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Three Plays: Night of January 16th, Ideal, Think Twice
Published together for the first time are three of Ayn Rand's most compelling stage plays. The courtroom drama Night of January 16th, famous for its open-ended verdict, is presented here in its definitive text. Also included are two of Rand's unproduced plays, Think Twice, a clever philosophical murder mystery, and Ideal, a bitter indictment of people's willingness to betray their highest values-symbolized by a Hollywood goddess suspected of a crime.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 5, 2005
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About the author
Ayn Rand
591 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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November 30, 2021
Ah, Miss Rand, I can't think what it is that reminded me of your flawed capitalist idealism lately, your fantasy of a world that would crumble if the entrepreneurs buggered off, but not all the people who actually run the machines/tills/shelves/hospital wards. Just what contemporary, global event could have reminded me of that flawed prophecy and thus these plays of yours I read so long ago?
Who knows, let's get to bitching about the low hanging fruit.
These three plays by Ayn Rand don't seem to be very well known, what with the behemoths of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead always blocking out the sunlight on the book shelves. This, I would argue, is actually a bit of a shame because they contain interesting ideas from a story telling perspective, it's just a pity the philosophy tries to drown the good parts by standing on their shoulders and mooning.
Night of the 16th
Set entirely in a courtroom, a woman is on trial for the murder of a rich business man who defrauded his company.
The creativity: What makes this play stand out is that it has two endings, and which the audience recieves is dependent on whether they vote to convict or acquit the defendant. That's a fantastic example of audience participation and forcing the viewer to emphathise with the characters.
The failure: A man who defrauded millions is supposed to be some tragic 'free spirited hero of objectivism' and, like The Fountain Head, his method of wooing is raping the object of his 'affections'. Also his victim apparently finds that perfectly charming and falls for him, so I think Rand was reading too many ancient Greek dramas before writing this play.
Ideal
Another famous rich bloke is murdered, his starlet lover is a suspect and now she's on the run. She visits the various houses of the mega-fans who sent her gushing letters in search of safety, but who will take her in or admit their adoration for her was merely shallow?
The creativity: Forcing a variety of wankers who pompously say 'Well, if I was in that situation, I know I'd do X and Y in a heartbeat' to admit they can't keep up with their mouth is always nice to see. Almost everyone does turn her away for reasons of family pressure, their own safety or not being arsed, and are all fairly human and sometimes interesting.
The failure: Then we get to the final fan who tries to protect our starlet, and it is a forced. bloody and entirely unnecessary finale where all of Rand's philosophy is fisted in without grace or the common decency of lube.
Think Twice
Reknown physicist, Breckenridge, plans to make 'his' groundbreaking new invention public domain so all the world may benefit, but he is murdered during a celebratory firework display before he can sign the dotted line. Who is the murderer? His partner and co-creator of the device, who wanted to keep the patent? His suspiciously sycophantic Russian friend? Or is it Beckenridge's family, who have silently suffered through years of the patriarch's double edged 'benevolence'?
The creativity: Breckenridge, if handled by someone other than Rand, would be a great villain. Everything he does 'for charity' is tinged with a slither of thoughtless cruelty. His wife had a life long dream of designing her own house, so he bought one already decorated for her. The wife, who is childless, also lamented she desperately wanted to 'hear the little pitter patter of feet in the halls', so he adopts a son for her, who is confined to a wheelchair. He adopts the boy from a poor alcoholic, who didn't seem capable of giving his consent to the transfer of guardianship. Breckenbridge refuses to let the boy have an operation that could let him walk, despite everyone being for it, claiming it would to be too risky. Breckenbridge also buys a theatre for a talented actress but confines her too dull, family friendly roles rather than the meaty plays she wants. While a few of these are first world problems, what could make a Breckenbridge like villain so wonderfully evil is that he always gives the recipient something that would make them unhappy, but in ways that they can't complain about without seeming like the bad or selfish person, and if done with more care, a charitable villain would be a fascinating character.
The failure: Sadly, Breckenbridge isn't a brilliantly manipulative antagonist. He's a tone-deaf muppet who genuinely thinks he's doing good in the world, and Rand has him killed for doing what would arguably be his only good act, of improving world energy without the 1930s version of Elon Musk throttling its use through a patent because, oh no, the Soviets might use it, amongst all the hundreds of other countries who would benefit. Rand also goes on a bit of an ableist tinge as well, making out the adopted son is almost less than human for his disability. The rest of the play is a daft murder mystery with an ending you can see coming if you've so much as read the back cover of one of Rand's other works.
