The difference between this long-forgotten exercise in paranoia and other futuristic visions of a world controlled by the state, such as Aldous Huxley's or George Orwell's, is the extremist tone of Rand's story. The author lived in a black-and-white world in which things social or communal are evil and things individual and selfish are exalted. This "anthem" culminates in a hymn to the concepts of "I" and "ego," where the rebels are those who resist group action; the oppressors are government officials and others who attempt to provide a safety net for the less fortunate. The production is not improved by the theatricality of narrator Paul Meier, which is reminiscent of a ham Victorian actor intoning an overwrought melodrama. Not recommended.-Mark Pumphrey, Polk Cty. P.L., Columbus, NC
The sky is cloudy, casting gray light on the plain walls and sparsely populated streets of your hometown. With your government-issued uniform buttoned tight against the cold, you make your way down the sidewalk to your office job. That’s when you spot it: a battered, unassuming rectangle poking out from behind a trash bin. It’s […]
Sara Shepard, author of the darkly addictive Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game series, gives us her recommendations for great YA reads—heavy on intrigue and perfect for summer: 1. Shadowlands, by Kate Brian. After escaping death at the hands of a serial killer, Rory and her family leave their life behind, entering the witness […]