The Annotated We: A New Translation of Evgeny Zamiatin’s Novel

by Vladimir Wozniuk

The AnnotatedWe represents the first fully annotated translation of Evgeny Zamiatin’s classic novel in English. Generally recognized as the first modern anti-utopian novel, Zamiatin’s We has puzzled scholars and critics alike, for it is both serious and playful, full of games. Long considered to be enigmatic, it stands out as unique among his works, and its importance is beyond doubt, for it not only holds the distinction of being the first work of its kind, but is also widely believed to have provided thematic elements for the two most famous dystopian works of the twentieth century, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.
This new English translation employs language and syntax that mirror the precision and economy of Zamiatin’s Russian in his “poem in prose.” The commentary that accompanies the text sheds light on Zamiatin’s use of language as well as on the broad array of allusions that mark it, while at the same time suggesting many previously unacknowledged sources for the novel’s playfulness.

216 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2015

Reviews

[Ali☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We” walked so “1984” could RUN

[Jason Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The version I read was stylistically a nightmare on the page. The formatting was distracting, and did not help with Zamyatin's ambiguity and stilted style. The story progresses in bursts and breaks through an unreliable narrator. The bitterness of a controlling, all-powerful state is rife with every page and the story ends in a predictably disheartening fashion.

[Aydan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book in Russian. The writing style makes it confusing to fully grasp the picture from time to time. Given that this book provided elements that inspired the brave new world I was very enthusiastic to give it a go yet I found it less complex & breathtaking. Still have to give the credit since it was the first book in its genre and must say that the ending made it worth the read!

[Ron Me]

This is really pretty good, if rather Russian in style. And some of the attempts at math and physics are pretty poor. But as well worth reading as, say, Orwell.

[Timothy Morrison]

a review of the terms good and bad poet