I love We The Living. I’ve read it I think four times, and watched the movie as many. Sure, it’s not quite as philosophically enlightening as her later work, but it’s a great novel. I think it’s certainly understandable to a non-Objectivist, and enjoyable for anyone. It’s probably my least favorite of the novels, though. I just love them all so much!
Oh, I agree, We the Living is great. I just meant that for someone who’s just starting out with Objectivism and looking to absorb as many of the essentials as quickly as possible (as, I believe, many of us did when we first started out), it’s not the best book to read for that purpose.
For the confusing part, I didn’t mean to imply that it’s confusing as a novel–I think any non-Objectivist could enjoy and learn a lot from it. My point is that, given how explicitly Rand’s other novels explain her philosophy, We the Living is a shift in a very different direction. I also think that Kira is not a purely Objectivist hero(ine), like Dagny or Roark, though I suppose that’s arguable.
I know you may not have been “speaking” specifically to me, Ash, but thank you anyway for making me clarify what I said! :lol:
I still haven’t read *We The Living*. Yes, I know, my loss…but until someone can tell me how to pronounce the Russian last names, I simply cannot make it past page fifteen.
You’re not the only one.
Peikoff reports that he always had trouble pronouncing Russian names and when he tried, Ayn Rand thought it was hysterical. In fact, she even asked him to try to read names from Dostoyevski out loud just for her amusement.
Regarding my previous misunderstanding in reference to We the Living the movie, my question was answered after about 10 minutes of resuming the film. At the part where I had stopped, I had suspected the answer, but it had not been confirmed yet.
I started with Atlas Shrugged. I hadn’t finished it yet when I started reading Virtue of Selfishness. Then I read Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, followed by Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, Return of the Primitive, The Romantic Manifesto, For The New Intellectual, The Voice of Reason, and Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand.
After this, I finally went back and finished reading Atlas Shrugged. This was followed quickly by Anthem, The Fountainhead, We The Living, and Night of January 16th, in that respective order..
P.S. I still haven’t read *We The Living*. Yes, I know, my loss…but until someone can tell me how to pronounce the Russian last names, I simply cannot make it past page fifteen. Hint hint.
You know, I have no idea how to pronounce French names, but that hasn’t stopped me from reading the works of Victor Hugo.
And seriously, if someone can tell me how to do the schwa symbol on this board, I would be more than happy to provide a pronunciation guide to Russian names.
You know, I have no idea how to pronounce French names, but that hasn’t stopped me from reading the works of Victor Hugo.
I have the same problem, but I solved it by “reading” Hugo via Books on Tape. Unabridged translations of Notre Dame de Paris, Les Miserables, and Ninety-Three are available and the readers know how to pronounce the names correctly.
Since a good unabridged reading of We the Living is available from Blackstone Audio, DPW might want to check it out.
I have the same problem, but I solved it by “reading” Hugo via Books on Tape. Unabridged translations of Notre Dame de Paris, Les Miserables, and Ninety-Three are available and the readers know how to pronounce the names correctly.
Since a good unabridged reading of We the Living is available from Blackstone Audio, DPW might want to check it out.
That’s excellent advice. Why didn’t I think of that? I guess it was just too obvious!
Ash , use some other symbol to represent it, and just make a note of that. For example, use an italicized and underlined e to represent it, and include a footnote at the bottom of your post(s).
As a young and aspiring architect I got sick of people asking me if I read that book. So I finally decided to skim through it to get some content, then I bought the book and read it.
It remains one of the best books I ever read, and is an influence on my way of thinking.
FWIW, her depiction of Howard Roark as a design professional, in my opinion, is accurate and well-researched. So, by the way, was her depiction of Peter Keating, her model of a mainstream architect.
My first book was The Fountainhead. But what opened my eyes initially was, out of curiosity, attending an Objectivist club meeting at my university and watching a video of Dr. Peikoff’s “Religion Versus America” speech. A week later I was an atheist and hungry for more Objectivism.
