Annotation: In a society where uttering the word “I” is an offense punishable by death, one man breaks away to discover himself.
Justification for Rejection:
This graphic adaptation of Ayn Rand's Anthem cuts to core of adolescent development- finding oneself. The protagonist in the story, Equality 7-2521 goes on a journey of self-discovery in a society that seeks to keep him in the strangle-hold of the status quo, a quest that resonates with adolescent readers. He succeeds in establishing a life for himself, complete with a wife and a new name, Prometheus, who “took the light of the gods and brought it to men...taught men to be gods”. The anthem sung in this narrative transitions from a worship of collective society to a respect for oneself as an individual. This narrative mirrors the journey many adolescents may be making, away from their home, their parent's religion or their educator's influence and into isolation, where only the individual is honored and obeyed.
While Anthem, has at it's core a story that resonates with the struggle for identity that is so vital to adolescent life, I feel the adaptation lost audience appeal in translation. This particular form, while bursting with potential, failed to qualify as a “best book”. The first thing I noticed while reading was the panels. The size and placement was uniform throughout the book, each page had three equal-sized panels with zero variation. That stylistic element made for a monotonous read. The form did nothing to direct my eyes or set the pace of the novel. The potential for this type of adaptation lies in the graphic format and while the artwork was well done, the form felt incongruous and did little to enhance and support the text. I am adding the print version of Anthem to my reading list because the heart of this story is compelling, but the presentation in this graphic novel was missing too much technical cohesion to nominate for our award.
Genre: Graphic Novel, Coming of Age/ Search for Identity, Fantasy, Romance
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