Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist

Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist
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an important work, well worth every penny and minute

The Price of Virtue

Ayn Rand's Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist
Tara Smith
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Ethics & Morality | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0521705460

Book Description

Ayn Rand is well known for advocating egoism, but the substance of that egoism�s instruction is rarely understood. Far from representing the rejection of morality, selfishness, in Rand�s view, actually demands the practice of a systematic code of ethics. This book explains the fundamental virtues that Rand considers vital for a person to achieve his objective well-being: rationality, honesty, independence, justice, integrity, productiveness, and pride. Tara Smith examines what each of these virtues consists in, why it is a virtue, and what it demands of a person in practice.

Customer Reviews:

Quite Useful.......2006-11-11

The author sets out to analyze, integrate, and present systematically the whole Objectivist ethics, and she succeeds admirably. This book will be useful to the Objectivist who wants to understand more deeply the logical implications of Miss Rand's rational egoism and consider how to live egoistically. It will also be useful to anyone grappling to understand the Objectivist ethics (e.g. the reader of The Fountainhead who senses Howard Roark's greatness but struggles to reconcile it with selfishness, having subconsciously automatized altruistic premises).

I consider Miss Rand's books as prerequisites to this work, particularly The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, and The Virtue of Selfishness (in that order).

The author's writing style, though stilted in places, is generally clear, economical, and unambiguous, and she remains focused throughout, confining her digressions to the footnotes (and even those are typically relevant and interesting).

My principal gripe against this book is its neutral, noncommittal tone. Since it is not merely a restatement of the Objectivist ethics, the author obviously has something to say, i.e., many opinions on the subject. It seems to me ingenuine of her to pretend she has no opinion about the truth or falsehood of Objectivism. One can glean from the text that she probably believes rational egoism to be true.

I did not expect the author to attempt a novel validation of rational egoism, but I also did not expect her to deliberately obscure (though somewhat half-heartedly) her own opinion of its truth or falsehood. To present rational egoism without "bias" would be to say nothing new about it, and Tara Smith has done something better here.

Though she explains, in the introduction, that she is merely presenting the implications of Miss Rand's ethics, and confesses that she is "sympathetic" to it, I cannot see why she did not (consistently) simply write from the point of view of what she actually believes. Her approach seems calculated to appeal to moral subjectivists or multiculturalists, and that is so out of place in a discussion of Objectivism that I found it distracting.

an important work, well worth every penny and minute.......2006-05-27

Noting how recent scholarly work in ethics dances around the edges of seriously grappling with egoism, Dr. Smith offers the invitation: Why not judge ethical egoism by squarely confronting it in its most powerful and consistent form? Thus her comprehensive, systematic presentation of Ayn Rand's ethics. This book is particularly welcome because important elements of Rand's ethical thought are scattered among her novels and various essays, with further illumination sprinkled in her journals, her live Q&A, and reflected in works by her leading and longtime students (primarily Dr. Leonard Peikoff). Smith draws all of this together into a single, clear, carefully organized presentation, judiciously employing comparison and contrast with contemporary academic thought to clarify distinctions and to highlight the novel and powerful aspects of Rand's ideas.

Smith's presentation is masterful, executed with clarity, power, and finesse. Yet it is accessible, and she maintains a warm, reflective style throughout that is grounded in the realities of human life. While following along as Smith unwinds the major virtues Rand identified, what makes them virtues, and what they demand of us in action, you may find that you can't help but consider the implications regarding your own behavior -- the character you are shaping by your everyday choices and actions -- the course you are charting in your own life. This is a solid academic work, but it is also the deepest sort of practical self-help book, implicitly encouraging people to get real and seriously consider what it means to live as a human can and should.

-----

Regarding Steve Jackson's review: Smith was clear about her mission of presenting RAND'S ethical ideas, and doing so certainly doesn't entail a survey of all fully-, semi-, non-, and anti-Objectivist thought regarding Rand's ethics. That would be a different book, and Mr. Jackson denying Smith's achievement here by leading people to confuse her purpose with his own is unjust. Smith took on a worthy and substantive project, and she absolutely knocked the ball out of the park.

The Price of Virtue.......2006-05-24

Prof. Tara Smith follows up her defense of Ayn Rand's metaethics (VIABLE VALUES) with this work devoted to the normative ethics of Objectivism.

