Book Review: We the Living by Ayn Rand
Aug. 23rd, 2006 04:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
juushikaTitle: We the Living
Author: Ayn Rand
Published: New York: Penguin Books, 1995 (1936)
Page Count: 433
Total Page Count: 28,329
Text Number: 82
Read For: my own enjoyment, checked out from the library
Short review: Set in Communist Russia but as a commentary on all social movements that aim to degrade the individual man, We the Living is the story of Kira, a idealistic and independent young woman from a "bourgeoisie" family, and the two men in her life: Leo, an indifferent but also individualistic young man, and Andrei, a youth leader in the Communist party. Not long after the revolution, Communism rules Russia. Kira's family, once aristocratic and wealthy, flounders under "proletariat" rule. Throughout society, men scramble for jobs, women wait in line for scarce and low-quality food, and everyone is smothered by a society that promises new freedoms and equality but offers little. Kira refuses to succumb to the communist message or principles, instead opting to study architecture out of the pure, selfish desire to do what she loves. Initially, consumed in her study, things go well, but when she falls in love with Leo she is suddenly dragged into conflict with the state. Meanwhile, she forms a strong friendship with Andrei—although they stand on opposing sides of the revolution, they share the same soul. Bit by bit, Kira must sacrifice herself and her morals in order to stay afloat in a society she hates and support a man that she loves. Ultimately, We the Living is the story of the fragile, indomitable spirit of man: no matter what they face, Kira, Leo, and Andrei maintain individuality and spirit, yet Communism erodes their power and makes their goals impossible to achieve. This is her first book, and so Rand's writing style hasn't fully matured, but the characters are realistic, the plot sympathetic, and the story's purpose threatening, frightening, and uplifting all at the same time.
Rand generally has the same group of characters, basic plot line, and concept within her texts, and We the Living is no exception. The independent, antisocial main character (both Kira and Leo), as well as the similar character on the opposing side of the social issue (Andrei) are present, as is the plot line of the characters (male character is unemotional and female character doesn't believe in love, yet the two fall in love despite themselves; intervening character is a source of conflict and character development for both characters) and, of course, the underlying principle of the novel: Rand's belief in the independent, selfish man and his abilities and rights. To a certain extent, the repetition in character, plot, and purpose means that Rand's books can become repetitive, and if you've read one, you've read them all. To the extent that this is true, I would recommend one of her later novels (Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead), which are similar but have a more mature writing style and a more complex analysis of Rand's world view. That said, there is something different and worthwhile to be found in each of Rand's texts. We the Living in particular is more of a novel—more succinct and readable, less didactic, and on some level incredibly intimate. It would probably serve as a good introduction to Rand's writing and philosophy, and it is an approachable, personal novel in its own right.
We the Living does have its flaws. Between setting, focus on the novel, and Rand's immaturity as an author, Rand's philosophy of Objectivism is underdeveloped and the text itself is nearly hopeless—that is, while it illustrates the problems with social structures such as Communism, it never provides an alternative or, truly, any sense of hope. Without coming full circle and providing a road map for achievement as well as a warning against weakness, Rand's books do little more than fear-monger and depress, and have no useful impact on the reader. In that respect, her later novels are much more effective and meaningful, and I highly recommend them. Outside of the Objectivist message but rather as a novel, We the Living is fairly strong, but it lacks realistic characters and sympathetic plot events. Initially, Kira and Leo, are realistic characters with personality and faults, but both eventually contradict themselves and become emotionless to an extreme; Andrei, in comparison, begins as a limited, undeveloped character, and only gains depth late in the novel. Plot events throughout, no matter how realistic, remove a lot of audiences sympathy for the characters and so distance the reader from the storyline.
Nonetheless, I do recommend this novel. While I enjoy and appreciate Rand's later novels more, We the Living is a good introduction to her style and her philosophy and writing style/novel construction. It is also a very intimate, frightening warning against not just Communism but any social structure that aims to degrade and take power from the individual man. These structures, Rand argues, will only be successful in compromising man's individually; they will never provide the freedom and equality that they promise. She fails to offer an alternative, but Rand definitely provides a strong commentary on this sort of social structure, and if nothing else it reminds the reader to enjoy, take advantage of, and preserve, the true freedoms that he may have.
