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The Ayn Rand Library #2
The Early Ayn Rand: A Selection From Her Unpublished Fiction
This remarkable, newly revised collection of Ayn Rand's early fiction—including her previously unpublished short story The Night King —ranges from beginner's exercises to excerpts from early versions of We the Living and The Fountainhead .
528 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1984
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About the author
Ayn Rand
588 books10.4k followersPolemical novels, such as
The Fountainhead
(1943), of primarily known Russian-American writer Ayn Rand, originally Alisa Rosenbaum, espouse the doctrines of objectivism and political libertarianism.
Fiction of this better author and philosopher developed a system that she named. Educated, she moved to the United States in 1926. After two early initially duds and two Broadway plays, Rand achieved fame. In 1957, she published Atlas Shrugged , her best-selling work.
Rand advocated reason and rejected faith and religion. She supported rational and ethical egoism as opposed to altruism. She condemned the immoral initiation of force and supported laissez-faire capitalism, which she defined as the system, based on recognizing individual rights, including private property. Often associated with the modern movement in the United States, Rand opposed and viewed anarchism. In art, she promoted romantic realism. She sharply criticized most philosophers and their traditions with few exceptions.
Books of Rand sold more than 37 million copies. From literary critics, her fiction received mixed reviews with more negative reviews for her later work. Afterward, she turned to nonfiction to promote her philosophy, published her own periodicals, and released several collections of essays until her death in 1982.
After her death, her ideas interested academics, but philosophers generally ignored or rejected her and argued that her approach and work lack methodological rigor. She influenced some right conservatives. The movement circulates her ideas to the public and in academic settings.
Fiction of this better author and philosopher developed a system that she named. Educated, she moved to the United States in 1926. After two early initially duds and two Broadway plays, Rand achieved fame. In 1957, she published Atlas Shrugged , her best-selling work.
Rand advocated reason and rejected faith and religion. She supported rational and ethical egoism as opposed to altruism. She condemned the immoral initiation of force and supported laissez-faire capitalism, which she defined as the system, based on recognizing individual rights, including private property. Often associated with the modern movement in the United States, Rand opposed and viewed anarchism. In art, she promoted romantic realism. She sharply criticized most philosophers and their traditions with few exceptions.
Books of Rand sold more than 37 million copies. From literary critics, her fiction received mixed reviews with more negative reviews for her later work. Afterward, she turned to nonfiction to promote her philosophy, published her own periodicals, and released several collections of essays until her death in 1982.
After her death, her ideas interested academics, but philosophers generally ignored or rejected her and argued that her approach and work lack methodological rigor. She influenced some right conservatives. The movement circulates her ideas to the public and in academic settings.
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August 26, 2016
Part IX of a multi-part review series.
Juvenilia & outtakes. Forgettable shorts and irrational realist dramas. Scenes from We the Living and The Fountainhead that were left on the cutting room floor, but that editor thinks are interesting. Several texts are pre-McCarthy red scare, trite even in the 1930s.
Most interesting bits are Peikoff’s editorial comments.
For instance, “the novels of the mature Ayn Rand contain superlative values that are unique in our age” (vii).
We find no outtakes from Atlas Shrugged presented in this collection because “there are no excerpts from [the] manuscript long enough to warrant publication” (ix). I think that means she jotted down whatever she wanted and then did not edit anything away: perfect mental composition prior to reduction to tangible form. Just like Mozart! Peikoff incomprehensibly states later however: “Ayn Rand was a champion of literary economy; she was ruthless in cutting passages she considered inessential” (193). ORLY!?
Introduces the short “The Husband I Bought” with a Rand comment from The Romantic Manifesto that the purpose of her writing is “the projection of the ideal man” (3). The corollary female representation is the heroine who experienced “man-worship” when confronted with the ideal man hero (id.). (The actual story opens with “I should not have written this story” (7), which is one of the few Randian statements with which I agree completely.) The point of the story for Objectivism is that it shows “the passionate valuer, who will bear the greatest suffering, if necessary, rather than settle for something less than the ideal” (37). Sounds like an endorsement of sacrifice. OH NOS!
“Good Copy” is an Objectivist parable of how “suffering is an exception, not the rule of life” (37), and in Rand’s estimation “deals with only one ‘big issue,’ the biggest of all: can man live on earth or not?” Although I’m fairly certain that many dorms full of freshman pot-smokers have come to the correct conclusion on this critical question without reading Rand’s short, it reveals the exaggerated sense of self-importance that objectivism conveys upon its adherents, and demonstrates the limits of their reading. Heroine of the short is “the opposite of a feminist. ‘Women,’ she tells [hero] warmly at one point, ‘are the bunk’” (38). Charming!
Fourth short attempts to nail down “the importance of values in human life” (85) (third short is entirely forgettable, barely more than a short short).
Fifth item is gulag literature, a practice run for We the Living. Peikoff affirms that “Rand’s full objection to dictatorship involves her whole system of philosophy, including her view of the nature of reality and the requirements of the human mind,” but in this one “the argument is reduced to its essence”: “Communism demands that the individual renounce his independence,” and “The answer to Communism, Ayn Rand held, is the recognition of man’s right to exist” (123). So, yeah, we’re in neverneverland here. This reduction-to-essence thesis however should be considered an admission that everything in her writings outside of “Red Pawn” is inessential (contrary to Rand’s ruthless-cutting-inessentials, supra). I therefore move the Court for summary judgment on the basis of this admission, and seek an order that all of her other writings be dismissed with prejudice.
“Red Pawn” (I keep wanting to write “Red Dawn”) deploys the “sub theme” of “the philosophic identity of Communism and religion” (124), which is based on a paragraph’s juxtaposition of christian iconology with portraits of Lenin in a monastery that the CP took over. Peikoff thinks this is brilliant, but it strikes me as tendentious--and, to be honest, palimpsestial relations are not avoidable.