Smith starts with an excellent point. There have been versions of egoism throughout history. However, there have been few which are non-predatory and rights-respecting. The most prominent and influential version that kind of egoism is Ayn Rand's. Why not discuss the most consistent version of ethical egoism?

As an exposition of Rand's ethics, this book generally succeeds. Smith references Rand's letters and journals (which have in part been published) as well as her essays and novels. This is a large amount of material to integrate and Smith does it successfully. Her work is certainly of a much higher level than typical Objectivist writings. To give one example, unlike, say, Leonard Peikoff, Smith actually tries to understand what people mean by humility and then critiques the concept intelligently. Another example is honesty. Smith is aware of the standard arguments against Objectivism's instrumentalist opposition to dishonesty. I don't think she successfully answers them, but she doesn't duck problems. I was, however, a bit disappointed with Smith's discussion of charity, since she skirts around certain questions related to helping strangers. Smith doesn't give a clear answer to the question of whether it is morally appropriate to give to people who are victims of natural disasters. She states that optimally it would be best to know if those in need were moral. But if a tsunami struck an area where the victims were predominantly religious, would it be immoral to offer help? Smith's answer is presumably yes, but she doesn't say.

My major complaint with this book is Smith's use of sources. If Smith is of the opinion that Rand's journals and letters are relevant for understanding Rand's ethics, then what about Nathaniel Branden's essays? When Rand broke with Branden in 1968 she stated that Branden's pre-split writings were consistent with Objectivism. She obviously had a high opinion of them since she included several in her work THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS. Certainly these essays, written during the time of Rand's mature philosophy, are of much value in understanding Rand's ethics. Smith's discussion of certain psychological issues related to ethics (such as self esteem) would have been much improved if she had interacted Branden's articles including "The Psychology of Pleasure." Yet Smith doesn't even mention Branden, much less give a reason why she ignores him. Given that Rand did not excise Branden's essays from her books, why does Smith consign them to the Orwellian Memory Hole?

It's particularly disappointing that Smith decided to limit the secondary sources concerning Objectivism almost entirely to authors associated with Leonard Peikoff's Ayn Rand Institute (such as Peikoff, Harry Binswanger and even popularizer Craig Biddle). There are many scholars that Smith overlooks. For example, she doesn't mention Objectivist philosopher David Kelley, even though his book UNRUGGED INDIVIDUALISM is quite relevant to her discussion of benevolence. Likewise there is no mention of Chris Sciabarra, Roderick Long, and Eric Mack, all of whom have written valuable material concerning Rand's ethics. Since Smith considered it appropriate to discuss non-Objectivists such as Philippa Foot and Rosalind Hursthouse, her unwillingness to engage in non-ARI Objectivists and writers influenced by Rand is most curious. I suspect that Smith's decision with respect to sources was influenced by her association with the ARI. (If you do a search of the book you will find that "Peikoff" appears on 143 pages.) Since Kelley and Branden are no longer within the line of apostolic succession, any mention of them is ultra vires.

When Smith departs from her area of expertise, she makes a few mistakes. She asserts that Jesus opposed judging, citing the well-known injunction in Matt. 7:1 ("Judge not that ye be not judged."). She even argues that Catholics who looked the other way regarding pedophile priests were following Jesus' teaching. However, Jesus was likely only opposing self-righteous judgment. Later in Matt., Jesus discusses church discipline and advocates expelling members when appropriate. (Matt. 18:15-17.) The New Testament contains many example of judging, including the exclusion of sexually immoral people from the church. Smith later argues that Jesus urged his followers to sell everything and give to the poor. Jesus told one specific person to sell everything and there is no suggestion that it was a universal commandment.

AYN RAND'S NORMATIVE ETHICS is the most important work to date on Rand's ethics and certainly one of the best works by an Objectivist philosopher. Given its price, I'm disappointed by Smith's decision to exclude authors based not on the quality or relevance of their work, but on their standing with the ARI.

Ultimate Egoist: Volume I: The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon (Sturgeon, Theodore. Short Stories, V. 1.)