Review posted here at Amazon.com.
Author: Ayn Rand
Published: New York: Penguin Books, 1995 (1936)
Page Count: 433
Total Page Count: 28,329
Text Number: 82
Read For: my own enjoyment, checked out from the library
Short review: Set in Communist Russia but as a commentary on all social movements that aim to degrade the individual man, We the Living is the story of Kira, a idealistic and independent young woman from a "bourgeoisie" family, and the two men in her life: Leo, an indifferent but also individualistic young man, and Andrei, a youth leader in the Communist party. Not long after the revolution, Communism rules Russia. Kira's family, once aristocratic and wealthy, flounders under "proletariat" rule. Throughout society, men scramble for jobs, women wait in line for scarce and low-quality food, and everyone is smothered by a society that promises new freedoms and equality but offers little. Kira refuses to succumb to the communist message or principles, instead opting to study architecture out of the pure, selfish desire to do what she loves. Initially, consumed in her study, things go well, but when she falls in love with Leo she is suddenly dragged into conflict with the state. Meanwhile, she forms a strong friendship with Andrei—although they stand on opposing sides of the revolution, they share the same soul. Bit by bit, Kira must sacrifice herself and her morals in order to stay afloat in a society she hates and support a man that she loves. Ultimately, We the Living is the story of the fragile, indomitable spirit of man: no matter what they face, Kira, Leo, and Andrei maintain individuality and spirit, yet Communism erodes their power and makes their goals impossible to achieve. This is her first book, and so Rand's writing style hasn't fully matured, but the characters are realistic, the plot sympathetic, and the story's purpose threatening, frightening, and uplifting all at the same time.
Rand generally has the same group of characters, basic plot line, and concept within her texts, and We the Living is no exception. The independent, antisocial main character (both Kira and Leo), as well as the similar character on the opposing side of the social issue (Andrei) are present, as is the plot line of the characters (male character is unemotional and female character doesn't believe in love, yet the two fall in love despite themselves; intervening character is a source of conflict and character development for both characters) and, of course, the underlying principle of the novel: Rand's belief in the independent, selfish man and his abilities and rights. To a certain extent, the repetition in character, plot, and purpose means that Rand's books can become repetitive, and if you've read one, you've read them all. To the extent that this is true, I would recommend one of her later novels (Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead), which are similar but have a more mature writing style and a more complex analysis of Rand's world view. That said, there is something different and worthwhile to be found in each of Rand's texts. We the Living in particular is more of a novel—more succinct and readable, less didactic, and on some level incredibly intimate. It would probably serve as a good introduction to Rand's writing and philosophy, and it is an approachable, personal novel in its own right.
We the Living does have its flaws. Between setting, focus on the novel, and Rand's immaturity as an author, Rand's philosophy of Objectivism is underdeveloped and the text itself is nearly hopeless—that is, while it illustrates the problems with social structures such as Communism, it never provides an alternative or, truly, any sense of hope. Without coming full circle and providing a road map for achievement as well as a warning against weakness, Rand's books do little more than fear-monger and depress, and have no useful impact on the reader. In that respect, her later novels are much more effective and meaningful, and I highly recommend them. Outside of the Objectivist message but rather as a novel, We the Living is fairly strong, but it lacks realistic characters and sympathetic plot events. Initially, Kira and Leo, are realistic characters with personality and faults, but both eventually contradict themselves and become emotionless to an extreme; Andrei, in comparison, begins as a limited, undeveloped character, and only gains depth late in the novel. Plot events throughout, no matter how realistic, remove a lot of audiences sympathy for the characters and so distance the reader from the storyline.
Nonetheless, I do recommend this novel. While I enjoy and appreciate Rand's later novels more, We the Living is a good introduction to her style and her philosophy and writing style/novel construction. It is also a very intimate, frightening warning against not just Communism but any social structure that aims to degrade and take power from the individual man. These structures, Rand argues, will only be successful in compromising man's individually; they will never provide the freedom and equality that they promise. She fails to offer an alternative, but Rand definitely provides a strong commentary on this sort of social structure, and if nothing else it reminds the reader to enjoy, take advantage of, and preserve, the true freedoms that he may have.
Review posted here at Amazon.com.