Peikoff reveals why all of her fiction is extremely bad: “In accordance with her view that evil is impotent, the villains in Ayn Rand’s fiction rarely rise to the role of dominant, plot-determining figures. For the most part, like [villain in “Red Pawn”], they are peripheral creatures doomed by their own irrationality to failure and defeat” (124). (This is an arbitrary interpretation because the villain of “Red Pawn” ultimately wins through his own competence and the protagonists either lose or go to an ambiguous end.) Because Rand stacks the deck against her villains, her stories have no conflict, no freytagian movement, no catastrophe or denouement, nothing that was considered important to the Aristotelian tradition that she claims to cherish in her aesthetic manifesto. Rather, her protagonists make stirneresque grievance against duly constituted public authority, which is considered sufficient to state an allegedly romanticist “plot.”
Peikoff explains that Rand’s play, Ideal, features a “pure exponent of evil” who is a “spokesman for Platonism” (206). Yawning now.
Another play, Think Twice, is a murder mystery, focusing on “the evil of altruism” (293). Snoring now.
Recommended for readers who think that men of ability are considered dangerous by Soviet Russia, those who are too selfish to be conceited, and Vikings who had laughed at kings, who laughed at priests, who had laughed at men, who had held, sacred and inviolable, high over all temples, over all to which men knew to kneel, his one banner--the sanctity of life.
Juvenilia & outtakes. Forgettable shorts and irrational realist dramas. Scenes from We the Living and The Fountainhead that were left on the cutting room floor, but that editor thinks are interesting. Several texts are pre-McCarthy red scare, trite even in the 1930s.
Most interesting bits are Peikoff’s editorial comments.
For instance, “the novels of the mature Ayn Rand contain superlative values that are unique in our age” (vii).
We find no outtakes from Atlas Shrugged presented in this collection because “there are no excerpts from [the] manuscript long enough to warrant publication” (ix). I think that means she jotted down whatever she wanted and then did not edit anything away: perfect mental composition prior to reduction to tangible form. Just like Mozart! Peikoff incomprehensibly states later however: “Ayn Rand was a champion of literary economy; she was ruthless in cutting passages she considered inessential” (193). ORLY!?
Introduces the short “The Husband I Bought” with a Rand comment from The Romantic Manifesto that the purpose of her writing is “the projection of the ideal man” (3). The corollary female representation is the heroine who experienced “man-worship” when confronted with the ideal man hero (id.). (The actual story opens with “I should not have written this story” (7), which is one of the few Randian statements with which I agree completely.) The point of the story for Objectivism is that it shows “the passionate valuer, who will bear the greatest suffering, if necessary, rather than settle for something less than the ideal” (37). Sounds like an endorsement of sacrifice. OH NOS!
“Good Copy” is an Objectivist parable of how “suffering is an exception, not the rule of life” (37), and in Rand’s estimation “deals with only one ‘big issue,’ the biggest of all: can man live on earth or not?” Although I’m fairly certain that many dorms full of freshman pot-smokers have come to the correct conclusion on this critical question without reading Rand’s short, it reveals the exaggerated sense of self-importance that objectivism conveys upon its adherents, and demonstrates the limits of their reading. Heroine of the short is “the opposite of a feminist. ‘Women,’ she tells [hero] warmly at one point, ‘are the bunk’” (38). Charming!
Fourth short attempts to nail down “the importance of values in human life” (85) (third short is entirely forgettable, barely more than a short short).
Fifth item is gulag literature, a practice run for We the Living. Peikoff affirms that “Rand’s full objection to dictatorship involves her whole system of philosophy, including her view of the nature of reality and the requirements of the human mind,” but in this one “the argument is reduced to its essence”: “Communism demands that the individual renounce his independence,” and “The answer to Communism, Ayn Rand held, is the recognition of man’s right to exist” (123). So, yeah, we’re in neverneverland here. This reduction-to-essence thesis however should be considered an admission that everything in her writings outside of “Red Pawn” is inessential (contrary to Rand’s ruthless-cutting-inessentials, supra). I therefore move the Court for summary judgment on the basis of this admission, and seek an order that all of her other writings be dismissed with prejudice.
“Red Pawn” (I keep wanting to write “Red Dawn”) deploys the “sub theme” of “the philosophic identity of Communism and religion” (124), which is based on a paragraph’s juxtaposition of christian iconology with portraits of Lenin in a monastery that the CP took over. Peikoff thinks this is brilliant, but it strikes me as tendentious--and, to be honest, palimpsestial relations are not avoidable.
Peikoff reveals why all of her fiction is extremely bad: “In accordance with her view that evil is impotent, the villains in Ayn Rand’s fiction rarely rise to the role of dominant, plot-determining figures. For the most part, like [villain in “Red Pawn”], they are peripheral creatures doomed by their own irrationality to failure and defeat” (124). (This is an arbitrary interpretation because the villain of “Red Pawn” ultimately wins through his own competence and the protagonists either lose or go to an ambiguous end.) Because Rand stacks the deck against her villains, her stories have no conflict, no freytagian movement, no catastrophe or denouement, nothing that was considered important to the Aristotelian tradition that she claims to cherish in her aesthetic manifesto. Rather, her protagonists make stirneresque grievance against duly constituted public authority, which is considered sufficient to state an allegedly romanticist “plot.”
Peikoff explains that Rand’s play, Ideal, features a “pure exponent of evil” who is a “spokesman for Platonism” (206). Yawning now.
Another play, Think Twice, is a murder mystery, focusing on “the evil of altruism” (293). Snoring now.