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Learn about the development of a master storyteller
The beginning of one of the truly great careers
The beginning of one of the truly great careers
Even the best start somewhere
Best short story writer of the 20th century

Ultimate Egoist: Volume I: The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon (Sturgeon, Theodore. Short Stories, V. 1.)
Theodore Sturgeon
Manufacturer: North Atlantic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1556432992
Release Date: 1998-11-12

Book Description

The Ultimate Egoist, the first volume of The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon, contains the late author's earliest work, written from 1937 to 1940. Although Sturgeon's reach was limited to the lengths of the short story and novelette, his influence was strongly felt by even the most original science fiction stylists, including Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, and Gene Wolfe, each of whom contributes a laudatory foreword. The more than 40 stories here showcase Sturgeon's masterful knack with clever, O. Henry-ish plot twists, sparkling character development, and almost archetypal, why didn't I think of that? story ideas. Early Sturgeon masterpieces include "It," about the violence done by a creature spontaneously born from garbage and mud, and "Helix the Cat," about an inventor's bizarre encounter with a disembodied soul and the cat that saves it. Sturgeon's unique genius is timelessly entertaining.

Customer Reviews:

Learn about the development of a master storyteller.......2003-08-06

I've been excited by the prospect of this book for quite some time. Imagine all the Sturgeon short stories collected in a series of volumes, and not just the ones that were published or previously collected, but ALL of them. Edited and with notes, to top it off, by that most meticulous of literary executors, Paul Williams (the man behind the Collected Philip K. Dick). Unfortunately, Sturgeon never attracted the same fanaticism that Dick did, and this project was on shaky ground for some time. The first book is finally out, and it definitely lives up to the expectations for it.

Selected stories here include:

* "Heavy Insurance" -- Sturgeon's first published and possibly first completed work. A clever short short revolving around the, then, unusual properties of dry ice. With short shorts I am always reminded of Jack Ritchie's LITTLE BOXES OF BEWILDERMENT, and this story, even as early in Sturgeon's career as it was, can stand among those tales.

* "Fluffy" -- A few awkward wording moments, but they don't detract from the joy of a clever little twist story. This would have been a page from Jonathan Carroll except Sturgeon has to have a "logical" explanation (well, OK, *an* explanation--Carroll wouldn't have felt the need for any) for the basic conceit. However, it's still just a twist story. Sturgeon quickly moved beyond it.

* "Alter Ego" -- Almost a study in what not to do in a story, this previously unpublished piece reeks of the new writer, for it is all tell and no show. It spans years, yet there is not time sense. There are some specifics, but no details. While the plot itself could become something, it's too pithy for this treatment and too pathetic for longer. It's not too surprising that this one didn't see print in its time.

* "Permit Me My Gesture" -- This is my kind of short short: neat set up, perfect background, and clever ending twist. The notes include a letter from Sturgeon to his wife; in it, he calls this kind of story a gadget plot, and "Golden Day" a gag.

* "One Sick Kid" -- A short based on Sturgeon's personal experience, kind of a "true life" op-ed piece. A bit formless, though, without a genuine payoff, i.e., life isn't as clever as fiction.

* "A God in a Garden" -- Here is the *raison d'etre* for this volume, for the admiration that writers and readers have for Sturgeon is based on stories like this one. The perfect twist tale--what some people would term a Twilight Zone story. A man with a character flaw (he lies to his wife), a conflict (his wife knows about the lying, and is upset), and the twist (he digs up a god in his garden that gives him the ability to always tell the truth--not the actual truth, but whatever he says *becomes* the truth). Sturgeon handles it all brilliantly. The notes seem to agree. This story--Sturgeon's first sale to John W. Campbell for Unknown--was like his coming out party. Finally he had found a market that didn't require formula (the string- tugging as described under "Some People Forget" above), yet welcomed cleverness.

* "Bianca's Hands" -- A disturbing little fantasy/horror piece, showing the depth of Sturgeon's mastery of character, mood, and language. Yes, there's a plot, but the plot is nothing besides the description. It is so well done--this description of Bianca's hands and Ran's love for them--that is is close to erotic. Of course, Sturgeon was no stranger to that genre, although his take on it would not be fully revealed until years later with the novels SOME OF YOUR BLOOD and GODBODY.

