From Library Journal
Rand (1905-82), the controversial author and founder of Objectivism (the philosophy of rational self-interest), continues to have a loyal following. This current work consists of her previously unpublished working notes (1927-60s). It is not a personal memoir (an authorized biography is forthcoming) but a glimpse into the evolution of Rand's thought processes and writing over four decades. Over half the book, arranged chronologically, is devoted to the composition of Rand's most important novels, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. Harriman (a Ph.D. candidate in philosophy, Claremont Graduate Sch.) carefully considers plot, theme, dialog, character development, etc., and provides succinct annotations that are bracketed within Rand's text. A companion to the Letters of Ayn Rand (Dutton, 1995), this is recommended for larger literature, philosophy, and political science collections, as well as any library with patrons interested in Rand.?Janice E. Braun, Mills Coll., Oakland, Cal.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Both those inspired and those irritated by Rand's radical individualism will find support for their response in her journals. Sympathetic readers will enjoy sketches of unfinished projects, philosophical fragments, essays and testimony about communists in Hollywood, and extensive notes for her two major novels. Harriman's (Philosophy/Claremont Graduate School) sycophantic but helpful comments guide the reader through the unpublished material of an unwavering proponent of individualism and capitalism who is not afraid to condemn altruism or dismiss democratic authority with scorn. Indeed, the ease with which she labels most people ``parasites'' suggests that Rand was born too soon: Her self-confident dismissals of all who disagree would have made her a phenom on Crossfire or talk radio. Others will be struck by what is absent here: For Rand there are no open questions. She explicitly started ``with a set of ideas'' and then studied ``to support them.'' An instinctual antipathy to collectivism born of a childhood spent under communist rule established the substance of the writer's worldview, and her subsequent intellectual activity involved communicating convictions rather than exploring them. Fiction provided an outlet for this ideological single-mindedness, allowing her version of reality to be presented through fantasy worlds shorn of anything inconsistent with her beliefs. To demonstrate how individualism and collectivism work ``in real life'' and acceptance of a flawed concept such as charity results when we depart ``from facts,'' Rand wrote novels representing, she said, ``the kind of world I want.'' Even when recognizing that her idealization of the defendant in an actual criminal trial was probably inaccurate, she claimed that it ``does not make any difference,'' for even if he was not as she perceived him, ``he could be, and that's enough.'' This volume reveals not only how strong conclusions can flow from trumping fact with fiction, but also why Rand seemed to be living on another planet. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
Fortunately, the journals furnish a deep popcorn bowl of sheer fan value, with everything from a time line on The Fountainhead ("when they meet, [publisher Gail] Wynand is 54, Roark is 37") to considerable light on the question of which real-life figures helped suggest which fictional characters. -- Reason, Walter Olson
If nothing else, Journals of Ayn Rand will be useful to any writer who wants to know what it takes to be one of the best-selling authors of the century ... for aspiring novelists who'd like to see their books sell like Rand's, the bad news from these journals is that you can't fake it. Even if you are only writing a potboiler, you have to feel in your bones that it is a classic for the ages. You have to be convinced in your core or cores that you are a transcendent genius, and that your book is the flowering of your deepest soul. If these journals are any guide, authors should be pompous, egomaniacal, humorless and vehement. -- The New York Times Book Review, David Brooks