Recommended for readers who think that men of ability are considered dangerous by Soviet Russia, those who are too selfish to be conceited, and Vikings who had laughed at kings, who laughed at priests, who had laughed at men, who had held, sacred and inviolable, high over all temples, over all to which men knew to kneel, his one banner--the sanctity of life.
April 27, 2024
Due to the nature of the collection, of course the stories were mixed, but there were some that were great fun (in particular "Think Twice" and "Good Copy") and many that had interesting themes (I found myself thinking a lot about the character Vesta Dunning and how she differs from Gail Wynand. Would recommend for fans/students of Rand's works, but obviously it's not an ideal entry point
May 3, 2010
For all Leonard Peikoff's periodically pointing out that Ayn Rand's grasp of English was poor in the beginning of her writing years, it is still much better than a lot of native English writing today. Sure, some of the phrasing was a little awkward, and I cringed a bit at her attempt at capturing the slang in "The Night King," but overall her style and sense of the dramatics hasn't disappeared.
I actually liked some of her earlier works, and a little sad that she didn't further develop her more humorous side to storytelling. I loved her works during the '20s ("The Husband I Bought," "Escort," "Good Copy," and "Her Second Career"), which, while they were clearly the beginnings of various philosophical ideas, had a more light-hearted style as opposed to her dramatic and passionate works in The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. This is probably owing to the fact that her later years were littered with rejection letter after rejection letter. You can tell the bitterness in her stories during that time.
"Red Pawn" was probably a personal favorite for her stories in her later years; but again, this story was much closer to her actual writing than the early stuff. I barely touched the two plays, mostly because by that point I wanted to get straight to the Fountainhead excerpts (the bit about Vesta Dunning is the closest to a fanfic that Ayn Rand herself wrote about Howard Roark!), which were amazingly written, if a bit out of character for the orange-haired architect.
Now that I've read excerpts of Roark, I'm almost tempted to pick up The Fountainhead again. Almost. But a re-read of Ayn Rand would probably last me weeks.
Perhaps just a few skimmed passages then...
I actually liked some of her earlier works, and a little sad that she didn't further develop her more humorous side to storytelling. I loved her works during the '20s ("The Husband I Bought," "Escort," "Good Copy," and "Her Second Career"), which, while they were clearly the beginnings of various philosophical ideas, had a more light-hearted style as opposed to her dramatic and passionate works in The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. This is probably owing to the fact that her later years were littered with rejection letter after rejection letter. You can tell the bitterness in her stories during that time.
"Red Pawn" was probably a personal favorite for her stories in her later years; but again, this story was much closer to her actual writing than the early stuff. I barely touched the two plays, mostly because by that point I wanted to get straight to the Fountainhead excerpts (the bit about Vesta Dunning is the closest to a fanfic that Ayn Rand herself wrote about Howard Roark!), which were amazingly written, if a bit out of character for the orange-haired architect.
Now that I've read excerpts of Roark, I'm almost tempted to pick up The Fountainhead again. Almost. But a re-read of Ayn Rand would probably last me weeks.
Perhaps just a few skimmed passages then...
March 16, 2011
Gigantic book, but full of great stuff. There are some more "conventional" plot types especially early in the book, but since Rand is writing them they come across as totally distinctive in terms of characters, motivation, description of setting, etc. Since she is a philosophical novelist its interesting to see which concepts come across most strongly in which stories. Like the real cheery ones are all about how life's default state is gaiety and joy, and the darker ones are all about the struggle of the individual egoist against the world, ya get it.
Red Pawn is pretty much identical to We the Living in terms of the relationships between the characters and the theme, but the identities of the characters are totally different, it was written for TV, and it has a totally different setting. Of the unpublished excerpts, I didn't read the ones from The Fountainhead (havent read that yet). However there was one scene cut from We the Living called "Kira's Viking". In We the Living, Kira references a fairy tale she heard as a child about a viking, which has since become a personal symbol of individuality and whatnot to her. Apparently Rand actually wrote the story about the viking and its pretty good.
Well thats enough rambling.
Red Pawn is pretty much identical to We the Living in terms of the relationships between the characters and the theme, but the identities of the characters are totally different, it was written for TV, and it has a totally different setting. Of the unpublished excerpts, I didn't read the ones from The Fountainhead (havent read that yet). However there was one scene cut from We the Living called "Kira's Viking". In We the Living, Kira references a fairy tale she heard as a child about a viking, which has since become a personal symbol of individuality and whatnot to her. Apparently Rand actually wrote the story about the viking and its pretty good.
Well thats enough rambling.
February 19, 2021
3 3/4 stars
April 19, 2021
I put this book on "to read" shelf 12 years ago. I have grown as a person since then. I am not as receptive to Ayn Rand's philosophical leanings as I once was. Thus, this was a hard book for me to get through.
It is interesting to study her earlier writings and witness a development in style and vision. I gained greater understanding from the editorial comments while often skimming whole pages of her written text.
As the editor stated in the introduction, this is not the place to start reading but I think it is a good place to finish.
It is interesting to study her earlier writings and witness a development in style and vision. I gained greater understanding from the editorial comments while often skimming whole pages of her written text.
As the editor stated in the introduction, this is not the place to start reading but I think it is a good place to finish.
August 5, 2015
This is a pretty interesting book, mostly because it gives us stories from Ayn Rand before she was Ayn Rand. For example, I had no idea that she used to be a genre writer. She's got a few stories in here that could have come from O. Henry's mind. In another story, Rand comes off sounding like Raymond Chandler. It's a whole new side to her I've never seen before. There's also a pretty interesting play in here about what happens when a disgraced Hollywood starlet goes on the lam and starts hiding out at the houses of fans who wrote her letters. Really odd stuff for Rand, and I can't help but like her more for it.
