Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Of books and philosophy

I have a (bad) habit of picking up a new book to read when I have four or five others stacked on my bedside waiting to be finished. But last night I was glad to do just that because I picked Ayn Rand's Anthem (which I got for a steal at the Bargain Corner in One Utama) and finished it in just one sitting. The last time I did that it was with Amir Muhammad's Yasmin Ahmad's Films.

Soon after I started, I found that its theme is similar to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) and I immediately knew that I would like this story.



In the world Ayn Rand depicts in Anthem, individuals have no identity of their own. They exist only for the sake of the community. There is no "I" (the word literally doesn't exist), but only "the great WE." Anything that might allow individuals to develop their own identity – whether it be a name, a mirror, or the first-person singular – is suppressed. The story's plot follows the main character, Equality 7-2521 (what a name, huh?) , as he slowly discovers his own identity as an individual. Gradually he moves away from thinking himself as a member of the "we" to thinking of himself as an "I" and valuing his own uniqueness. (source: shmoop.com)


In short, it is a work of dystopian literature that depicts an oppressive society you'd never want to live in. But what intrigued me more is the philosophy behind Ayn Rand's writing. Besides being a celebrated author, Ayn Rand is also a philosopher in her own right. Her subject of philosophy called 'Objectivism'  holds  that the proper moral purpose of one's life is the pursuit of one's own happiness or rational self-interest; that the only social system consistent with this morality is full respect for individual rights. (source: wikipedia)

Often times, I have been snubbed for placing my own priorities on top of everyone else. I've been called selfish and insensitive to the point where I was said to be educated but at the sacrifice of my own heart. It hurt to hear people say that about you. It hurts even more when you feel guilt seeping through your body. I've always thought that it was unfair to feel guilty when I am living and fighting for my own happiness, above all. And then came Ayn Rand.

I first heard of Ayn Rand from a much loved and good friend, who kept telling me to read Atlas Shrugged, another work  from Ayn Rand when I told  about my complete fascination for Russia (the country, people, politics, cultures, literature, arts etc.). Ayn Rand is a Russian-born American, by the way. I was, of course, intrigued but had to put the thought on hold as I had other books to read.

But then I found a 50th Anniversary Edition of Atlas Shrugged at Kinokuniya and at a bargain price! I got it and it is now in one my 'now reading' list. The thing about Atlas Shrugged is, it is one of those books that would take you a lifetime to finish. Mine is a really thick copy with the fonts printed like you need a magnifier to read them. Another example: Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace. I swore to myself that I would finish that book one day because God only knows how much I love Tolstoy having read several of his (readable) stories but this, this one I give up. The next time you go to a bookstore, check it out and you'll know what I mean.

I'm really lucky with Ayn Rand since I also got Anthem at a steal (RM 7!). I guess she isn't that popular in this part of the world. Having read Anthem has also made me want to finish George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. I guess I could just tell people that there was a time when I was into the dystopian literature. Having said this, this is now my 'to read' list:

  1. George Orwell's 1984 (actually this one is more aptly for the 'to finish reading' list)
  2. Franz Kafka's The Trial
  3. Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged (see comment in no.1)
  4. George Orwell's Animal Farm
  5. Dorris Lessing's Memoirs of a Survivor

This reminds me of the time when I was into books about God, Satan, Hell and Paradise. I even went as far as buying books online so I could get a hold of books that had these characters as the protagonist.These include Dante Alighieri's Inferno and John Milton's Paradise Lost. As you can see, the list for Dante's Divine Comedy is still wanting. I shall need to get Purgatorio and Paradiso soon to complete my collection.

My favourite quote for today shall be, "A house without books is not a home".

Happy Lunar New Year everyone!

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