These works encapsulate what I find frustrating about Rand. It's easy to point out her terrible philosophy and hamfistedness, but every now and then she shows some wonderful creativty. And everytime that beautifully burgeoning idea is smothered by objectivist philosophy, choking that spot of light with a world view that cannot be questioned or nuanced in way, so every hero/ine is but the same, lifeless ventriloquist dummy repeating Rand's personal dogma. A damn pity.
Who knows, let's get to bitching about the low hanging fruit.
These three plays by Ayn Rand don't seem to be very well known, what with the behemoths of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead always blocking out the sunlight on the book shelves. This, I would argue, is actually a bit of a shame because they contain interesting ideas from a story telling perspective, it's just a pity the philosophy tries to drown the good parts by standing on their shoulders and mooning.
Night of the 16th
Set entirely in a courtroom, a woman is on trial for the murder of a rich business man who defrauded his company.
The creativity: What makes this play stand out is that it has two endings, and which the audience recieves is dependent on whether they vote to convict or acquit the defendant. That's a fantastic example of audience participation and forcing the viewer to emphathise with the characters.
The failure: A man who defrauded millions is supposed to be some tragic 'free spirited hero of objectivism' and, like The Fountain Head, his method of wooing is raping the object of his 'affections'. Also his victim apparently finds that perfectly charming and falls for him, so I think Rand was reading too many ancient Greek dramas before writing this play.
Ideal
Another famous rich bloke is murdered, his starlet lover is a suspect and now she's on the run. She visits the various houses of the mega-fans who sent her gushing letters in search of safety, but who will take her in or admit their adoration for her was merely shallow?
The creativity: Forcing a variety of wankers who pompously say 'Well, if I was in that situation, I know I'd do X and Y in a heartbeat' to admit they can't keep up with their mouth is always nice to see. Almost everyone does turn her away for reasons of family pressure, their own safety or not being arsed, and are all fairly human and sometimes interesting.
The failure: Then we get to the final fan who tries to protect our starlet, and it is a forced. bloody and entirely unnecessary finale where all of Rand's philosophy is fisted in without grace or the common decency of lube.
Think Twice
Reknown physicist, Breckenridge, plans to make 'his' groundbreaking new invention public domain so all the world may benefit, but he is murdered during a celebratory firework display before he can sign the dotted line. Who is the murderer? His partner and co-creator of the device, who wanted to keep the patent? His suspiciously sycophantic Russian friend? Or is it Beckenridge's family, who have silently suffered through years of the patriarch's double edged 'benevolence'?
The creativity: Breckenridge, if handled by someone other than Rand, would be a great villain. Everything he does 'for charity' is tinged with a slither of thoughtless cruelty. His wife had a life long dream of designing her own house, so he bought one already decorated for her. The wife, who is childless, also lamented she desperately wanted to 'hear the little pitter patter of feet in the halls', so he adopts a son for her, who is confined to a wheelchair. He adopts the boy from a poor alcoholic, who didn't seem capable of giving his consent to the transfer of guardianship. Breckenbridge refuses to let the boy have an operation that could let him walk, despite everyone being for it, claiming it would to be too risky. Breckenbridge also buys a theatre for a talented actress but confines her too dull, family friendly roles rather than the meaty plays she wants. While a few of these are first world problems, what could make a Breckenbridge like villain so wonderfully evil is that he always gives the recipient something that would make them unhappy, but in ways that they can't complain about without seeming like the bad or selfish person, and if done with more care, a charitable villain would be a fascinating character.
The failure: Sadly, Breckenbridge isn't a brilliantly manipulative antagonist. He's a tone-deaf muppet who genuinely thinks he's doing good in the world, and Rand has him killed for doing what would arguably be his only good act, of improving world energy without the 1930s version of Elon Musk throttling its use through a patent because, oh no, the Soviets might use it, amongst all the hundreds of other countries who would benefit. Rand also goes on a bit of an ableist tinge as well, making out the adopted son is almost less than human for his disability. The rest of the play is a daft murder mystery with an ending you can see coming if you've so much as read the back cover of one of Rand's other works.