August 14, 2015
Better than I thought it would be, this book is not just for the devoted Rand fan. Although if you're looking for characters that are more than archetypes and an emphasis on the real rather than the ideal, this won't be your book. Still the stories and plays are forceful and compelling and it is interesting to have insight into Rand's process as she learns both English and how to write. I did have one chuckle when the editor (a Rand devotee) lauded Rand's concision.
August 28, 2013
I absolutely love Ayn Rand. I own every book she has written (I think). I love how she illustrates the way of life in Soviet Russia through a first hand knowledge in her first works and how she plays them into her stories. She is amazing. The philosophies behind her greatest works are AMAZING. She is... amazing in herself.
December 19, 2024
My stepsister actually gave me this book because she didn't want an extra copy, so I didn't really know what to expect going in. But it was fun! I had a good time, at least partially. Full disclaimer, I actually didn't read all of this book, but it's WARRANTED. I read a few of the short stories, skipped to the ending of the last one because I was struggling, and the rest of the book was full of plays I didn't want to read, and excerpts of books I haven't read, so I think it's fair that I left off where I did. I AM gonna leave reviews for the short stories I read, though, because I liked a lot of them.
The Husband I Bought
This story is SO GOOD. It's so hauntingly beautiful, and packs a lot of punch with meaningful themes and lessons to learn from. Irene's love for Henry is such that she lets him go to be with the woman he truly loves. It's so devastating that their love for each other was once so strong, so unbreakable, and then it deteriorates over time, but Henry is unable to leave her. I think Irene is someone that audiences of all kind can relate to, left with a love that is not returned. This story left me so sad afterwards, but it's so well-told and honestly, really impactful.
Good Copy
This story was a WILD ride. It's a fun time, and I just read it and had a good time. For context, I do wanna say that for the first half of this read, I thought this man's name was LARRY and not LAURY. I have nothing to blame but my own stupidity for that. But like this man wants there to be some news in his boring town, so he MAKES the news by kidnapping this rich girl? GENIUS, and SO FUNNY. I have mixed feelings about Laury and Jinx falling in love, but....oh well, I don't care. Jinx is a neat character though, I like her name for one, and she's SO CHILL with the idea of being kidnapped. She's just like, "oh, okay!" All of the characters in this story were really fun, I can even vibe with the bad guys because it's just goofy and fun. The ending was kinda confusing for me, and I don't know why, but the story was fun and I had a good time, so I think that's what really matters.
Escort
For how short this story is, SO MUCH is packed into it. It's SO SMART how Ayn Rand does the plot twist at the end of this story. I have nothing else to say, this story is pretty perfect.
Her Second Career
I'm conflicted, to be honest. I like the story good enough, but it's just kind of depressing for Jane/Claire. Basically this girl tries to get a fresh start with Hollywood and become a star, but she literally can't do it. Like, it's crazy how sad it is for her. Meanwhile, the guy she makes the bet with raises up this other girl, previously an extra, to be her replacement, per se. I hate that her name is HEDDY LELAND. I am fully aware that this is Russian, but it's a really stupid name, I'm sorry. It's worse that she eventually marries Winston Ayers, because Heddy AYERS is also a stupid name. But I digress. Thoughts about Winston and Heddy's relationship? I mean, it kind of caught me off guard, I feel like there could've been more build-up to it, and there just wasn't? And they get married SO FAST, like it's kinda scary. But that's not really the main focus of the story, so it didn't bother me too much. But the ending is so depressing and genuinely shocking. I don't mind if an ending is shocking if it's GOOD, but it just made me depressed afterwards. Claire finally does her best acting in this movie, and the critics hate it, like it's just sad. But it was a decent read, just could've been better.
Red Pawn
Don't get me wrong, the story is good. The set-up is there. But it drags on for so long. I was struggling during the ending of this book, so I literally just skipped to see what the ending was. The characters in this story fell flat. Commander Kareyev could've been developed so much better than he was, because we don't get to SEE any of it. One minute he's a stone-cold commander, and the next he's smiling big because he's fallen in love with this girl, but I can't TELL that. (Also, I'm pretty sure he gets her sent to this island in the beginning just for sex? Like, it's never EXPLICITLY said, but it's kind of implied, and I'm...concerned. Also, I think there's some questionable sex, which again, is KIND OF IMPLIED, but I'm just very confused.) The plot twist that Joan is Michael's wife is NICE, but then it loses its brilliance after a while, because you just see him be sad about it. This story goes on for so long after the three of them escape the island, and like, I get they have to be caught, but good grief, for an action-packed sequence, it is LACKING. Kind of ended the book on a bad note, but oh well, I liked the story okay.
But overall, a nice read! Not bad at all.
The Husband I Bought
This story is SO GOOD. It's so hauntingly beautiful, and packs a lot of punch with meaningful themes and lessons to learn from. Irene's love for Henry is such that she lets him go to be with the woman he truly loves. It's so devastating that their love for each other was once so strong, so unbreakable, and then it deteriorates over time, but Henry is unable to leave her. I think Irene is someone that audiences of all kind can relate to, left with a love that is not returned. This story left me so sad afterwards, but it's so well-told and honestly, really impactful.
Good Copy
This story was a WILD ride. It's a fun time, and I just read it and had a good time. For context, I do wanna say that for the first half of this read, I thought this man's name was LARRY and not LAURY. I have nothing to blame but my own stupidity for that. But like this man wants there to be some news in his boring town, so he MAKES the news by kidnapping this rich girl? GENIUS, and SO FUNNY. I have mixed feelings about Laury and Jinx falling in love, but....oh well, I don't care. Jinx is a neat character though, I like her name for one, and she's SO CHILL with the idea of being kidnapped. She's just like, "oh, okay!" All of the characters in this story were really fun, I can even vibe with the bad guys because it's just goofy and fun. The ending was kinda confusing for me, and I don't know why, but the story was fun and I had a good time, so I think that's what really matters.
