The Unconquered With Another, Earlier Adaptation of We the Living [Hardcover]

In the 1930s, Ayn Rand was asked to adapt her first novel , We the Living , for the theatre. Her first statement against communism, it sold over 3 million copies. This edition contains two unpublished versions of the play (the latter entitled The Unconquered ), and is the first substantial piece of Rand's fiction to publish in over twenty years.Preface Chronology PART I: TWO THEATRICAL ADAPTATIONS BY AYN RAND OF HER NOVEL , WE THE LIVING 1. We the Living (1936/37) 2. The Unconquered (1939/40) PART II: EXCERPTS FROM OTHER VERSIONS 3. Five Miscellaneous Scenes 4. The Transformation of Andrei's Speech 5. Two Alternate Endings Afterward: Adapting We the Living for the Stage: An Essay; Jeff Britting Appendix 1: Sources Appendix 2: Scene Synopses and Casts of Characters Appendix 3: A Note on George Abbott

Mayhew has provided us with welcome access to one of the least known and least understood episodes in Ayn Rand's life: her attempts to produce a workable stage version of We the Living. In addition to its scholarly value, the various versions of the play make a surprisingly good read! - Lester Hunt, Professor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin - Madison, USA

After the brief Broadway run of The Unconquered in 1940, Ayn Rand's play was never performed, never published, never available for public scrutiny. Until now. This volume showcases her repeated attempts to dramatize the core of her first novel. By presenting the first and final versions, along with excerpts from other drafts and commentary on all extant scripts, Robert Mayhew shows how Ayn Rand considered variations in her means of expression - in structure and settings, in events and dialogue, and even in the cast of characters - while maintaining, as a constant, her enduring theme. This is a guided tour of buried treasures. - Shoshana Milgram, Associate Professor of English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA

This volume delivers on several l³&