* "The Ultimate Egoist" -- The logical extreme of the philosophical question best answered by Rene Descartes when he wrote, "Cogito, ergo sum." Whatever Woody thinks is, and what he doubts isn't, and it doesn't take long for him to break under the strain.

* "It" -- Probably one of the most famous Sturgeon stories, spawning at least two comic creatures: DC's Swamp Thing and Marvel's Man-Thing. Actually what Sturgeon accomplishes here is the envy of every horror writer--he invents a new monster. Unfortunately he did it in a short story rather than a novel or a movie, so his creation has yet to join the full pantheon to which it belongs, taking its place beside Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

I hope that this project--to collect all of Sturgeon's short stories-- continues apace. Paul Williams' earlier effort in this vein was the incredible Collected Philip K. Dick, and while the Dick was interesting, PKD was a writer who excelled at novels, not really the short. Sturgeon, on the other hand, was the opposite. I learned a lot about writing from the Dick volumes, and I hope to learn even more from Sturgeon.

The beginning of one of the truly great careers.......2002-10-25

One of the great tragedies of science fiction's success in taking over the world is that we've lost our sense of the history of the genre. After the explosion of popularity the genre saw in the late seventies, there has simply been way too much science fiction and fantasy for anyone to read all of it, much less read the best of the past. In other words, the time when every fan had read the essential works has passed; in other words, any sense of tradition and common ground has vanished into the mediocrities of Hollywood and the latest endless series of repetitious commercial formula. Which is precisely why this series of Theodore Sturgeon's complete stories, accompanied by the recent reprints of most of his novels, is so incredibly important. When one considers the fact that at the 2002 World Science Fiction Convention I met three fans who had never even heard of Sturgeon, much less read him, these reprints are highly essential. How anyone can call themselves a fan without reading Sturgeon (and Heinlein, and Asimov, and C.L. Moore, and Kuttner, and so many more) is beyond me. This first installment of the complete works of the greatest short story writer science fiction and fantasy ever produce may not be his best, but it is critical for any understanding of where science fiction began to attain the levels of greatness it has all too often forgotten. Among the best this volume has to offer includes the utterly chilling and absolutely unique "Bianca's Hands," which will both revolt and delight you, and the charming "Ether Breather," with its original aliens. As a writer myself, I enjoyed all the journeyman work, especially since I could see how the craft developed; as a science fiction critic and scholar, I also thoroughly enjoyed the biographical story notes at the end, which may be the closest we ever get to a biography. All in all, one of the great publishing events of the history of our chosen obsession.

The beginning of one of the truly great careers.......2002-10-25

One of the great tragedies of science fiction's success in taking over the world is that we've lost our sense of the history of the genre. After the explosion of popularity the genre saw in the late seventies, there has simply been way too much science fiction and fantasy for anyone to read all of it, much less read the best of the past. In other words, the time when every fan had read the essential works has passed; any sense of tradition and common ground has vanished into the mediocrities of Hollywood and the latest endless series of repetitious commercial formula. Which is precisely why this series of Theodore Sturgeon's complete stories, accompanied by the recent reprints of most of his novels, is so incredibly important. When one considers the fact that at the 2002 World Science Fiction Convention I met three fans who had never even heard of Sturgeon, much less read him, these reprints are highly essential. How anyone can call themselves a fan without reading Sturgeon (and Heinlein, and Asimov, and C.L. Moore, and Kuttner, and so many more) is beyond me. This first installment of the complete works of the greatest short story writer science fiction and fantasy ever produced may not be his best, but it is critical for any understanding of where science fiction began to attain the levels of greatness it has all too often forgotten. Among the best this volume has to offer includes the utterly chilling and absolutely unique "Bianca's Hands," which will both revolt and delight you, and the charming "Ether Breather," with its original aliens. As a writer myself, I enjoyed all the journeyman work, especially since I could see how the craft developed; as a science fiction critic and scholar, I also thoroughly enjoyed the biographical story notes at the end, which may be the closest we ever get to a biography. All in all, one of the great publishing events of the history of our chosen obsession.

Even the best start somewhere.......2000-03-24

This volume showcases the earliest works of Sturgeon, and it shows both that he was going to be really, really good, and that he wasn't quite there yet.

Best short story writer of the 20th century.......2000-01-11

Ted Sturgeon was the best short story writer of the 20th century. He wrote the novel "More than Human" in the early 1950's.