Escort
For how short this story is, SO MUCH is packed into it. It's SO SMART how Ayn Rand does the plot twist at the end of this story. I have nothing else to say, this story is pretty perfect.
Her Second Career
I'm conflicted, to be honest. I like the story good enough, but it's just kind of depressing for Jane/Claire. Basically this girl tries to get a fresh start with Hollywood and become a star, but she literally can't do it. Like, it's crazy how sad it is for her. Meanwhile, the guy she makes the bet with raises up this other girl, previously an extra, to be her replacement, per se. I hate that her name is HEDDY LELAND. I am fully aware that this is Russian, but it's a really stupid name, I'm sorry. It's worse that she eventually marries Winston Ayers, because Heddy AYERS is also a stupid name. But I digress. Thoughts about Winston and Heddy's relationship? I mean, it kind of caught me off guard, I feel like there could've been more build-up to it, and there just wasn't? And they get married SO FAST, like it's kinda scary. But that's not really the main focus of the story, so it didn't bother me too much. But the ending is so depressing and genuinely shocking. I don't mind if an ending is shocking if it's GOOD, but it just made me depressed afterwards. Claire finally does her best acting in this movie, and the critics hate it, like it's just sad. But it was a decent read, just could've been better.
Red Pawn
Don't get me wrong, the story is good. The set-up is there. But it drags on for so long. I was struggling during the ending of this book, so I literally just skipped to see what the ending was. The characters in this story fell flat. Commander Kareyev could've been developed so much better than he was, because we don't get to SEE any of it. One minute he's a stone-cold commander, and the next he's smiling big because he's fallen in love with this girl, but I can't TELL that. (Also, I'm pretty sure he gets her sent to this island in the beginning just for sex? Like, it's never EXPLICITLY said, but it's kind of implied, and I'm...concerned. Also, I think there's some questionable sex, which again, is KIND OF IMPLIED, but I'm just very confused.) The plot twist that Joan is Michael's wife is NICE, but then it loses its brilliance after a while, because you just see him be sad about it. This story goes on for so long after the three of them escape the island, and like, I get they have to be caught, but good grief, for an action-packed sequence, it is LACKING. Kind of ended the book on a bad note, but oh well, I liked the story okay.
But overall, a nice read! Not bad at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2023
Unique insight into the development and skill of Ayn Rand as a writer and novelist. Her skill as a novelist is debated hotly. Those who hate her message hate her writing. Those who love her message also can hate her writing: I go through "Atlas Shrugged" with a mental editor's blue pencil and imagine having vicious argument with her on why I slashed fifteen pages of impromptu speeches at parties and radio manifesto. Well, Ayn, you said it and you said it and well, it's been SAID. Enuf already. Siddown. Reading all of those speeches is like literary gluttony. At some point you should push away the plate.
But...there is still massive skill or these books wouldn't have stayed in print. In particular, "The Fountainhead" has a number of literary techniques to admire; characters molded on a tragic scale, with fatal flaws, tragedy, triumph, redemption and eternal damnation. The structure cleverly imitates the subject (modern architecture) and interestingly, what was left on the floor beneath the typewriter. Those passages are printed here and yes, they are some good writing and no they were better left out despite their allure. A wise artistic choice. I still hold that "The Fountainhead" is her artistic masterpiece. "We The Living" is her semi-biographical emotional masterpiece (because she wasn't too good handling emotion especially her own) and "Atlas Shrugged" is an exciting mystery, dystopian novel and manifesto all rolled into one fat doobie.
The earlier work is crude indeed--Rand may have faced the same problems as Josef Conrad, a native Polish speaker, who somehow conquered our quirky but agile English language and became a lasting classic. Seeing the development was fascinating. From the halting beginnings, you wouldn't guess she could come up with "The Fountainhead" but...she did.
But...there is still massive skill or these books wouldn't have stayed in print. In particular, "The Fountainhead" has a number of literary techniques to admire; characters molded on a tragic scale, with fatal flaws, tragedy, triumph, redemption and eternal damnation. The structure cleverly imitates the subject (modern architecture) and interestingly, what was left on the floor beneath the typewriter. Those passages are printed here and yes, they are some good writing and no they were better left out despite their allure. A wise artistic choice. I still hold that "The Fountainhead" is her artistic masterpiece. "We The Living" is her semi-biographical emotional masterpiece (because she wasn't too good handling emotion especially her own) and "Atlas Shrugged" is an exciting mystery, dystopian novel and manifesto all rolled into one fat doobie.
The earlier work is crude indeed--Rand may have faced the same problems as Josef Conrad, a native Polish speaker, who somehow conquered our quirky but agile English language and became a lasting classic. Seeing the development was fascinating. From the halting beginnings, you wouldn't guess she could come up with "The Fountainhead" but...she did.
August 31, 2022
Even if you don't agree with her philosophy or find it very secluded, Ayn Rand is a great literary master. The integrity she shows in her writing skill affects you like a storm. You can't stop yourself from liking it and getting deeply affected by her words.
To read this master as a growing person in terms of master user of words is just amazing. Here you can see how she is developing her encompassing language and how integrity is ingrained in every single word. Just like her philosophy of Objectivism, in her writing every single word is irreplaceable to the point of precision. Tight with the utmost tention in perfectly existing kind of way, each word resonates with tremendous power to engulf you in ways you couldn't have thought of drama.
