"We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin

The story in “We” takes place in the distant future. In that world everything is logically and mathematically simple. There’s no place for emotions and feelings. But once the protagonist falls in love all the instincts overpower the logics. He’s jealous, a minute without Her makes him insane, he waits for her near her house for hours. He considers that this state is illness. The presence of souls is actually an illness. Till the very end of a story he suffers trying to cure this illness. For he is devoted to the great Benefactor this is a real torture. That was a really interesting thing to create an intrigue because usually protagonists in dystopias want a revolution. The Government is really afraid of rebelling and quickly promotes new operation during which a human being is deprived of imagination. This operation is mandatory.

The Benefactor calls D-503 and asks about revolutionaries but D-503 stays silent. Then the Benefactor suggests D-503 that he was useful for revolutionaries only because he had access to Integral (he was an architect). D-503 suddenly realizes that maybe this was true. But till the end of a story it is still unclear whether I-330 loved D-503 or she just used him. After all, D-503 was forced to this operation. He lost his soul. Of course after the operation he gives out all the information about revolutionaries, their names and plans. He just doesn’t find the sense in blanching over them. One by one they are tortured and killed. During the questioning I doesn’t take her eyes off D, that was very powerful moment for me. What she was thinking about dying? Did she curse him? Did she try to guess why he did it? Or did she understand everything looking in his empty eyes?

Therefore the System fought a man. Fought humanity.

Interesting moment: during the entire story D-503’s thoughts are very chaotic. His beautiful soul recognizes all the small things which are hidden for others – what an illogic sky on that day or that leaves on a trees are like fire and his friend O is all round and kind herself. But after the operation his tone is calm, logic, sentences are not like a bright mosaic of moments, emotions and feeling.

This book has become one of my faves. It touched my soul deeply.

Rating 5/5