The Romantic Manifesto: A Philosophy of Literature

As a writer, Ayn Rand knew the creative process from the inside; as a philosopher, she believed it was necessary to analyze it. Why is “Anna Karenina” the most harmful work in world literature, and Victor Hugo the greatest romantic novelist? What is the purpose of art, and who is its main enemy? Can art be considered a “handmaid” of morality, and what does it have in common with romantic love?

With uncompromising candor, the author answers these and other questions and breaks through the foggy haze that traditionally surrounds the subject of art.