Tough-O-Meter

We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)

(4) Base Camp

Ayn Rand deliberately wrote Anthem in a simple style, which makes it a breeze to read. The only difficulty you'll have is adjusting to the characters' total inability to use the first-person ("I") or third-person ("he/she") singular, which gets a little awkward at times. Philosophically, the book does have a lot to say – it can function as a crash course in Rand's philosophy of Objectivism – but Rand's ideas are presented clearly.