Writers try to change the world in a way to make it better. Isaac Asimov looked for more intelligence in the world. Robert Heinlein for more deliberate good work, not accidental, in the world. Ted Stugeon, however, looked for more love in the world. Which is pretty much what all of Sturgeon's great work is about: love.

It is probably because of this that Sturgeon is still read today. But not as much as he should be. He should be a writer who everybody has heard of.

It is sad that the SFWA don't give out the grand master award to those who have shuffled off their mortal coil. Theodore Sturgeon is one who should be granted the title postumously. It is sad that he couldn't be granted it in life, but it something that should be granted to him now that he has pasted from this world.

This volume of this series focus' on the early work of Sturgeon. Probably from even before he started thinking of himself as anything more than a parttime writer. It is still good stuff to read though.

The Romantic Egoists: A Pictorial Autobiography from the Scrapbooks and Albums of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald
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Stunning collection of Fitzgerald ephemera

Spectacular Book for F. Scott Fitzgerald Enthusiasts!!

The Romantic Egoists: A Pictorial Autobiography from the Scrapbooks and Albums of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald

Manufacturer: University of South Carolina Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1570035296

Customer Reviews:

Stunning collection of Fitzgerald ephemera.......2006-11-11

My girlfriend, a fellow Fitz enthusiast, bought me this for my birthday and it ranks among the best gifts I've ever received. This is an amazing and exhaustively comprehensive scrapbook of the lives of the Fitzgeralds. If you're a fan and come away from this without wanting to get your hands on every single thing those two touched...there's something very, very wrong with you. ;) Beautiful book.

Spectacular Book for F. Scott Fitzgerald Enthusiasts!!.......2006-05-03

If you are a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald, this book is an absolute must-have! While I own just about everything that is written by or about Fitzgerald, this is perhaps my favorite book to peruse. It is compiled just like a personal scrapbook and is replete with photos of the Fitzgeralds as well as articles (by and about Fitzgerald)written in the 20s and 30s. Much of this content you will not find elsewhere, at least not in such abundance. Bruccoli, America's leading Fitzgerald scholar (as well as Fitz's own daughter, Scotty) did a spectacular job of putting this together. The scrapbook format gives the book an intimate nature and the set up is extremely attractive. Best of all, at just around $20, it is an absolute steal for the price! If you love Fitzgerald, don't go without this collection! It would make a splendid addition to any high school classroom that teaches Fitzgerald or any personal library that celebrates true literary classics.

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Egon Schiele: The Egoist (Discoveries)
Jean-Louis Gailleman
Manufacturer: "Harry N. Abrams, Inc."
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0810992612

Book Description

Egon Schiele (1890-1918) was one of the most popular and influential painters to emerge from turn-of-the-century Vienna. Before his premature death at 28, he managed to be thrown in prison on a morals charge and also to create a strongly erotic body of work, both deeply expressive drawings and sublimely beautiful paintings. This enfant terrible of pre-WWI Vienna worked in the shadows of Klimt and Freud, but he found his own voice, and his own nude body was his best model.

Egon Schiele delves into both his controversial sexual themes and neglected aspects of Schiele's art, notably his formal experiments and his later expressionistic portraits and allegorical paintings—works that reveal much about the importance of his short career.

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One of the finest novels of the Victorian century
A Great Comedy of Manners

The Egoist (A Norton Critical Edition)
George Meredith
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393091716

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One of the finest novels of the Victorian century.......2001-09-03

Meredith's masterpiece is woefully underread, and it is a sad truth that the Norton scholarly edition is the only edition of THE EGOIST now in print. This is not an easy read, however: Meredith's caustic dialogue foreshadows henry James's in its mastery of ambiguities, and his witty paradoxes surpass even Oscar Wilde (who admitted his debt to Meredith). The plot is a simple one: the wealthy handsome and titled Sir Willoughby Patterne, having been jilted by one fiancée, proposes to another young woman, the intelligent and intensely likeable Clara Middleton, who accepts him; before very long, Clara has realized what a monstrous egoist Sir Willoughby is, but not after it seems too late for her to go back on her word. This is one of the most brilliant studies of mortification ever accomplished, and what makes it all the more amazing is that Meredith clearly modelled Sir Willoughby in part on himself and the extraordinarily sympathetic Clara on his wife, Mary Ellen Peacock, who deserted Meredith for another man. This book is funny, thought-provoking, and exceptionally poignant: there are moments when you read it that your heart will go into your stomach as you sympathize with Clara's appalling plight.