These works encapsulate what I find frustrating about Rand. It's easy to point out her terrible philosophy and hamfistedness, but every now and then she shows some wonderful creativty. And everytime that beautifully burgeoning idea is smothered by objectivist philosophy, choking that spot of light with a world view that cannot be questioned or nuanced in way, so every hero/ine is but the same, lifeless ventriloquist dummy repeating Rand's personal dogma. A damn pity.
September 24, 2009
While I agree to the underlying premise of Ayn Rand's philosophy, I think that she takes it to extremes. That being said, I think Rand's fiction is important for people to read. Being the best that an individual can be is an admirable goal. All of her heroes, while not necessarily virtuous or even all that likable, are the best men that they could possibly be. Rand considers selfishness a virtue and selflessness the ultimate evil. I think that is where she is an extremist. I don't think it's possible to be 100% selfish or selfless. Most people share a common empathy with their fellow man as well as having a strong sense of self worth. That being said, I admire Ayn Rand as a skilled writer and as a person who stood up for what she believed in and shouted it from the rooftops.
The three pieces in "Three Plays" all predate her novels. Night of January 16th is the only one of the three to have been successfully produced on Broadway. Ideal and Think Twice have never been professionally produced. All three plays share a common theme: The selfish man persecuted by the selfless general public.
Night of January 16th is a courtroom drama. Karen Andre is accused of murdering her lover, Bjorn Faulkner. Faulkner is a prime example of Rand's selfish hero. Even though his character is deceased and never appears in the action of the play, his life and subsequent murder are the driving forces behind the drama. Karen is the typical Rand heroine. Firm in her convictions and unwilling to bend, even if it means her demise. The thing about Night of January 16th that makes it so appealing to producers is the novelty of bringing 12 audience members onstage to act as the jury - and as such, there are two endings for the play depending on the verdict.
Ideal concerns a Hollywood actress, Kay Gonda, who is accused of murder and is on the run. Gonda, once again is the typical Rand heroine. She takes 6 of her fan letters and goes to the house of each of them to see if one of them will shelter her for the night. This play is a fascinating character study. Many of the people you see will turn up, in one way or another, in Rand's later fiction. Of the three plays in the book, this is my personal favorite. Ideal is complex on so many levels that, from a theatrical professional's stand point, it would be very difficult to produce. It is, however, a work that is worthy of production as it is the closest of the three plays to Atlas Shrugged, Rand's greatest work of fiction.
Think Twice is a who-done-it murder mystery with an Objectivist twist. Rand's murder mystery weaving is not going to send P.D. James running to hide by any stretch of the imagination. That being said, it is still a very good example of this type of play which was very popular in the early 20th century. The plot twist at the end is atypical of the genre, but it is something to be expected from Rand. Think Twice has never been professionally produced, perhaps because of the plot twist at the end.
If you are a fan of Ayn Rand, by all means, read these plays. If you've never been able to get through The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged these plays might be an easier introduction to Rand's style and philosophy. Either way - read them - they're good for you.
The three pieces in "Three Plays" all predate her novels. Night of January 16th is the only one of the three to have been successfully produced on Broadway. Ideal and Think Twice have never been professionally produced. All three plays share a common theme: The selfish man persecuted by the selfless general public.
Night of January 16th is a courtroom drama. Karen Andre is accused of murdering her lover, Bjorn Faulkner. Faulkner is a prime example of Rand's selfish hero. Even though his character is deceased and never appears in the action of the play, his life and subsequent murder are the driving forces behind the drama. Karen is the typical Rand heroine. Firm in her convictions and unwilling to bend, even if it means her demise. The thing about Night of January 16th that makes it so appealing to producers is the novelty of bringing 12 audience members onstage to act as the jury - and as such, there are two endings for the play depending on the verdict.
Ideal concerns a Hollywood actress, Kay Gonda, who is accused of murder and is on the run. Gonda, once again is the typical Rand heroine. She takes 6 of her fan letters and goes to the house of each of them to see if one of them will shelter her for the night. This play is a fascinating character study. Many of the people you see will turn up, in one way or another, in Rand's later fiction. Of the three plays in the book, this is my personal favorite. Ideal is complex on so many levels that, from a theatrical professional's stand point, it would be very difficult to produce. It is, however, a work that is worthy of production as it is the closest of the three plays to Atlas Shrugged, Rand's greatest work of fiction.
