The Romantic Manifesto  (English, Paperback, unknown)

The Romantic Manifesto: A Philosophy of Literature is a collection of essays about the nature of art.

Summary of the Book

According to the author, Ayn Rand, we cannot create art if we do not infuse our work with our own judgments and philosophies. The artist may try to restrain from using moral overtones, but their work will still contain a deterministic and naturalistic message. The artist cannot help but get the sense of a philosophical message out of their work. Their work will also contain a certain amount of their own emotions. She divides artistic endeavors into valid and invalid forms. She believes that we should always work towards elevating and idealizing the human spirit. She talks about Naturalism or Modernism in art, but still upholds the concept of Romanticism. The book consists of a short story with the title “The Simplest Thing in the World” that is given in the end.

About Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright and screenwriter. She is known for her bestselling novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. She is also known to have developed a philosophical system called Objectivism.