To read this master as a growing person in terms of master user of words is just amazing. Here you can see how she is developing her encompassing language and how integrity is ingrained in every single word. Just like her philosophy of Objectivism, in her writing every single word is irreplaceable to the point of precision. Tight with the utmost tention in perfectly existing kind of way, each word resonates with tremendous power to engulf you in ways you couldn't have thought of drama.
October 22, 2019
I really enjoyed most of the works in this collection, including the plays. The structure of the book definitely does a great job of showing how the author advances her skills over time. As noted by the editor, the early works are not as good as the published Rand we are used to, but I am very glad they are included. I also thought the editor's prologues were exceptional, especially the specific examples that were used to highlight the author's philisophies and literary style. Reading this has inspired me to reread Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead , as well as other Rand novels.
June 8, 2022
This was refreshing. Real heroes pursuing real values. Even the earliest work in this book - in which Rand was still non fluent in English - is superior to any modern novel I've read. It's a shame that such good novelists hold such poor values and could never come to Rand's level, much less surpass it. Rand could be a Hugo on a long enough timeline, but Hugo could never be a Rand.
September 26, 2023
The book had a wide variety of Ayn Rand's early works, which made for an interesting read. It also effectively shows the progress she made through her writing. My favorite piece had to have been "Vesta Dunning", with my second favorite being tied to it in a unique way "The Simplest Thing in the World"
August 14, 2018
very interesting to see the progression of ayn rand's writing. peikoff's notes also add useful analysis of rand's writing style and details of her personal life as each of these works were written.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
August 17, 2020
Lesser layered , more direct style than her other works is what I felt but the simplicity of these is what to me made them even more poignant . “The Husband I bought “ truly broke my heart .
February 21, 2022
I skipped the two plays because I don't enjoy reading in that format. The rest of the content was good.
May 16, 2024
the plays are amazing
March 15, 2025
It’s amazing watching her go from broken English and a sense of her philosophy to literally The Fountainhead
August 28, 2025
An overview of her early works. Introduces the reader to the philosophy of Objectivism. Ends with long soliloquy from John Galt in Atlas Shrugged.
December 17, 2023
Kokoelmateoksen tarkoituksena on esitellä Ayn Randin aiemmin julkaisemattomia novelleja sekä näytelmiä 1920-luvun lopulta 1940-luvun alkuun. Tekstit antavat näkymän siihen, kuinka Venäjältä Yhdysvaltoihin muuttanut Rand oppi kielen ja ryhtyi käyttämään sitä kertomuksissaan yhä taitavammin. Samalla näkyy myös kehityskulku, kuinka Randin kehittämä objektivistinen filosofia on mukautunut osaksi tarinoita. Teoksen toimittanut Leonard Peikoff pohjustaa tarinoita lyhyillä historiaa valottavilla kommenteilla, jotka auttavat lukijaa ymmärtään ajallista viitekehystä. Ilman näitä Peikoffin kommentteja kokoelmateos olisi ollut paljon kuivempi.
Tekstejä ei ollut tarkoitus julkaista, joten tekstit ovat laadullisesti vaihtelevia. Erityisesti 1920-luvun lopun ensimmäiset kertomukset ovat varsin yksinkertaisia. Niissä tapahtumat etenevät höyryjunan lailla ja dialogien rooli on pieni, minkä vuoksi hahmotkin jäävät etäisiksi. Kuitenkin 1930-luvulle tultaessa kirjalliset tuotokset olivat jo merkittävästi parempia. Sanavarasto ja lauserakenteet olivat tuossa vaiheessa jo monipuolisempia.
Monia kertomuksia tyypillisesti yhdistää kepeä tunnelma, nokkelat juonenkäänteet ja uskomaton lopputwisti, jossa teoksen moraalinen ohjenuora konkretisoituu. Huomio on koko ajan päähenkilöissä sekä heidän valinnoissaan ja pahikset pysyvät aina sivuroolissa. Maailmaa ei kuvata synkkänä paikkana, vaikka synkkiä asioita tapahtuisikin.
Osa teksteistä on todella lyhyitä ja niitä on vaikeaa ymmärtää, jos ei tunne alkuperäisteosta, johon tekstien olisi pitänyt tulla. Jotta ymmärtäisi kontekstin kokonaisuudessaan, pitää ensinnäkin tuntea alkuperäisteos ja lisäksi lukea sitä rinnakkain katkelman kanssa. Näin ollen näissä kohdissa kirja jättää lukijan ulkopuoliseksi, jos ei ole entuudestaan perehtynyt asioihin. Ja vaikka aihepiiri olisikin tuttu, tekstien läpikotainen ymmärrys vaatii lukijalta tutkijan luonnetta.
Keskeneräisiä ja sen vuoksi julkaisemattomia teoksia on ymmärrettävästi vaikea arvottaa täysillä arvosanoilla. Toisaalta tekstit eivät ole laadullisesti myöskään mitään aloittelijan raapustuksia, vaan aidosti mielenkiintoisia. Ayn Randin kirjallisuuden tutkijoille tämä on toki erittäin suositeltavaa luettavaa. Randin muun tuotannon tuntemus on myös erittäin suositeltavaa ennen kuin ryhtyy lukemaan tätä kokoelmaa, koska monia filosofia pointteja ei välttämättä hoksaa.
Arvosana: 3/5
Tekstejä ei ollut tarkoitus julkaista, joten tekstit ovat laadullisesti vaihtelevia. Erityisesti 1920-luvun lopun ensimmäiset kertomukset ovat varsin yksinkertaisia. Niissä tapahtumat etenevät höyryjunan lailla ja dialogien rooli on pieni, minkä vuoksi hahmotkin jäävät etäisiksi. Kuitenkin 1930-luvulle tultaessa kirjalliset tuotokset olivat jo merkittävästi parempia. Sanavarasto ja lauserakenteet olivat tuossa vaiheessa jo monipuolisempia.
