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Don BARTON JOHNSON,
Nabokov, Ayn Rand, and Russian-American Literature or, the Odd Couple ,
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Nabokov,AynRand,andRussianAmericanLiteratureor,
theOddCouple
D.BartonJohnson
UniversityofCalifornia,SantaBarbara

VladimirNabokovandAynRand(neAlisaRozenbaum),borninimperialSaintPetersburg,
Russia,in1899and1905respectively,becamebestsellingAmericanwritersinthelate1950s.
Theirchefdoeuvres, Lolita (1958)and AtlasShrugged (1957),were,almostconcurrently,
bestsellers.Compatriots,coevals,andfellowwriters,forcedintoemigrationbytheRussian
revolution,NabokovandRandhadmuchincommon,butdrewuponverydifferentaspectsof
theirsharedculturalheritage.Nabokov,theaesthete,andRand,theideologue,madestrange
bedfellowsontheNewYorkTimesbestsellerlist.Inlife,theideologueandtheaesthetenever
met,althoughtheymayhavestrolledpasteachotheronNevskyProspektintheteens,or,for
thatmatter,inManhattanduringthefifties.
Most of Ayn Rands admirers and detractors are little aware of her Russian cultural
backgroundanditsimpactonherintellectualandliterarydevelopment.Rand,whobriefly
wenttoschoolwithoneofNabokovssisters,grewupinaverydifferentculturalmilieufrom
theNabokovs.WithRandaswithNabokov,however,therewasthegovernesswhoimparted
FrenchandGerman(butalasnotEnglish),extendedfamilyvisitstoWesternEurope,and
summersintheCrimeawherelatertheRozenbaums,liketheNabokovs,vainlywaitedoutthe
youngBolshevikregime.AttheendoftheirCrimeansojourn,however,theRozenbaums
returnedtoPetrograd,andtheNabokovsmovedonintoexile.
RandleftBolshevikRussiaaftergraduatingfromPetrogradUniversityandabriefstintin
filmschool.ArrivingintheU.S.in1926shegotvariousjobsinthe(thensilent)filmindustry
bysheerdriveandpersistence,despiteherminimalEnglish.Herfirstjobwasasanextrain
CecilB.DeMillesbiblicalepicKingofKings.ShealsobeganwritinginEnglish.Foratime,
shehadbeeninthestudioscriptdepartment,andherfirstsuccessfulliteraryeffortwasaplay
calledNightofJanuary16th.The1935playsettingisamurdertrialwiththejuryplayedby
membersoftheaudience.1TheplayranbrieflyonBroadwayandhasleftitstraceinliterary
historyduetoasingleimprobablefact.Astrugglingyoungattorneyplayedtheroleofthe
D.A.inalittletheaterproductionstagedinhishometownofWhittier,California.Inthe
sametheatergrouphewastomeetPatRyan,laterknownasPatNixon(Ambrose9293).Had
itnotbeenforAynRandsplay?
TheyoungemigreNabokov,likeRand,foundoccasionalworkasanextrainthebooming
Germanfilmindustryandalsosoonturnedtowritingplays.LikeRand,hewaseventuallyto
scripthisbestknownbookforHollywood,buthismostdirectimpactonpoliticalhistorywas
when LolitasBritishpublisher,NigelNicholson,aprominentConservativeMP,wasvoted
outofofficebyanoutragedconstituency(Boyd:AY378).
AynRandwasneverexpansiveaboutherRussian(orJewish)origins,nordoesRussiafigure
ineitherofherblockbusters,the1943 TheFountainhead orthe1957 AtlasShrugged.Itis
presentonlyinRandsfirstandleastknownnovel. WetheLiving (1936)depictsafiercely
independent and fearless young woman, Kira, and her relationship with an unbelievably
handsomearistocraticcounterrevolutionary.ThereisalsoahighmindedanddecentCheka
officerwholovesKira.AllthreeareultimatelydestroyedbytheBolshevikregime.Although
thenoveldidnotdowellintheU.S.,itwasmadeintoawartimefilmextravaganzainItaly
1

RandsgimmickofanaudiencejuryandalternativeendingsmaywellcomefromapopularRussianpastimeof
mocktrialsofliterarycharacters.Nabokov,forexample,playedtheroleofPozdnyshev,thewifemurdererof
TolstoysTheKreuzerSonatainatheatricalmocktrialin1927Berlin(Boyd,RY261).