A Great Comedy of Manners.......2000-06-14

This is one of the funniest novels I've ever read. The basic story is simple: Sir Willoughby Patterne's betrothal to the young Clara Middleton is threatened when she realizes his enormous love of himself. The novel consists of Clara's efforts to get out of the engagement without doing something so scandalous as eloping with someone else.

The characters are drawn vividly and with depth. The incidents are both amusing and realistic. Clara Middleton is one of the great witty heroines of English literature, perhaps the wittiest Victorian heroine.

The beginning can be slow going. Meredith likes to use twenty words when other people might use ten. He also likes to play verbal games. As you proceed in the novel and get used to the style, you can have a lot of fun picking out the puns, allusions, etc.

This is Meredith's best novel. The plot is tightly controlled and the ending is pure comedy in the tradition of Fielding, Austen and Thackeray. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who feels comfortable reading Victorian English and likes a good love-comedy.

The Romantic Egoists/a Pictorial Autobiography from the Scrapbooks and Albums of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald
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The Romantic Egoists/a Pictorial Autobiography from the Scrapbooks and Albums of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald , Matthew Joseph Bruccoli , and Joan Kerr
Manufacturer: Bruccoli Clark Layman, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Fitzgerald, F. Scott | Classics | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0897230507

Egoist (Wordsworth Classics) (Wordsworth Classics)
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"Reality is the offender; delusion our treasure that we are robbed of."

The Egoist: Says Who?

One of the funniest novels ever written

Witty and funny, this novel is quite memorable.

Egoist (Wordsworth Classics) (Wordsworth Classics)
George Meredith
Manufacturer: Wordsworth Editions Ltd
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Book Description

These little scoundrel imps, who have attained to some respectability as the dogs and pets of the Comic Spirit, had been curiously attentive three years earlier, long before the public announcement of his engagement to the beautiful Miss Durham, on the day of Sir Willoughby's majority, when Mrs. Mountstuart Jenkinson said her word of him.

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"Reality is the offender; delusion our treasure that we are robbed of.".......2007-01-23

In "Decay of Lying", Oscar Wilde's essay in dialogue form, he discusses George Meredith:

"if the man's fine spirit did not revolt against the noisy assertions of realism, his style would be quite sufficient of itself to keep life at a respectful distance"

It is a wonderful summary of Meredith, particularly in the case of The Egoist. The novel combines some really interesting and impressive realism of character with a style that is almost opaque-- a style that requires some adjustment for the modern reader. It certainly took me a quite a few pages to get used to the diction of Meredith as an author. In particular, the seemingly endless and theatrical dialogue sections were often difficult.

This said, once I stopped fighting the style and really let myself read the book, I was very glad that I did. The plot is perhaps a little bit thin for the number of pages (602 pages of small print!) but that only gives Meredith room to develop the characters. He does that through his use of dialogue; he teaches us with our ear what these characters are like and who they really are.

Willoughby (the Egoist) is a character who should be familiar to virtually every woman alive. He wraps himself in a pretense of romance in a way that only serves to disguise his need for control. The two women, Clara and Laetitia, are both bound by the possibilities of their time and both learn to be realists rather than romantics when faced with the Egoist. The interplay between the three is delighful, and often genuinely very funny. When I first started the book, I would not have believed that I would ever laugh out loud reading it, but there were several moments where I did just that.

In short, a really good read. Meredith deserves his reputation-- both for his skill and for the effort needed to enjoy the work. Pair this book with The Way We Live Now by Trollope, and you have a nice look at the choices of the Victorian woman as seen by the male writers of the day.

