We the Living by Ayn Rand
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Book Reviews of We the Living
Book Review: Awesome. A great book
Summary: 5 Stars
First, a disclaimer: I am not a member of the cult of Ayn Rand. This is the first book I've read by her. I did not read it because I believe in Objectivism already, or am attracted to its tenets, with which I am completely unfamiliar. All I know of her, and that knowledge is dubious, is that she is the darling of many (what I would call) fundamentalist capitalists. I was looking for a good novel, knew that she was both reviled and adored, and figured it would be interesting reading, at least. For the record, most would call me a liberal.
I was blown away. I'm still not looking to join the cult, mind you, but I will read other books by her because this one showed evidence of a warm heart, an uncompromising intellect, and a fever for living well. Ideology was not permitted to run roughshod over plot or character. It's an astonishingly accomplished first novel, and ought to be a candidate for every serious book club and every list of great books.
Rand draws her characters clearly and with complexity. While she is a bit romantic, even her simpler characters, such as the lickspittle, Victor, are developed in such a way that the reader must ask difficult questions about who he is, why he is that way, and would we be different under the same constraints. Kira, the central figure, is sympathetic, tragic, heroic, and admirable - but also a conundrum. Given who she is, why does she do the things she does? Why the compromises? Are they compromises? What of the archetypal Party man, Andrei? Is he a tragic or romantic hero? Is he a naive tool? Is he redeemed, or is his naivete merely exposed? Rand crafts a story that raises questions that have no easy, vapid answers but that demand discussion.
For those who think of Rand as the patron saint of Gordon Gecko, of greed and looking out for number one - which is the vague impression I've had of her - the characters who are most narcissistic, most self-aggrandizing, are also the most contemptible. And the hero lives a life of selfless love, with disciplined passion and a dreams deferred. This is not a book to avoid because of preconceived notions about Rand and her ideology.
The book raises many ethical and political issues, but I didn't leave with the sense that the conclusions were foregone. She talks about the corruption of a well-intended revolution, and while it applies particularly to Soviet Communism in these pages, I take it that it could as easily apply to any ideology - political, economic, religious, whatever - that fails to serve the people it promises to serve. There is clearly a passion in favor of letting the gifted be gifted, but there are nasty aristocrats and noble peasants, both, here. There's no aristocrats good, peasants bad theme operating here. I see respect for the good, whether they be rich or poor, and derision for those without dreams or nobility. As a bumper sticker says, those who have smothered their own dreams will smother yours. It becomes their job.
In 21st century America, where ideologies are ossified, partisans are blindly simplistic, and we have few, if any, bridge-builders, We the Living is a compelling call to remember that our dreams have a claim on us that we dismiss at the cost of lives worth living. What are our dreams, and what comforts or phantasms have we traded them for? I don't think Rand wants us to sleep easily after asking these questions.
Book Review: A must read to avoid this in the future
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the first Ayn Rand book I have ever read. Its length wasn't nearly as intimidating as ATALS SHRUGGED, however once I started reading it the subject matter made me re-think whether or not I wanted to read through this. The depth of political and philosophical issues made me wonder if I had the energy to withstand something of this magnitude. As it was I did have to take a break from reading it half-way through the book. Rand, herself, admits that this is closely autobiographical, yet it is written so that you keep rooting for the good guy hoping that they come out on top in the end, but as Communism kept a firm grasp on the USSR for decades we know that there is little chance that the oppressed citizens are going to find themselves living comfortably in the end. After reading this though, one can understand why Rand promoted the philosophy that she did and championed THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS. Once forced to think about everyone but ones self, a person eventually begins to think only of herself. Politically, socially, psychologically or otherwise people cannot live without balance and by forcing its citizens to live for the collective the Communist party eventually forced them to live for themselves, even unto death.
The writing was descriptive making the realness of Communism more than just history and illuminates just how twisted their campaign became. The revolt that led to the Communist inception was noble indeed, but as the years past it can be seen how fear led them to the same lengths of control that they had previously accused the Czar of perpetrating. Having read 1984 and ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell I found this to be much scarier as not only did this narration depict parts of the Orwellian books that had already played out in Communist Russia it also foreshadowed ideas that are seemingly materializing in the United States; the idea that people were afraid to have their own thoughts, among them.
