We the Living by Ayn Rand
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Book Reviews of We the Living
Book Review: The First and most lyrical work by a Wonderful Writer!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ms. Rand states in the foreward of her debut novel, We the Living, that it's the closest thing to an autobiography she's ever written, and it also marked her beginning as a novelist in the Romantic Realist school using a new language(English), since she left the Soviet Union. Anyone who claims that Rand is not really a novelist should read this book. The character development is without a doubt the most professional and urbane of any of her works, and the imagery she uses to immerse the reader into the dark, cruel, and depressing soul of Petrograd in the early to mid 1920's is downright impressive. It's obvious that she used a tremendous of time and effort to translate her thoughts onto the page while still trying to master the English language. Perhaps this is why the book is so well crafted and never varies in its painstaking realism from start to finish. There are no long speeches or oratories in this wonderful work, it is a rather plodding, brooding, and sensual piece of continual development from start to finish. Only a self-made author as Ms. Rand calls herself, and I might one who is very gifted and able, could have written such a great piece of historical literature, which is still a very relavant and vibrant read to this day. Yes, it provokes thought as any work of her's does, however, she does not hammer the reader over the head with her beliefs, but rather lets it meld into the storyline. I would love to hear somebody say that Ms. Rand cannot write well and isn't a real novelist after reading this marvelous and steady piece of prose, for I would say that it's far better than anything done by Pasternak or many of the other modern Russian novelists of "acclaim," and of course it's of much more value. Only a fool would doubt that Rand's work does not reveal a person of pure genius and unadulterated greatness. After reading We the Living, only a very stupid fool, can honestly say that she's not a skilled novelist or very talented writer. Another triumph for this unique and precious literary visionary. We probably won't see one like her ever again, but I'm hoping that we don't quit trying to surpass her acheivements. I know she wouldn't want us to! Live and think brothers and sisters. Ignorance is not bliss, it's only a shallow disguise for those who are afraid to really try. This is a work of art by a person who was in progress. Even her most ardent critics would have to agree that this work has substantial merit as a living historical document alone. The Soviet Union, and other totalitarian states, never had or will have a chance to live (sic) for very long.Book Review: An absolutely amazing book
Summary: 5 Stars
There are a lot of people who dislike Ayn Rand. Whether for the rather didactic and lengthy sermons that populate most of the plots of her novels, or her own theories which tend to be underdeveloped and difficult to understand, she is not the most popular author or person in the philosophical realm. We the Living, however, is a book that one must read in order to change the perception of Rand doing what she does best: writing fiction. The novel is a harsh look at communism in the post-Red revolution of Russia, following three people: Kira, a young, idealistic, woman who bourgeois family was left poverty-stricken following the revolt; Leo, an indifferent young man haunted by the Communists due his late father's war glory; and Andrei, a Communist questioning his own beliefs in the system he has risen up in so quickly. Despite the fact that this novel is set in a far-away time and place to most of its readers, it is a book which I felt an extremely strong connection with. Everybody knows a Leo: flippant, handsome, could get any girl he wants -- but he has serious character flaws, and tends to be abusive of Kira's love for him. And Kira, the novel's protagonist, is very similar to any youth of today: she does not understand the ideals of the Communist party, but she does know what she believes and is wholeheartedly committed to fulfilling the promise she had at birth.
The entire novel is beautifully written in moving prose that reflects both the harsh conditions for the people of Russia and the emotions felt between Kira, Andrei, Leo, and others as they attempt to make life better for themselves in a regime that denies them anything good without punishment. The climax of the novel is breathtaking -- by the time the final words have been read, the reader is totally attached to the characters.
As with any other great novel of its time, We the Living not only characterizes the time period it is based in, but its characters live on as people of today's world, in today's capitalistic society. It questions the principles of freedom and what people will do for that freedom. This is Rand's greatest work: the philosophy is subtle, with more emphasis on the plot and the characters, but is there. Whatever you may think of Ayn Rand, you must read this novel -- it is a moving portrait of human life.
Book Review: When I was very young...
