Recently me and a few of my friends decided to reread 1984 by George Orwell. I’d originally read it 3 years ago and looking back on it now, it’s no wonder I didn’t enjoy it much back then. This is very much an adult book and I needed those few years in between to mature to be able to fully understand and enjoy the book. At this point in my life I feel like it is a book that stands up extremely well to re-reading.

After I finished reading 1984 and had shared how much more I’d liked it this time around, I received a suggestion to read We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. We is often cited as the inspiration for 1984, which added to my interest towards the novel. Because of this connection between the two it was nearly impossible to refrain from comparing them while reading We.

Both novels feature characters who rebel against their society. Despite this similarity, the two novels differ widely in my opinion. In 1984, the main character viewed the society he lived in, in a negative way as is typical in dystopian novels, but in We the society was presented in a positive light, which I found to be refreshing. As a result of this the line between a dystopia and a utopia were blurred, for they are essentially the same. So while I did enjoy both novels, We felt like a breath of fresh air so I would recommend that more easily. 

-Laura