There were parts of the story that I bristled at. Particularly, Kira's continued devotion to Leo even in the wake of his disrespectful treatment of her. I don't understand how she had the courage to not get married, yet didn't have a problem with his shabby treatment of her. This personal dynamic detracted from her initial desire to be an individual. She wanted to be an engineer, but when that possibility was taken from her she lived for Leo rather than for herself. Victor was, also, a considerable thorn. Part of a classified bourgeois family who find difficulty in acclimating to the new political environment Victor threw his self heart and soul into being accepted by the proletariat to the point of betraying his family. Devotion to one's political convictions should not preclude the protection of one's relatives.
Though it took me a couple of months to read, as it forces the reader to think, I would encourage people to read it. We live in a society that largely over-estimates the abilities of the government and this book shows what can happen when the government is completely in control.
Book Review: WE THE LIVING
Summary: 5 Stars
"We the living" is the lesser known of Ayn Rand's novels, yet my favorite.I'd say without doubt or hesitation that there is no novel which I have loved as much as this one(and I don't think I'll ever love any other as much as this one, too).
Yes, "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" certainly are greater, but this novel had an emotional impact on me which the others did not - at least not of the same degree.
Though Rand had not fully defined her unique, ground-breaking philosophy of Objectivism at the time she wrote this novel - it proffers her image of life and man which is fully consistent with her more refined novels.
The theme of this novel,strictly speaking,is : "The evil of totalitarianism".
Going deeper, the theme emerges to be : "The sanctity of human life."
Ultimately, this novel dramatizes how totalitarianism violates the sanctity of human life.
But I'd say the fundamental abstraction is : "MAN'S LOVE FOR LIFE, FREEDOM AND HAPPINESS"
And this is what reaches out to every person who reads this emotionally intense novel about a love-triangle involving a woman, an ex-aristocrat and a communist whose lives are destroyed by the system in which they live (in Communist Russia) - for I don't think there is any person in this world,except the most depraved,who doesn't value life,joy and liberty (at least his/her own).
"We The Living" is about the human spirit struggling to preserve its dignity, honor and benevolence - in circumstances which break and pulverize, embitter and malign it.
It is about both,the vulnerability,and the indestructibility of the human spirit.
It is about man being driven by despair, hopelessness and pain to resort to incorrect means so as to achieve good ends.
It is about man's struggle to preserve his values.
It is about love - the kind of love which, unfortunately, I think, is found only in some novels.
It is Kira's love for Leo and Andrei's love for Kira which makes WTL my best-loved novel..."YOU ARE MY HIGHEST REVERENCE"...no other writer and no other novel has given such a profound, beautiful expression to the phenomena of love.
THIS is poetry, passion and man-worship - which makes love sacred, sex an act of worship and man an object worthy of the devotion which is directed at God.
If you want to know what passionate love is, what does one mean by a value-oriented sense of life, what is hero-worship, read "We The Living".
Though this novel lacks the explicit philosophic content of the Rand's other novels & one may think that Kira's actions, strictly speaking, are morally wrong - "We The Living" performs its objective with superb effectiveness : it makes you hate totalitarianism - whether Nazism, Fascism, Communism or the Medieval Church, the broader abstraction remains - that totalitarianism is anti-life - because it takes away man's freedom to think, to choose, to act, to pursue his/ her happiness - on his/her on terms.
Book Review: I, simply, am not worthy of reviewing this work..
