The Early Ayn Rand: A Selection from Her Unpublished Fiction

This is a collection of Ayn Rand's early unpublished fiction. I wouldn't recommend this to someone not already a fan of her writing. If I weren't already, I don't know that I'd consider any piece here a standout (with the exception of the 1939 play, Think Twice.). To a fan it definitely has it's fascinations however, seeing the flashes of genius even in the earliest works here, where her "command of English" (Rand emigrated from Russia in the twenties) was still shaky. I have to say though, most of those early pieces were surprisingly fun and lighthearted. "Good Copy," and "Her Second Career" in particular were witty and smile-provoking, even if not thought-provoking. Her 1934 play, Ideal left me cold--it reminded me of her one produced show more play, Night of January 16th, my least favorite of the works published in her lifetime--her heroine seemed simultaneously flat and melodramatic--a Dominque Francon, who I had found the most problematic of Rand heroines. I did like Think Twice much better, although no I wouldn't defend it as great literature. But it's clever and entertaining. I'd put this last on the list of Rand's works to read. But if you did love her other work, Atlas Shrugged, Fountainhead, Anthem and We, the Living, then this is worth considering. show less

Peikoff talks a lot about her maturing during the 20+ year span here, but her work is interesting from the beginning. In some ways, we see the raw stuff of which her later ideas and characters were formed. Most of the works are captivating, including: The Husband I Bought, Good Copy, Her Second Career, Red Pawn, Ideal, and Think Twice.

I really liked this because you can see how Ayn Rand's writing evolved and also how, over the years, she got a better grip on the English language. If you are a fan of Ayn Rand, then you definitely have to read this to better understand her as an author.

Objectivism would be great if you guys would do it first. Rand's sentences are so ugly.

Edited and with an introduction and notes by Leonard Peikoff

This remarkable, newly revised collection of Ayn Rand's early fiction—now including her previously unpublished short story, "The Night King"—ranges from beginner's exercises to excerpts from early versions of We the Living and The Fountainhead. Arranged chronologically, from 1926 through 1940, these works allow readers to follow the extraordinary trajectory of Rand's literary and intellectual growth, from a twenty-one-year-old Russian immigrant struggling to master English to the brilliant prose stylist she was to become in her mature work.

This collection of Ayn Rand's early, unpublished fiction offers spellbinding insights into her artistic development.

12/9/21