Monia kertomuksia tyypillisesti yhdistää kepeä tunnelma, nokkelat juonenkäänteet ja uskomaton lopputwisti, jossa teoksen moraalinen ohjenuora konkretisoituu. Huomio on koko ajan päähenkilöissä sekä heidän valinnoissaan ja pahikset pysyvät aina sivuroolissa. Maailmaa ei kuvata synkkänä paikkana, vaikka synkkiä asioita tapahtuisikin.
Osa teksteistä on todella lyhyitä ja niitä on vaikeaa ymmärtää, jos ei tunne alkuperäisteosta, johon tekstien olisi pitänyt tulla. Jotta ymmärtäisi kontekstin kokonaisuudessaan, pitää ensinnäkin tuntea alkuperäisteos ja lisäksi lukea sitä rinnakkain katkelman kanssa. Näin ollen näissä kohdissa kirja jättää lukijan ulkopuoliseksi, jos ei ole entuudestaan perehtynyt asioihin. Ja vaikka aihepiiri olisikin tuttu, tekstien läpikotainen ymmärrys vaatii lukijalta tutkijan luonnetta.
Keskeneräisiä ja sen vuoksi julkaisemattomia teoksia on ymmärrettävästi vaikea arvottaa täysillä arvosanoilla. Toisaalta tekstit eivät ole laadullisesti myöskään mitään aloittelijan raapustuksia, vaan aidosti mielenkiintoisia. Ayn Randin kirjallisuuden tutkijoille tämä on toki erittäin suositeltavaa luettavaa. Randin muun tuotannon tuntemus on myös erittäin suositeltavaa ennen kuin ryhtyy lukemaan tätä kokoelmaa, koska monia filosofia pointteja ei välttämättä hoksaa.
Arvosana: 3/5
April 27, 2010
This is a collection of Ayn Rand's early unpublished fiction. I wouldn't recommend this to someone not already a fan of her writing. If I weren't already, I don't know that I'd consider any piece here a standout (with the exception of the 1939 play, Think Twice.). To a fan it definitely has it's fascinations however, seeing the flashes of genius even in the earliest works here, where her "command of English" (Rand emigrated from Russia in the twenties) was still shaky. I have to say though, most of those early pieces were surprisingly fun and lighthearted. "Good Copy," and "Her Second Career" in particular were witty and smile-provoking, even if not thought-provoking. Her 1934 play, Ideal left me cold--it reminded me of her one produced play, Night of January 16th, my least favorite of the works published in her lifetime--her heroine seemed simultaneously flat and melodramatic--a Dominque Francon, who I had found the most problematic of Rand heroines. I did like Think Twice much better, although no I wouldn't defend it as great literature. But it's clever and entertaining. I'd put this last on the list of Rand's works to read. But if you did love her other work, Atlas Shrugged, Fountainhead, Anthem and We, the Living, then this is worth considering.
August 20, 2017
This collection of Rand's early works demonstrates the radical improvements in the author's writing, stylistically and philosophically. Readers should be forewarned that many pieces are very different from Rand's later work, as she developed her philosophy and writing skills. Readers can mark her progress, and this makes the excerpts all the more enjoyable.
Two of the best pieces include "Good Copy" and "Think Twice."
"Good Copy" is drastically different from Rand's later writing - the piece is short, humorous, and relatively simple in character and plot.
"Think Twice", a murder "mystery" is unlike many of the standard murder stories, such as Agatha Christie. The character's lines, without use of banter, show quickly the thinking of each character. "Mystery" has been placed in quotations because Rand makes very clear early on who the murderer will be.
As editor Leonard Peikoff encourages in the introduction, "The Early Ayn Rand" should not be the first book read of the author's works. The book can be better appreciated and understood to the reader who already has read the published works, for he can better appreciate the build of her style and her command of the English language. (less)
Two of the best pieces include "Good Copy" and "Think Twice."
"Good Copy" is drastically different from Rand's later writing - the piece is short, humorous, and relatively simple in character and plot.
"Think Twice", a murder "mystery" is unlike many of the standard murder stories, such as Agatha Christie. The character's lines, without use of banter, show quickly the thinking of each character. "Mystery" has been placed in quotations because Rand makes very clear early on who the murderer will be.
As editor Leonard Peikoff encourages in the introduction, "The Early Ayn Rand" should not be the first book read of the author's works. The book can be better appreciated and understood to the reader who already has read the published works, for he can better appreciate the build of her style and her command of the English language. (less)
March 22, 2014
Even as a beginner, Ayn does not seem like a fumbling amateur. She displayed crisp self-editing, the power of visual-evocation and occasionally, even a breezy sense of humor.
My favorites include :
Vesta Dunning: Howard's pre-Dominique passion (I wrote romantic interest and then erased it. Romance seems too frivolous an emotion for Howard.)It contains some of her best lines, which were ultimately gleaned from here and put in the final version.
Think Twice: Her pre-Altas Shrugged mixture of science-philosophy-antiphilanthropy-passion. Ayn's cryptic statement, 'I will never be able to write a 'whodunnit' suddenly seems obvious and very much in-sync with her persona when she reveals her reason at the end.
Her second career: A movie diva pretends to be dead and then embarks on the struggler-to-success path as an adventure. Has its moments of dark humor and pathos.
Good Copy: Surprised this hasn't still been adapted for a movie. An inept journalist kidnaps a spoilt rich girl for ransom. Follows a surprisingly light and bubbly Rom-Com. A very un-Ayn Hero, complete with dimples. I mean, one cannot imagine Howard with dimples!