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read virtually all of Rand's works; studied them, in fact and written reviews on most of them (favorably, always). But this book, We The Living, by Ayn Rand, I suggest reading AFTER you have read one of her popular (very popular) fictional works such as Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead. My reason for this suggestion of time-ordering your selection of reading is this: Please read all of the reviews in this section and take them as fact (believe them, quite literally), then consider how different this work has been described as compared to Rand's popular fiction and also the fact that "We the Living" was rand's first attempt at making it big (in the sense of getting her message across, which she acomplished Quite well). You will see that she changed her format: We the living was described by Rand "as being the closest she had come to an auto biography." This is the most powerful, moving book that you will experience (period). If you know of another which forms an exception to my statement, please email me. But,THIS, her early life, in Soviet Communist Russia, a hellish (to say the least) existence is what motivated Rand to speak out, to write about philosophy... When you read The Fountainhead, you will have fun, no doubt, and that is why it sold... but we the living is for Lover's of existence, un-coerced existence, which brings me to my final point on this book:
NOBODY can disagree with this book; note that no no one has, in the reviews above. In itself, the omission of negative reviews is amazing. If you read this book and are passionately moved (motivated) by it, then then you owe it to yourself to OBJECTIVELY (with an "open/active-mind," ) pick up and study another of Rand's non-fictional works such as "the Virtue of Selfishness," or "Capitalism the Unknown Ideal," or "The New Left: the Return of the Primitive". Don't get me wrong: There are plenty of people who will disagree, on first reading her non-fiction (possibly her fiction too), but there are essentially NONE who disagree, upon reading "We the Living,". My point is: They are ALL the same! Only presented in different formats.
You won't find anyone, today, who will even attempt to tell you that communist or socialist systems are better than capitalism. 1989, in Russia, was a clear demonstration, and stands as a refutation to any such suggestion. Rand was and is correct. Read her work. This one will bring tears to your eyes, enlightenment to your soul AND will, once and for all... if you have the discipline to think about it long enough, concretize (to use Rand's terminology) exactly why tax-and-spend-big-government is a threat to the best within us: INDIVIDUALITY. A quote from Rand "thinking is not a collective activity." Think about it, PLease.
Book Review: Great fiction - and a stress on the fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
When I first picked up Ayn Rand, I was warned that some of her ideas are a bit strange and that she loves bringing them up in her books. I shrugged that off, and read the book. I won't deny that I don't really understand what part of her philosophy is in her writing. When I read her books, I see fiction, and that's what I see here - a great work of fiction.
"We the Living" is about revolutionary Russia. It's a fascinating book about people trying to live their lives and because of what they believe in, they cannot do that. The book has many examples of children paying parents' prices. The book shows us how people tried, and failed to live.
The main character Kira, while the central figure in the story, is not exactly the most interesting. While a strong character, I didn't particularly love her, because she's not the sort of character to fall in love with. Instead, I was intrigued by her actions and mostly I was just curious. I found that I liked the side characters more than Kira, though she is certainly interesting and is definitely drawing.
Much of the story centers around Kira's love troubles. There is her lover, Leo, who is a lot like Kira. He does what he believes in, no matter the cost. Here, it means not being a communist. Half of the story revolves around his and Kira's troubles at home, in life and love. Then there is Andrei, a communist who loves Kira. She uses him for money, help, and sometimes pleasure. He is the more interesting boy, with more of a personality and more interesting moments.
There are a whole host of side characters, however, whose stories are just as fascinating as Kira and her boys. There is the story of Irina, Kira's cousin, who ultimately goes to jail for hiding her fiance/husband. There is the story of Victor, Irina's brother. Victor, the son of a man once wealthy like the rest of the family, chooses the "other" path, and rises to the top. There's the story of Pavel Syerov and Sonia, two communists, also living, but not quite. These side stories add a lot to the general idea, showing us more and more about Russia at the time through different people's eyes.
I don't know what Ayn Rand wanted us to get from this. All I know is that I enjoyed reading this immensely. Once I started to read it, I couldn't put it down. I grew close to the characters, and when the end arrived, I felt relieved, satisfied, and sad all at the same time. The writing style is so clear and understandable, but at the same time it's all beautiful. This is a wonderful work of fiction - and I don't care about what the philosophy is. Even if someone's told you that Rand has strange beliefs, read this book. It doesn't have to be philosophy. This is fiction, and it's incredible.
Happy reading.