Think Twice is a who-done-it murder mystery with an Objectivist twist. Rand's murder mystery weaving is not going to send P.D. James running to hide by any stretch of the imagination. That being said, it is still a very good example of this type of play which was very popular in the early 20th century. The plot twist at the end is atypical of the genre, but it is something to be expected from Rand. Think Twice has never been professionally produced, perhaps because of the plot twist at the end.
If you are a fan of Ayn Rand, by all means, read these plays. If you've never been able to get through The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged these plays might be an easier introduction to Rand's style and philosophy. Either way - read them - they're good for you.
April 13, 2013
Three Plays by Ayn Rand
Night of January 16th ****
Ideal ****
Think Twice *****
The first play is a murder trial in which the audience (or the reader) determines the verdict. (This play was actually produced this way in the early 1930's)
The second is an example of "objectivist" principles as a woman accused of murder tries to "escape".
In the third we are witnesses to a murder and investigation in which all the suspects have a clear and strong motive.
I highly recommend the play Think Twice for any amateur sleuths out there. It is a very clever murder mystery!
You should have figured out the murderer (and motives) by the first act. ;)
If you love Rand's philosophy then the plays are like "mother's milk" if not...at the very least they will help explain her goals and thoughts for the world. ;)
Devlin
Night of January 16th ****
Ideal ****
Think Twice *****
The first play is a murder trial in which the audience (or the reader) determines the verdict. (This play was actually produced this way in the early 1930's)
The second is an example of "objectivist" principles as a woman accused of murder tries to "escape".
In the third we are witnesses to a murder and investigation in which all the suspects have a clear and strong motive.
I highly recommend the play Think Twice for any amateur sleuths out there. It is a very clever murder mystery!
You should have figured out the murderer (and motives) by the first act. ;)
If you love Rand's philosophy then the plays are like "mother's milk" if not...at the very least they will help explain her goals and thoughts for the world. ;)
Devlin
September 28, 2023
THREE PLAYS
Rating 3/5
This book is a collection of three stage plays.
Night Of January 16th,
Ideal,
Think Twice.
Not so great but all three plays are good in their own way.
Something different from previous Ayn Rand books i read.
Rating 3/5
This book is a collection of three stage plays.
Night Of January 16th,
Ideal,
Think Twice.
Not so great but all three plays are good in their own way.
Something different from previous Ayn Rand books i read.
August 21, 2024
This compilation includes three plays of Ayn Rand. The first play, Night of January 16th, was my least favorite of the three, but still entertaining. Perhaps Ayn Rand's own introduction influenced the vibe. But the gimmick of including the audience as the jury was a cool idea.
Ideal was a great concept and I like hearing the original inspiration of her friend saying something like, "I would do anything for [this movie star]." The climax with the last fan is wonderfully sad and sweet, but I was a little let down by the conclusion and Kay's wrap-up. Maybe if I'd seen someone perform it, they could convince me with their delivery. On second thought, maybe that's how it was supposed to read.
Think Twice was probably my favorite. It definitely feels the most "Ayn Rand." In modern times, I think it's easy to guess who the murderer was, but it was still enjoyable to experience it unfold. I love the overall tone of it, and the classic tale of a benefactor using "kindness" to control those around him. It was frustrating and I understood the other characters and the relief they felt by his absence.
Ideal was a great concept and I like hearing the original inspiration of her friend saying something like, "I would do anything for [this movie star]." The climax with the last fan is wonderfully sad and sweet, but I was a little let down by the conclusion and Kay's wrap-up. Maybe if I'd seen someone perform it, they could convince me with their delivery. On second thought, maybe that's how it was supposed to read.
Think Twice was probably my favorite. It definitely feels the most "Ayn Rand." In modern times, I think it's easy to guess who the murderer was, but it was still enjoyable to experience it unfold. I love the overall tone of it, and the classic tale of a benefactor using "kindness" to control those around him. It was frustrating and I understood the other characters and the relief they felt by his absence.
January 23, 2026
The first play of this book is pent house legend or Night of January is about the Court Trail involving the death of Bjorn and whenever his death was a suicide or murder done by his former secretary and mistress Karen.
