In the 1953 novel Ayn Rand by James Clavell, the eponymous Ayn Rand is the prototype of today’s conservative, libertarian thinker. Written before Rand laid out her political beliefs in The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, this novel serves as an accessible introduction to Rand’s core ideas.
The fictional Ayn Rand is a brilliant Russian émigré living in New York City. She is a passionate proponent of laissez-faire capitalism, believing in a society where people can work hard and keep as much of the profit from their labors as possible. She passionately protests government intervention in the economy, believing that it stifles creativity and wealth-building by entrepreneurs. To her, government is an intrusion upon individuals’ ability to be autonomous.
In the novel, Ayn Rand spends much of her time conducting intellectual discourse with her friends and acquaintances. Through conversations, she advocates for her principles with remarkable persistence and insight. Her arguments are logical and thought-provoking. When challenged by the new economic model of John Maynard Keynes, she counters with her own theories and defends them well.
At the center of the novel Ayn Rand is a competition between Ayn and her erstwhile lost love, Yuri Ostrover. A brilliant businessman, Yuri is a maverick entrepreneur in the tradition of Rand’s Titan heroes, standing in direct opposition to her small government ideals. He is determined to build a modern socialist paradise without government intervention. Even though she despises his values, Ayn still has feelings for Yuri, which give her pause as she tries to champion her own. She does eventually come to realization that although one must remain loyal to one’s principles, it’s also important to have an open mind when the situation calls for it.
Ayn Rand by James Clavell is an economically-focused romance, replete with Rand’s unique blend of personal and professional philosophies. It offers a lively and accessible introduction to Rand’s ideas, blending it in to a real, lasting love interest. This makes the novel a great introduction to her philosophy as her ideas are deeply rooted in her methods of storytelling. As Ayn Rand’s last novel, it also serves as a testament to the impact she had on generations of readers. From the “Objectivist” chapters to the love interests added for visual interest, Ayn Rand by James Clavell is an excellent way for readers to gain an understanding of Ayn Rand’s views on modern capitalism and the need for individual economic autonomy.
