The first Ayn Rand novel since the iconic "Atlas Shrugged" was published in 1957 will be released in hardcover and paperback on July 7, the New American Library, which is associated with Penguin Random House, announced Thursday.
Rand wrote the book, "Ideal" as a novel at first, but shelved the manuscript when she was not satisfied with it, and later rewrote it as a stage play. The play itself didn’t have its New York premiere until 2010, reports
The Wall Street Journal.
"As the longtime publisher of Ayn Rand’s works, New American Library is excited to continue its successful collaboration with the Rand estate," said NAL Senior Vice President and Publisher Kara Welsh in a press release about the new Rand book.
The publication will contain the original novel and play, both written in 1934 while Rand was in her late 20s.
Welsh added that "the arrival of a never-before-seen Ayn Rand novel will thrill dedicated readers and is a true publishing event."
When Rand died in 1982, philosopher Dr. Leonard Peikoff, who is the heir to Rand’s estate and founder of the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI), read her early novel for the first time and added it to the Ayn Rand Archives.
Thirty years later, in 2012, ARI Publishing Manager Richard Ralston rediscovered the book and play while the institute was digitizing the Rand archives.
He discussed the idea with Peikoff, the New American Library release said, and they agreed that both the original version of the novel and its play should be released together. The reworked version of "Ideal" had already been published in another work, "Three Plays," in 2005.
"I’ve heard wishful comments over many years from readers wondering if there were other novels in Ayn Rand’s papers. Since there actually was such a novel, I decided it should be reviewed carefully," said Ralston in the press release. "This new edition of 'Ideal' demonstrates Rand’s understanding of a crucial difference between writing for readers vs. for listeners at a performance."
The novel follows the struggles of a beautiful, celebrated screen actress, Kay Gonda, who was inspired by movie star Greta Garbo. It follows her pleas for help from her six most devoted fans, including a family man, an artist, a farmer, an evangelist, a playboy, and a lost soul.
In the book, Gonda tells each person she is wanted for murder and needs to hide, and through the night she stays with each, she tests the integrity of that person .
Rand's first book, "We the Living," was published in 1936 after she moved to the United States from Russia, where shew as born on Feb. 2, 1905.
Her greatest successes came with her novels "The Fountainhead" in 1943 and "Atlas Shrugged" in 1957. Her philosophy of Objectivism is still widely discussed and her novels have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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