Essays on Ayn Rand's We the Living
Published on 12. May 2004
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-0-7391-0697-6 (ISBN)
Description
Ayn Rand remains a truly significant figure of modern philosophy. Her unique vision of a world in which man, relying on reason, acts wholly for his own good is skillfully developed and illustrated in her most famous novels, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. But Rand's first novel, We the Living, a lesser-known but no less important book, offers an early form of the author's nascent philosophy-the philosophy Rand later called Objectivism. Robert Mayhew's collection of entirely new essays brings together pre-eminent scholars of Rand's writing. In part a history of We the Living, from its earliest drafts to the Italian film later based upon it, Mayhew's collection goes on to explore the enduring significance of Rand's first novel as a work both of philosophy and of literature. For Ayn Rand scholars and fans alike, this collection is a compelling examination of a novel that set the tone for some of the most influential philosophical literature to follow.
Reviews / Votes
This is a truly engaging collection of essays that provide valuable philosophic and literary insight-as well as fascinating details about the publishing history and the music-of Ayn Rand's first full novel, We the Living. -- Dr. Gary Hull, Director of the Program on Values and Ethics in the Marketplace at Duke University A study of this kind is long overdue. Robert Mayhew has demonstrated an impressive vision in assembling a collection of this kind. One learns fascinating details about Ayn Rand's life, her extraordinary care with her craft, and the critical reception of her first novel. Mayhew also sheds important light on her philosophy as it developed in the 1930s and beyond. -- Darryl Wright, Harvey Mudd CollegeMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
Laminated cover
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
594 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7391-0697-6 (9780739106976)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Robert Mayhew is associate professor of philosophy at Seton Hall University. He is the author of several books and the editor of The Art of Nonfiction: A Guide for Writers and Readers, by Ayn Rand (2001).
Content
Part 1 Part 1: The History of We the Living Chapter 2 From Airtight to We the Living: The Drafts of Ayn Rand's First Novel Chapter 3 Parallel Lives: Models and Inspirations for Characters in We the Living Chapter 4 We the Living and the Rosenbaum Family Letters Chapter 5 Russian Revolutionary Ideology and We the Living Chapter 6 The Music of We the Living Chapter 7 Publishing We the Living Chapter 8 Reviews ofWe the Living Chapter 9 Adapting We the Living Chapter 10 We the Living: '36 & '59 Part 11 Part 2:We the Living as Literature and as Philosophy Chapter 12 We the Living and Victor Hugo: Ayn Rand's First Novel and the Novelist She Ranked First Chapter 13 Red Pawn: Ayn Rand's Other Story of Soviet Russia Chapter 14 The Integration of Plot and Theme in We the Living Chapter 15 Kira's Family Chapter 16 Kira Argounova Laughed: Humor and Joy in We the Living Chapter 17 Forbidding Life to Those Still Living Chapter 18 The Death Premise in We the Living and Atlas Shrugged Chapter 19 Selected Bibliography