Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

We the Living by Ayn Rand

2 reviews

kmhst25's review

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challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

This is the fifth time I've read this book, but the first time in at least 5 years. It's a hard book for me to review, because I feel like it has done a lot for me, but it is far from perfect. 

Pros:
  • We The Living paints such a vivid portrait of Soviet Russia in the 1920s that it sparked a life-long interest in Soviet and Russian history for me. 
  • No author has ever been able to convince me of the gift of being alive and being able to live my own life, on my own terms, like Rand has. This book touches things in me that no other book does. 
  • This novel, far more than any other, explains the 'why' behind Ayn Rand.  So many people read Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead and write her off completely. They don't understand where she's coming from; We The Living tells you where she's coming from. I don't agree with all of her conclusions about the world, but reading this book tells me exactly how she came to them.

Cons:
  • I am deeply uncomfortable with Rand's idea of an ideal heterosexual relationship, in this book and in all her others. Her ideas about men and women sadden and repel me. 
  • Despite being far more benign than generally painted by the public, Rand's ideas about selfishness can also leave a bad taste in the mouth. There is so much that could be said about the selfishness required to survive in a famine, in a war, in a dictatorship--so many philosophical questions about what those types of conditions do to a person. But you're going to have to be willing to ask yourself those questions. This is not a book for someone who only wants to read about likeable characters.
  • As a first novel (and a first novel in a second-language, no less), this book suffers from repetitiveness, transparency, and occasional grammar / word-choice issues. 

Overall, I thought this was one of my favorite books, and age has shown me that it is not. At times, I thought about putting it down or throwing it away. But it holds such a special place in my heart that I can't let it go. The questions that We The Living raises are valuable ones, even if you don't agree with the answers as framed therein.
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annebonnie's review

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challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

In itself not a badly written book, despite Ayn Rands political thought. I found myself more sympathetic to the characters towards the end, yet the strong dislike I first had never faded. The story is oft boring and repetitive. Kira makes little sense as anything but Rands self-insert character.
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