Summary: 5 Stars
I read this book when i was so very young (19), and after reading The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged and Anthem, which i loved. i was astounded by this book and moved beyond belief. I found the writing much different than her other books, and much more fictionalized. amazing considering that english was not her first language and this was one of her earliest works. the story is highly romanticized, yet even with that, i found my heart beating strongly and my anxiety level so high as i lived through that hideous life in communist russia. and the scene when Irina is sentenced to (as i recall) siberia, and leaves on a train while her husbands struggles to keep her in sight, to keep a piece of her clothing in his sight as long as he can --- how can anyone read that and not practically fall to their knees in grief and anguish for this young couple who are so cruelly separated? i will not do a spoiler here about the end, but there were times when i wanted to slap kira and wake her up to the truth of her two lovers. yet, it plays out as it must. and it is a beautiful novel. many reviewers here refer to it as bleak; i do not find it so. i found it romantic, terrifying, tragic, and beautiful. i loved fountainhead and atlas in a different way. this book was so steeped in romantic language and story that one could swoon from it. there is not a page that i found superfluous and to this day i can remember savoring every word of that book (and that was 50 years ago!). whether or not you are a fan of ayn rand, this is a story and a book worth your time. it broke my heart. (and i find it offensive that the book is listed by Ayn Rand AND Leonard Peikoff who had nothing whatsoever to do with this book and didn't even know her when it was written. shame on him for sticking his name on everything published by her, even if he is the trustee for her estate. he knows only too well, that it is only because he was the only one left in the group that she felt she could trust. had Nathanial or Barbara Brandon still been in her good graces when she died, it certainly would have been them to whom she left her estate. but aside from that, how can he sleep at night, having slapped his name on everything she has written! shame! shame! shame!)Book Review: this is Rand's masterpiece, her "signature" novel...
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not an Ayn Rand fan. Yet, this novel cannot be ignored by those that are rational and honest.
To me, every great author has a "signature novel." (For example, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is Hemingway's "signature novel.") This, to me, is Rand's "signature novel."
LOVERS OF SOCIALISM/COMMUNISM: Those that admire socialism/communism should read merely one portion of the Introduction to this splendid book. Rand wrote:
'A young Russian had said to her [Any Rand] at a party in 1926, just before she [Any Rand] left for America: "When you get there, tell them that Russia is a huge cemetery and that we are all dying."'
That was in 1926, and little did anyone know that the situation in Russia/USSR would become far worse than a cemetery.
Socialists, communists, collectivists that read this book will be challenged to defend their impeccably ludicrous, transparently preposterous belief-system. Will they admit it? No.
"We The Living" is a powerful, bleak, grim tale of "Kira Argounova," a young lady that wants to leave Russia. She faces one problem: It is illegal to leave Russia--so much so that it is punishable by death or a stint in the Gulag.
Kira Argounova will use anyone and any method to leave. She is the hero. It is a book about escaping a terrible situation at any cost.
This is Rand's most passionate, realistic and powerful novel. It is a masterpiece for those of us that have studied the history of the Soviet Union and have observed the abject repression--"repression" is a mild word for it--of those who suffered under Lenin, Stalin (who was born Iosef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili and changed his name to Stalin, meaning, literally, "made of steel"--a title that fit him well), and others.
This is her masterpiece.
This is the book that will be remembered far, far after her other works are forgotten.
I highly recommend it.
Book Review: Dawn of Red
Summary: 5 Stars
In the early days after the Russian Revolution, one might have easily slipped into the false idea that communism was a passing fad and life would soon return to normalcy. This is the backdrop for the masterful novel by Ayn Rand which follows three young adults as they learn about themselves and the ways of the embryonic communist government. "We the Living" is a world loosely held together, but which never seems to completely fall apart.
Rand places much of the focus of "We the Living" on Kira, whom the author has suggested possesses many characteristics of herself. Kira's physical appearance is given an unflattering description in the initial pages, but which evolves positively as the story progresses. Kira can be described as an idealist, formerly of the wealth of a bourgeois family. But as many her age in all times and places do, she is searching for something. Leo is haunted by the death communism caused his father and begins to openly seek to sabotage the system. The only strand that seems to prevent recklessness is his bond with Kira. Andrei, although a communist, struggles with his beliefs in the face of the burgeoning love triangle. Perhaps Andrei is the most tragic character in the book.
While Kira seems to have chosen Leo early in the novel, the realtionship is built on unstable ground. Circumstances lead Kira back to Andrei, causing an already confused woman to further question her direction. While the story digresses into some slower moving points, it is emblematic of the stereotypical image Westerners have of a depressed life in the Soviet Union. As one may expect, the ending reflects the stereotype. While the ending may be somewhat expected, readers are still eager in their anticipation.
Though the pacing of "We the Living" seems uneven at times, the critical points in the plot make the novel tough to discontinue reading. Rand is masterful at putting an image to the faceless phenomenon of socialism.