The Art of Nonfiction

By: Ayn Rand

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

In 1958, and again in 1969, Ayn Rand gathered a small group of her friends and acquaintances and gave an informal course on writing. At once a fascinating philosophical discourse on the art of creation and an invaluable guide for the aspiring writer, these edited transcripts are a treasure that will challenge, edify, and illuminate the way to more powerful writing.

Rand takes listeners step by step through the writing process, providing insightful observations and invaluable techniques along the way. She discusses the psychological aspects of writing and the roles played by the conscious and subconscious mind. She talks about articles and books, explaining how to select a subject and theme, how to identify your audience, and how to write the first draft.

Also, listen to the companion text, Ayn Rand's The Art of Fiction.

©2001 Estate of Ayn Rand (P)2003 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic Reviews

"Ayn Rand is a writer of great power. She has a subtle and ingenious mind and the capacity of writing brilliantly, beautifully, bitterly." ( The New York Times Book Review)

Great Content, but the narrator is annoying

I really like this book for what it has to say, but I wish they had gotten another narrator. The narrator takes the authors words and makes them sound arrogant and scolding, when I can't imagine that that tone of voice is what the author had in mind when she wrote those words. I'm learning a lot from this book, but it's taking a lot of work to get past the narrator's annoying tone and just listen to what the original intent of the author is. I really wish they'd re record this book with another narrator that doesn't sound so snotty.

Narrator or Author?

I like the content, but the ego of either the writer or the narrator is exhausting--I can't decide whether to blame the author or the narrator. Her over use of certain words is distracting and annoying. One could gain a fair amount knowledge if he looks past the wagging finger of the self-proclaimed genius.

Comparably, Strunk is a house cat.

Many great tips for writing

This book has many great tips on how to write and how to review your work. Paraphrasing, it emphasizes that you should focus outwards on the problem, and not inwardly on how intelligent your writing makes you look.

Great technical book

Great performance
It's actually very interesting to read tips from a great writer on how to write

Excellent

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

One interested in writing absolutely. Possibly even one who is not.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Excellent narration Great voice. Fits the content.

Which scene was your favorite?

The logical breakdown of how to write and how to give your subconscious standing-orders to help the process- also tactics for fatigue and writers block. just really excellent advice.

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

Show a scene, don't tell it.

Any additional comments?

MUST READ FOR ANY ASPIRING AUTHOR NONFICTION OR OTHERWISE.

Great Suggestions - But Very Dry

The book is good, but not great. A bit dry in places. I think some of her analogies are faulty because people should be encouraged to write; her observation about New Yorker being filled with the same type of writing does hold up to closer inspection. However, just because it has been done in the past, doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be completely new to someone who had never seen an original publication on a topic.

Thank God! Not every editor is Ayn Rand or we would only get about 10 books a year published.

Too intellectual

The book has some good ideas about writing and English majors will likely enjoy it. In my humble view the book is just too chalk full of over intellectualized SAT vocabulary words.

Many excellent points by a very successful author!

I will keep this short. I listened to the book once, and first, for the context. Having done so, it is clear to me that it will be worth a second or more read for the purpose of taking notes. I plan to write some non-fiction books and I do think this book has a lot of advice worth utilizing, some of which I would consider common sense, but others that I had not. For example, writing while under the direction of the subconscious. I think this is much like typing - when yoy get good at it, you are not thinking about how to type, you just do. Then, consciously edit. She shows here how thinking Objectively - considering epistemology and psycho epistemology are used in problem solving and performing a complex task. I like it!

A guide for writers who like to think deeply

A guide for writers who like to think deeply about the philosophical content of their work and all the minutiae about how they could possibly present it in a structured form to the world. Rand's guidance here will teach you to be a better thinker at the same time it is teaching you to be a better writer, as one logically precedes the other. I very much appreciated this as a deep and dense alternative to the fluffy and redundant writing advice that dominates this area.

excellent-highly recommend

she gives great advice, helped me a lot yo figure out what i was doing. worth a listen.

One of the most useful books on writing I've read.

The narrator is a perfect reader for Ayn Rand's style.

Rand provides both theoretical and practical riches on every page.