the last two years and will be reading it a fourth time this year. I am not versed enough in the art of satire to really understand satire, so that may be the underlying factor of my sentiment here, but I didn't pick up on "We" as being satirical. I found no humor in it at all, it was so bleak and sad, to say nothing of disturbing if one reads the book and looks around themselves at the world as it is now and compares the two. I'll be on the lookout for satirical elements and humor on my next read through.
Hi, Jared, thank you for this beautiful essay. I am one of those people who read We first. I was growing up in the 90s in Russia and it was a time when what was forbidden flooded in. We was first published in ussr in the end of 80s. I remember the feeling that I read something very important and smart. I think I was 12 or something. Taking in account the state of the world, it might be a good idea to reread Zamyatin. I also got curious about his non-fiction writings, will try to find and read it. For me personally it is a way to see how people reflected on the experience of living through totalitarian times, exile, fear to speak out etc.
PS: your channel is gold! It is awesome that you have a Substack too.