The Egoist: Says Who?.......2006-08-28

THE EGOIST is a novel that seems to wish to place the "egoist" of the title as the dramatic center, but in his utter flatness and predictability, Sir Willoughby Patterne emerges as hardly more than the pun on his name indicates. Sir Willoughby is a totally, self-centered egoist who exits George Meredith's book just as he enters it. He is what we would today call a "player." His attitudes toward women and the responsibilities of betrothal customs are the stuff of exaggerated comic opera. He is engaged to Constantia Durham, who promptly shows good sense by dumping him for Harry Oxford. Such a brush-off only bruises his fragile ego, a situation than can be cured only by getting involved with another adoring woman. Enter Laetitia Dale, who has long loved him. They court, building up moderate suspense as to his intentions. Then, quite inexplicably, Sir Willoughby takes off for parts unknown, promising to return some day. Three years later, he returns, bringing with him his cousin Vernon Whitford. Laetitia expects Sir Willoughby to pick up where he left off, and this he does, but in his own way, not hers. He begins to court Clara Middleton, who, like the earlier Constantia soon realizes that Sir Willoughby and monogamy are not synonymous. She plans to dump him too, but is unwilling to disobey her father who has arranged the marriage because of his fondness for Sir Willoughby's wine. Clara can break off the engagement only according to the rules of the game which demand that she prove that he broke the rules first. Sir Willoughby gives her the needed proof when he switches affection back to Laetitia. Clara's betrothal is broken, and when Laetitia agrees to marry him, she makes it clear that she does so not for love but for money.

All of the above is less an interesting plot than the logical working out of the predictable character of Sir Willoughby, who bears more than a passing resemblance to the equally pontifical Mr. Collins from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. By default, the reader is forced to look elsewhere for someone to carry the burden of saying and doing interesting things. This task falls to Clara Middleton, who has to use her wits to balance breaking an undesirable betrothal to a comic store Lothario and not offending her stern father who wants the marriage to proceed. The entire novel is geared toward setting up the details so that Sir Willoughby gets his richly deserved comic comeuppance. Readers today may find many of the passages excessively ornate and lushly imaged a not unsurprising event when one considers that Meredith thought of himself primarily as a poet who wrote novels to pay the bills. Still, there are enough moments of comic opera to warrant a limited "thumbs up."

One of the funniest novels ever written.......1999-04-10

Meredith's masterpiece has been unjustly neglected in recent years, although it is one of the funniest novels in the English canon. If you like the comedies of Trollope and Austen, Meredith is a real treat (although his style is much more mannered, and his approach more difficult to appreciate, than either Trollope's or Austen's). The genius of THE EGOIST is not only in exposing Sir Willoughby's faults, and Clara's mounting panic as she can't maneuver her way out of her engagement, but in its serious appraisal of the difficulties faced by Victorian women in their limited possibilities after childhood. Meredith was an enormous influence on the later modernists, such as Woolf, Joyce, and particularly Forster, but although they more often mention THE ORDEAL OF RICHARD FEVERAL as Meredith's keystone text THE EGOIST is the one to enjoy.

Witty and funny, this novel is quite memorable........1998-01-05

This novel was written, and takes place in, 19th Century England. 'The Egoist' is Sir Patterne, a well to do gent in search of a wife. After being jilted once, he pursues Miss Clara Middleton. The majority of the novel takes a look at their engagement, and her doubts about it. There is a wealth of clever dialog to be found in this novel, much of which stays with the reader (or at least this one) well after the last page is turned. Most of the comedy comes from Meredith's exposing of the Egoist (of which there is more than one in this novel).

Miss Middleton actually has the attention of a few men, and this adds to both the drama and comedy of the novel. A sample of the witty dialog should be provided so you may decide whether to get this book. A friend of Clara's gets wind of her doubts. He can't come right out and let her know, but he hints at it. He starts off by informing her that he 'has written half an essay on honeymoons'. She responds by asking 'whether that is the same as a half written essay'. He tells her 'that it is, except that my essay is completely told, but just from one side.' 'And which side is that' she asks. 'The grooms' he replies.

Product Description

In the present book an attempt has been made to give rational and logical explanations of relationship between human deeds and destiny. It explains how events of good fortune and misfortune, happiness and suffering in human life are results of ones own deeds. It is hoped that this booklet will provide satisfactory answers to the queries relating to the role played by the consequences of an individuals deeds in the making of his destiny.

Anti Egoist Kingsley Amis Man of Letters

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Anti Egoist Kingsley Amis Man of Letters
Paul Fussell
Manufacturer: OXFORD UNIV + PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SMW0G2

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