Don't miss this one, if you adore Ayn's works.
My favorites include :
Vesta Dunning: Howard's pre-Dominique passion (I wrote romantic interest and then erased it. Romance seems too frivolous an emotion for Howard.)It contains some of her best lines, which were ultimately gleaned from here and put in the final version.
Think Twice: Her pre-Altas Shrugged mixture of science-philosophy-antiphilanthropy-passion. Ayn's cryptic statement, 'I will never be able to write a 'whodunnit' suddenly seems obvious and very much in-sync with her persona when she reveals her reason at the end.
Her second career: A movie diva pretends to be dead and then embarks on the struggler-to-success path as an adventure. Has its moments of dark humor and pathos.
Good Copy: Surprised this hasn't still been adapted for a movie. An inept journalist kidnaps a spoilt rich girl for ransom. Follows a surprisingly light and bubbly Rom-Com. A very un-Ayn Hero, complete with dimples. I mean, one cannot imagine Howard with dimples!
Don't miss this one, if you adore Ayn's works.
November 20, 2009
This book is a collection of the early works by novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand (author of "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead").
The collection is worth the price simply for Dr. Leonard Peikoff's analysis of Rand's literary method in the preface to the passages on "The Fountainhead". Even though this book is unedited material, it still surpasses the quality of work of just about any author. There are some excellent stories in this collection, with the highlight on "Red Pawn", a sort of precursor to Rand's "We the Living" set at a Soviet prison, in which a courageous woman infiltrates to find her husband.
Even at this early state of Rand's career, her writing is powerful and economical, capable of evoking stronger emotions than emotionalists claim to invoke. Of particular interest are the excerpts from "The Fountainhead", which contain some of Rand's self-asserted "most beautiful writing", and the passages with the omitted character Vesta Dunning certainly stand up to that worthy praise.
The collection is worth the price simply for Dr. Leonard Peikoff's analysis of Rand's literary method in the preface to the passages on "The Fountainhead". Even though this book is unedited material, it still surpasses the quality of work of just about any author. There are some excellent stories in this collection, with the highlight on "Red Pawn", a sort of precursor to Rand's "We the Living" set at a Soviet prison, in which a courageous woman infiltrates to find her husband.
Even at this early state of Rand's career, her writing is powerful and economical, capable of evoking stronger emotions than emotionalists claim to invoke. Of particular interest are the excerpts from "The Fountainhead", which contain some of Rand's self-asserted "most beautiful writing", and the passages with the omitted character Vesta Dunning certainly stand up to that worthy praise.
October 5, 2013
3.5
***** for "A Good Copy," (1920s) the character of Steve Ingalls from the "Think Twice" whodunit play (1930s), and what was cut from the final version of "The Fountainhead"— which had what Leonard Peikoff described as her best writing and so far. I agree, as well as characterization of Howard Roark here.
****ish for Red Dawn (1930s), but I was not pleased with how she ended it.
I got it on a whim to see what the development of her mind and writing looked like, to hopefully contribute to understand her being so hated and loved. This is my semi-introduction to Rand in an extended manner, as I've only read the first 40 pages of The Fountainhead at a Books-A-Million once.
I will expand later by including some of Peikoff's notes on her writing in general and on these cut Fountainhead sections, which he sees as not contributing to the novel, but beautiful nonetheless.
***** for "A Good Copy," (1920s) the character of Steve Ingalls from the "Think Twice" whodunit play (1930s), and what was cut from the final version of "The Fountainhead"— which had what Leonard Peikoff described as her best writing and so far. I agree, as well as characterization of Howard Roark here.
****ish for Red Dawn (1930s), but I was not pleased with how she ended it.
I got it on a whim to see what the development of her mind and writing looked like, to hopefully contribute to understand her being so hated and loved. This is my semi-introduction to Rand in an extended manner, as I've only read the first 40 pages of The Fountainhead at a Books-A-Million once.
I will expand later by including some of Peikoff's notes on her writing in general and on these cut Fountainhead sections, which he sees as not contributing to the novel, but beautiful nonetheless.
January 10, 2021
3.5 stars
The Early Ayn Rand is an interesting foray into Rand's early, previously unpublished short stories and chapter excerpts. Some of it was pretty rough like "The Husband I Bought" and "Think Twice" while others were near full maturity like "Her Second Career". The notes by Leonard Peikoff added a nice context about each work as well as his insight from being a personal companion to Ayn Rand are second to none.
Overall I enjoyed reading these selections, however if you are not a fan of Ayn Rand's works you will not appreciate this book and would probably find it a waste of your time.
The Early Ayn Rand is an interesting foray into Rand's early, previously unpublished short stories and chapter excerpts. Some of it was pretty rough like "The Husband I Bought" and "Think Twice" while others were near full maturity like "Her Second Career". The notes by Leonard Peikoff added a nice context about each work as well as his insight from being a personal companion to Ayn Rand are second to none.
Overall I enjoyed reading these selections, however if you are not a fan of Ayn Rand's works you will not appreciate this book and would probably find it a waste of your time.
July 18, 2010
The Early Ayn Rand is a collection of the author's unpublished works. Her early twenties short stories such as Red Pawn, Good Copy, and Her Second Career, though not considered masterpiece, are very engaging and leave a strong impression. These are stories that you will not forget easily.
If you are a beginner in Ayn Rand, this book is a good start. Her unpublished works may be flawed, but they are unique and strong, which spark my curiosity and set my interest to explore the author's famous works: Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.
If you are a beginner in Ayn Rand, this book is a good start. Her unpublished works may be flawed, but they are unique and strong, which spark my curiosity and set my interest to explore the author's famous works: Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.
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