But before the play had Started Ayn Rand writes a instruction to the play it's history, and her thought about it, which is genuinely interesting, I am always interested to know about the creative process.
She like most artist through history had their story butchered by producers and people who thought they new better than her what kind of story would be liked by the public and critics , however differently from most people which had that happen to them, she doesn't blame it on capitalism, for obvious reasons if you are aware of her politics, but as mere fact of life, the only thing that I don't like about the introduction is when Ayn Rand says her bias towards whenever Karen is guilty or not.
The play it self is a good read, it follows a simple structure, each character gives their point of view of the story which is bias towards on version of the story, the next character point of view will always be bias towards another version of the story.
Whenever you think Karen is guilty or not depends on 2 factors which characters have the most convince version of the story and if you believe a man Bjorn would change his life, personally I think it's hard for a man like Bjorn to change his ways which makes me bias towards one version of the story.
At the ends of the play members of the audience will be chosen randomly to participate in the play and vote for Karen is guilty or innocent, making this play having 2 different endings, I think this is a great gimmick my only issue with it is that the ending itself is very short, and it basically amounts to Karen being happy or sad, I wish the ending was longer and had more lines, because it would make the audience choices on the play more impactful.
The second play ideal is about Kay Gonda a Hollywood actress know for her beautiful, the night before she went dinning with a Man , which died right after meeting with her, so humour saying that she murdered him spread all over Los Angels and the police is after her, because of that she went in to hidding, she goes about it by going to the house of fans who wrote latters to her , each place she stays for a short while until she decides or is forced to leave.
Nothing interesting happens in this play, even the ending is very underwhelming, and I am not entirely sure what the point of the play was, even with a instruction of it in the begging, because of how many characters this play has and by the time you get used to them you are already moving to the next scene , a problem specially very noticeable in the prologue, but even if you get used to the character quickly you will realize none of them are likeble in the slightest, the best character in this play in my opinion is the priest , very ironic considering Ayn Rand views on religion, every other character is suicidal duchbag.
The last play is think twice It's better than ideal but worse than night's of January, in the introduction of this play they say it's about murder mystery but for the most part it's a drama with a lot of characters that gets hard to follow (that wouldn't be a issue if that was an actual play instead of a book) and while there is some interesting dialogue in it, specially with Billy , Steve and the evils of altruism for the most part I found it very dull, the murder was supposed to be a difficulty guess but it really wasn't, I am just happy the my favorite character got away with murder, this honestly feels like a First draft and with a better editing and some re-writting it would be an amazing read but as it's, it's feels raw.
I would like to think that the title "think twice" is because "you though the murder was the least obviously option? Think again the murder was obvious all along"
If I could rate the plays individually it would be
4/5 nights of January
2/5 ideal
3/5 think twice (I feel like I am being generous)
But before the play had Started Ayn Rand writes a instruction to the play it's history, and her thought about it, which is genuinely interesting, I am always interested to know about the creative process.
She like most artist through history had their story butchered by producers and people who thought they new better than her what kind of story would be liked by the public and critics , however differently from most people which had that happen to them, she doesn't blame it on capitalism, for obvious reasons if you are aware of her politics, but as mere fact of life, the only thing that I don't like about the introduction is when Ayn Rand says her bias towards whenever Karen is guilty or not.
The play it self is a good read, it follows a simple structure, each character gives their point of view of the story which is bias towards on version of the story, the next character point of view will always be bias towards another version of the story.
Whenever you think Karen is guilty or not depends on 2 factors which characters have the most convince version of the story and if you believe a man Bjorn would change his life, personally I think it's hard for a man like Bjorn to change his ways which makes me bias towards one version of the story.
At the ends of the play members of the audience will be chosen randomly to participate in the play and vote for Karen is guilty or innocent, making this play having 2 different endings, I think this is a great gimmick my only issue with it is that the ending itself is very short, and it basically amounts to Karen being happy or sad, I wish the ending was longer and had more lines, because it would make the audience choices on the play more impactful.
The second play ideal is about Kay Gonda a Hollywood actress know for her beautiful, the night before she went dinning with a Man , which died right after meeting with her, so humour saying that she murdered him spread all over Los Angels and the police is after her, because of that she went in to hidding, she goes about it by going to the house of fans who wrote latters to her , each place she stays for a short while until she decides or is forced to leave.