Dr. Peikoff’s opening line in that 1986 speech is: “A specter is haunting America–the specter of religion.”
Today that specter has evolved into a terrifying death-dealing monster.
As a young and aspiring architect I got sick of people asking me if I read that book. So I finally decided to skim through it to get some content, then I bought the book and read it.
AUTO,
Do you know of any good Architectural books that would be good background reading for someone who is going to re-read the Fountainhead?
I read Anthem in high school English (about 10 years ago). I discovered Ayn Rand again–of my own volition–about a year ago. I’ve since read The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, and am almost through with We The Living. I’ve also read snippets of her non-fiction–particulary The Romantic Manifesto. I’ve devoted my top bookshelf to Ayn Rand and the Founding Fathers. When I run out of room, I’m not yet sure who I’ll shift to 2nd tier!
I read Anthem in high school English (about 10 years ago). I discovered Ayn Rand again–of my own volition–about a year ago. I’ve since read The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, and am almost through with We The Living. I’ve also read snippets of her non-fiction–particulary The Romantic Manifesto. I’ve devoted my top bookshelf to Ayn Rand and the Founding Fathers. When I run out of room, I’m not yet sure who I’ll shift to 2nd tier!
Every year, the student with the highest average by the end of the first semester (in my current English teacher’s class, anyway) gets to choose the assigned reading for the rest of the year.
I had the highest average, I chose Atlas Shrugged; my teacher would not allow it, breaking a long streak (I hear 11 years, from other staff members) because of her diehard socialist beliefs.
Every year, the student with the highest average by the end of the first semester (in my current English teacher’s class, anyway) gets to choose the assigned reading for the rest of the year.
I had the highest average, I chose Atlas Shrugged; my teacher would not allow it, breaking a long streak (I hear 11 years, from other staff members) because of her diehard socialist beliefs.
Damn.
That is quite a horror story. My sympathies that you did not get your well-earned reward.
If I may, I’m curious: what school was this?
Also, were your classmates aware of what the teacher did? If so, what was the general reaction on their part?
That is quite a horror story. My sympathies that you did not get your well-earned reward.
If I may, I’m curious: what school was this?
Also, were your classmates aware of what the teacher did? If so, what was the general reaction on their part?
Thanks.
This is a liberal school in the thriving “center city” of Philadelphia.
Several overheard her rejection of my choice, a few said that it wasn’t fair and were told to quiet. They didn’t have any sort of passioned reaction, however. :shrug:
I never did get to make my selection, however.
However, (I assume to retain a somewhat benevolent visage) she assigned a “philosophically and politically-oriented” book, in her words. :rolleyes:
EDIT: While I’m on the topic of the epicenter of a metropolis, I should mention that I was in a building today, riding down the escalator, and had a complete breath-taking moment wherein I was awed by man’s ingenuity. The steel and glass everywhere completely floored me. I had no idea something I’d been around so often could mean so much to me without an apparent catalyst. :huh:
Several overheard her rejection of my choice, a few said that it wasn’t fair and were told to quiet. They didn’t have any sort of passioned reaction, however. :shrug:
A shame you did not get more support from your fellow students (I was going to say “peers,” but evidently none have a standing to equal yours).
I was on a break at a high school debate tournament at UC Berkeley. In perusing a bookstore I ran across “Visions,” a biography of the band Rush (of which I was a huge fan at the time). On page 15, in describing how the drummer, Neil Peart, came to join the band, is an interesting passage:
“He had one consolation while he was in England. He found a copy of Ayn Rand’s book The Fountainhead on the London tube. He found Rand’s tales of fiercely individualistic characters struggling to maintain their integrity inspiring.”
Well, needless to say, that caught my interest. That fall, in my college bookstore, while looking for something to read on the flight home for winter break, I came across The Fountainhead. I remembered that passage and made the best $7 investment of my life.
