We the living
by Ayn Rand · first published 1936
65% recommend29% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
Rand's most grounded novel, a bleak, semi-autobiographical story of life under early Soviet collectivisation. It is her best work and gives a clear picture of communism's harsh realities.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
This book is about a young woman named Kira Argounova who is trying to live during the Soviet takeover of Russia. Kira wants to be an engineer, but the lack of freedom in Soviet Russia oppresses her. She becomes involved in a love triangle with Comrade Taganov and the mysterious Leo. The book is a philosophical exposition of the crushing nature of the collectivist philosophy, which oppresses the producers. “Can you sacrifice a few? When those few are the best? Deny the best its right to the top--and you have no best left. What are your masses but millions of dull, shriveled, stagnant s
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Read: Ayn Rand - We The Living Currently Reading: Ayn Rand - Atlas Shrugged Honestly loving Atlas Shrugged, but We The Living is easily my favorite book I have ever read. It has deeply affected how I think about life and I share many…
on “Ask HN: What is HN reading?” ↗For a feeling of what the early Soviet Union was like, I highly recommend We the Living by Ayn Rand. If you don't like her politics, I still recommend it to understand exactly what it was that she is reacting against. That book is not exactly autobiographical. But she does draw very heavily…
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗You're being down-voted for no good reason. If you want to understand what drove Ayn Rand to the extremes then "We the Living" is probably the best explanation there is.
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗…the main male character quite the self-made man? Again, it's been a while. Beautiful picture of the harsh reality, and stark beauty of life on the plains. If you want Ayn Rand that makes sense, read We the Living, in my opinion, by far her best work. As a matter of fact, I'd say Ayn Rand's three major works, can be rated worst to best with length being the determining factor. Worst -- Atlas Shrugged. If ever a…
on “Search for the historical Laura Ingalls Wilder (2019)” ↗"We the Living" -- by Ayn Rand. This novel, unlike Orwell's 1984, shows that one does not have to loose his identity under oppression of communism.
on “Ask HN: What books fundamentally changed the way you think about the world?” ↗Indeed, and elsewhere in the thread I recommend We the Living if you really want to understand Rand in her own words. It's the least philosophically ambitious of her novels, and as a direct result it's the best read.
on “The new age of Ayn Rand” ↗They're both good. For a less lopsided plot We the Living is good I think Atlas Shrugged is more likely to be what draws criticism to Ayn Rand. It plays more on extremist ideas that the elite class should cull the weak. The Fountainhead exemplifies the idea…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in the past decade?” ↗I'd have to nominate 'We, The Living' as the best thing she ever wrote, on the grounds of both authenticity and quality. Everything after that was solipsistic pulp polemic, but I do retain a soft spot for WTL. But 'Anthem' was ripped off…
on “Ayn Rand's Literature of Capitalism” ↗Even better, read We the Living. Rand is at her best as a critic of Soviet Communism, the system under which she came of age. Despite her stated love for the United States and its economic system, I don't think she ever really understood…
on “The new age of Ayn Rand” ↗…works when some aspects of the story -- be they characters, settings, events, or something else -- remain recognizable from reality. But very little in Atlas is, certainly nothing key to the story. We the Living is a much better book than Atlas Shrugged, for what it's worth.
on “Bruce Schneier: The response to the "If you've got nothing to hide" argument ” ↗Actually, her very first book, We the Living, is to me the best of the bunch. Because of its setting, it makes it very clear where Ayn's hatred of collectivism/socialism/communism comes from. Also, it tends to show rather than tell. Ayn was a hard…
on “Ayn Rand reviews children’s movies (2014)” ↗…people are comfortable with having read the one fantasy land, not the other. I guess it's because Tolkien didn't write to change current politics. Rand did. I did relate more to The Fountainhead and We The Living though. Atlas Shrugged is too damn preachy. It seems to me one needs a good deal of righteousness to think this a good book. Yeah, signaling goes a long way there.
on “On pretending to have read books” ↗Getting famous and having a cult following isn't always the best thing for an author. Not for their works. Rand wrote one good book [0]. Actually really got to me. Probably not one you think of. "We The Living", a pretty bleak account of collectivisation and the exodus from communism. A shocking, semi-autobiographical account of watching the world you love and know torn up. I think it might be more apropos…
on “The Curse of Ayn Rand's Heir” ↗…whole movie (prefer to keep my memories of the graphic novel intact, and I trust that when Alan Moore says it strayed from his vision, it strayed). The Italians allowed a film version of Ayn Rand's "We the Living" to be produced because they believed it was a biting criticism of Soviet Russia, before someone realized its philosophic disposition was anti-totalitarianism. Could be sort of the same thing...
on “Censorship Lift for “V for Vendetta” Shocks China” ↗>The Italians allowed a film version of Ayn Rand's "We the Living" to be produced because they believed it was a biting criticism of Soviet Russia, before someone realized its philosophic disposition was anti-totalitarianism. Could be sort of the same thing... And…
on “Censorship Lift for “V for Vendetta” Shocks China” ↗