Nothing interesting happens in this play, even the ending is very underwhelming, and I am not entirely sure what the point of the play was, even with a instruction of it in the begging, because of how many characters this play has and by the time you get used to them you are already moving to the next scene , a problem specially very noticeable in the prologue, but even if you get used to the character quickly you will realize none of them are likeble in the slightest, the best character in this play in my opinion is the priest , very ironic considering Ayn Rand views on religion, every other character is suicidal duchbag.
The last play is think twice It's better than ideal but worse than night's of January, in the introduction of this play they say it's about murder mystery but for the most part it's a drama with a lot of characters that gets hard to follow (that wouldn't be a issue if that was an actual play instead of a book) and while there is some interesting dialogue in it, specially with Billy , Steve and the evils of altruism for the most part I found it very dull, the murder was supposed to be a difficulty guess but it really wasn't, I am just happy the my favorite character got away with murder, this honestly feels like a First draft and with a better editing and some re-writting it would be an amazing read but as it's, it's feels raw.
I would like to think that the title "think twice" is because "you though the murder was the least obviously option? Think again the murder was obvious all along"
If I could rate the plays individually it would be
4/5 nights of January
2/5 ideal
3/5 think twice (I feel like I am being generous)
October 5, 2018
I always have a soft spot for Ayn Rand despite finding her philosophy abhorrent. Reading these plays reminded me of my usual issues with her. I absolutely admire her ability to write interesting stories with strong female characters and unconventional endings. However, I am always appalled by how ready she is to use such a heavy hand to make her philosophy obvious. I cannot comprehend how someone with such a good ear for writing witty dialogue can stomach to write such bombastic and unrealistic speeches of her philosophy. This problem crops up in each of the plays in this collection. “Night of January 16th” has a very interesting premise, and it is quite well executed but for Rand’s insistence in equating recognizing the existence of ruthless strong-willed men with approving of everything they do. “Ideal” explores the ambivalence of people in pursuing their dreams but dilutes the force of its theme by making its protagonist quite unappealing. Finally, “Think Twice” is a classic and suspenseful “who-dun-it”, if a bit reliant on the cop trying to get past the “obvious” suspect. However, it suffers the most from Rand’s philosophy-prone speeches. I had initially hoped that such a short format would prevent Rand from grinding the good aspects of her writing into her insufferable philosophy but the best I can say is that it only prevented her from letting her philosophy dominate as much of the work as in her later works.
January 19, 2018
So, my preference/tolerance of these plays decreased in the order of the plays presented here.
She's a great writer, but I don't know if I can stick around for her longer works.. Something about her philosophy just doesn't sit well with me. I also would like to know why women were so secondary in the plays here. Depicted rather negatively as well. Or just out-of-world beautiful. Don't get what that was all about..
She's a great writer, but I don't know if I can stick around for her longer works.. Something about her philosophy just doesn't sit well with me. I also would like to know why women were so secondary in the plays here. Depicted rather negatively as well. Or just out-of-world beautiful. Don't get what that was all about..
June 13, 2022
I finished Night of January 16th on December 7, 2016
I finished Ideal on August 30, 2020
I finished Think Twice on June 12, 2022
January 16th was really good and I also enjoyed Think Twice. I think I would give each of them 4 stars, but Ideal was forgettable. All were murder mysteries. All had not-so-subtle Ayn Rand philosophical undertones.
I finished Ideal on August 30, 2020
I finished Think Twice on June 12, 2022
January 16th was really good and I also enjoyed Think Twice. I think I would give each of them 4 stars, but Ideal was forgettable. All were murder mysteries. All had not-so-subtle Ayn Rand philosophical undertones.
January 21, 2024
Three Plays
They are structured as arguments, not stories which are meant to know exactly what they are standing for, Rand herself would have been adopted and proclaimed by a heterogenous assembly of groups which delights and appalled by the attention and creative straying from the ideas in her works.
They are structured as arguments, not stories which are meant to know exactly what they are standing for, Rand herself would have been adopted and proclaimed by a heterogenous assembly of groups which delights and appalled by the attention and creative straying from the ideas in her works.
September 13, 2018
My favorite part of all three was the hero at the end of Ideal. The low-point was the half-baked hero’s “heroic” demand for an abortion of his own child.
Classic Ayn Rand: the best and the worst embodied in one package.
Classic Ayn Rand: the best and the worst embodied in one package.
June 24, 2017
Damn this was good
March 10, 2022
My first fiction book, and absolutely fantastic.
January 15, 2024
The plays are amazing. All three had me on my toes.
January 25, 2025
Night of January 16th: 3 stars
Ideal: 4 stars
Think Twice: 4 stars
Ideal: 4 stars
Think Twice: 4 stars
October 13, 2016
Two of the three plays - night of Jan 16th and Think Twice - are good, well-crafted plays. Didn't like Ideal as much.
November 27, 2013
Oh, Ayn Rand...why must you be so recalcitrant? There are 3 plays in this book (duh) and the first, Night of January 16th, is really, actually, quite good. It's a courtroom melodrama, but it doesn't tell you the verdict. There are two separate endings based on what the audience votes. Very entertaining. The second one, Ideal, is terrible. I have nothing good to say about that play. It's clunky, awkward, and the theme is weak. The third, Think Twice, is a closed house murder mystery. I don't think it's particularly good structurally, but it is surprising and the ending is good. So there's that, at least.
February 27, 2017
I read this for my American Author (post 1900) class. Well, we only read two of the plays (Think Twice and Ideal). Both were very captivating and a great introduction to the rest of Ayn Rand's longer fiction pieces (some of which I will be reading for the same class. I might read the third at some point because the other two were great.
If you like reading plays, I highly suggest these two. They are both quick reads but will definitely leave you thinking about Ayn Rand's fantastic characters.
If you like reading plays, I highly suggest these two. They are both quick reads but will definitely leave you thinking about Ayn Rand's fantastic characters.
January 15, 2014
I enjoyed reading these plays because I felt like I was saying "Hi" to an old friend. But they just pale in comparison to Atlas Shrugged, The Romantic Manifesto and the Virtue of Selfishness. I can't recommend these for anyone except fans who have read pretty much everything else. I would recommend We the Living, the Fountainhead and Anthem before these. They just feel like baby-stories compared to what her work became. Like she is exploring ideas in these plays but doesn't really have the answers yet. Ha ha just looked it up and these WERE her first things.
June 26, 2014
This book contains three plays written by Rand. They are all basically murder mysteries. The first two stories would have caused me to give the book 3 or 4 stars, but the last one was the best and it is why I gave it a fifth star. The last one, "Think Twice" is more of a classic who done it type of mystery. It is curious that it was the only one that was never produced, but it would actually make a pretty good movie in my opinion. As to why it has never been produced, that likely has more to do with what is said in the final scene.
November 4, 2013
Night of January 16th is the only one in this collection which was compelling to me as a non-devotee of objectivism. Think Twice has been hear else's as this volumes gem, however I found it far less subtle than The rest of Rand's body of work. Ideal is just blah. Worth a read if you liked Rand's other books, but certainly not wholly of the same quality.
May 26, 2016
Although these plays are well written, the characters fleshed out and the speeches often sparkling, they make the skin crawl. Rand's central philosophy is nasty and vicious and abhorrent. She views altruism as the first evil and selfishness as pure.
September 18, 2008
"The night of January 16" is the one to read
November 13, 2010
The narrator really brought these 3 early works (plays) of Ayn Rand to life. "Think Twice" is the most amazing of the three.
November 23, 2010
Read The Night of January 16th in this edition. Ideal and Think Twice read in The Early Ayn Rand.
February 4, 2014
The 'Night of January 16th' is an outstanding work along the lines of 'Fountainhead'; reminds of Gail Wynand and Dominique Francon throughout the play.
January 13, 2025
Ayn Rand-lite...just the way I like it.
SO I RATED THIS 5 STARS OVER A DECADE AGO. BUT HOW COME I CAN'T RECALL A SINGLE THING FROM THESE 3 PLAYS? THIS REQUIRES A REREADING.
SO I RATED THIS 5 STARS OVER A DECADE AGO. BUT HOW COME I CAN'T RECALL A SINGLE THING FROM THESE 3 PLAYS? THIS REQUIRES A REREADING.
June 22, 2016
Excellent. I highly recommend these plays, especially Think Twice.
February 21, 2008
She's still a nut.
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