beforebeingwithdrawnwhenitwasrealizedthatitsthememightbetakenasantiFascist,as
wellasantiSoviet.
There is only one slender justification for mentioning We the Living in connection with
Nabokov. One of the motifs of Rands dreadful revolutionary epic is the folk quatrain
(chastushka) Yablochko or Little Apple (Johnson). The beginning is always Oy,
yablochko,/Kudakotishsya,i.e.,Littleapple,whereareyourolling?Theclosingcouplet
maybeanything,butonepopularversionwasNaChrezvychaiku,/Nevorotishsya,i.e.,to
ChekaHQ,/andyouwontbecomingback.Thechastushkawasespeciallypopularinthe
Crimea where the Rozenbaums and the Nabokovs spent the civil war years. Nabokov
introduceditintoboth BendSinister and LATH! InthelatterVadimVadimovichisfleeing
across the Russian border in 1918 when he is challenged by a Red border guard: And
whithermayyouberolling(kotishsya),littleapple(yablochko)?Vadimcoollyshootshim
dead.OneistemptedtolinkthisepisodetoNabokovsMarch1918Crimeanencounterwitha
bowleggedBolsheviksentrywhothreatenedtoarresttheyounglepidopteristforsignalling
aBritishwarshipwithhisbutterflynet(Speak,Memory131).
Nabokov left Russia in 1919 at twenty, but arrived in America only in 1940. Alisa
Rozenbaum,age21,leftRussiaforAmericasomesevenyearslater,burninghermanuscripts
behindher.LikeNabokovafterhisarrival,shewasnevertowriteagaininRussiannor,after
WetheLiving,useRussiansettings.TwoyearsafterWetheLiving,hershortnovelAnthem
appearedinEngland.Thistaleofalonedissenterinamonolithicfuturetotalitarianstatehas
marked,ifunacknowledged,similaritiestoEvgenyZamyatinsbrilliantnovelWe.Zamyatins
manuscript,writteninPetrogradin1921,circulatedamongstudentsatPetrogradUniversity
where Rand was studying. Rands almost schematic novella is, like Zamyatins, set in a
remotefuturelongaftersomeunspecifieddisaster.Itisthetaleofarebelinananthilllike
citystatewherethecitizenshavenopersonalnames,butratherlabelslikeEquality72521.
Thekeythematicdevelopmentistheherosdiscovery(inoldbooks)ofthewordI.Infact,
inthemanuscriptversionheldintheLibraryofCongress,thebookstitleisEgo,which,on
reflection,RandmayhavefelttobeuncomfortablyclosetoZamyatinsWe.
Nabokovs Invitation to a Beheading was published serially in 193536, but Rand was
probablyunawareofitsincesheapparentlydidnotfollowRussianwriting.Nabokovdid,
however. Not long before beginning his own very different dystopia, he admiringly read
ZamyatinsWe(Boyd:RY415).ThustheNabokovandRandbookshaveafaintdualkinship:
one,throughthetiewithZamyatin;andtwo,astheirauthorsresponsestotheSovietregime
anditsideology.
InthelatethirtiesRandbeganwritingthenovelthatmadehernameTheFountainhead,
which,incidentally,wastobepublishedbytheIndianapolisfirmofBobbsMerrillthathad
putout LaughterintheDark,NabokovsfirstAmericanbookpublication,somefiveyears
before. RandsepicofarchitectHowardRoarkwhoblowsuphisvisionary chefduvre
whenitsdesignisalteredbymeddling,selfservingsocialdogooderswasgreetedwithbad
reviews, but the authors fame grew, especially after the release of the hit film The
Fountainhead in1949(Lane60,6667).2 StarringGaryCooperandPatriciaNeal,itwas
scriptedbyRandherself.Bythetime AtlasShrugged hitbestsellerdomin1957,Randwas
alreadysomethingofacelebrity.
AtlasShruggedisamysteryofsorts.Theeconomyisbreakingdownandnooneknowswhy.
Asthenovelwendsthroughits1200pages,themysteryisresolved.JohnGalt,ashadowy
2

Thenovelwasstillonthe NewYorkTimes bestsellerlistonJuly1,1945.Fiftyyearshavenotsoftenedthe

criticalresponse.ArecentNewYorkerarticleretrospectivelyreviewsthetoptennovelsofJuly1945andfinds
TheFountainheadevenmorehilariouslydreadfulthandidtheoriginalreviewers(Lane).

inventorofgenius,sickenedbyasocialethicthatincreasinglydemandssubordinationofthe
giftedfew(captainsofindustryandscience)totheneedsoftheundeservingenviousmasses,
mastermindsasecretstrike.Onebyonetheharassedleadersofindustryvanish,abandoning
theirempires,leavingsocietytosinkeverdeeperintoitsdisastrousmediocrity.Meanwhile,
Galtandhisfriendscreateahiddenmountaincommunitybuiltonrationalegoismandlaissez
faire economics.Whensocietycomestothepointofcollapse(asitdoesattheendofthe
novel),theystandreadytoresurrectitaccordingtotheirprinciples.
NabokovandRandsharedmorethanjustthehappenstanceoftimeandplaceofbirth.They
sharedamilieuinwhichNikolaiChernyshevskywasareveredfigureinthepantheonofthe
antiestablishmentintelligentsia.Doubtless,neitherfoundmuchtofancyinChernyshevskys
socialism.Yetinasense,bothwriterstoberespondedtotheChernyshevskytraditioninways
thatfundamentallyshapedtheirfuturework.Randtookherutilitarianviewofliterature(and
style) from Chernyshevsky although substituting a very different ideological content.
Chernyshevskysfamous1863novelWhatistobeDone?FromTalesabouttheNewPeople,
writteninprison,becametheprogenitorofSocialistRealismandRandsCapitalistRealism
althoughinbothcasestherealismwasanythingbutreal.Rand,bytheway,divided
literatureintoNaturalism,anodiousvaluefreeapproachthatfocussedontheseamysides
ofmanandsociety,andRomanticism,whichexaltedthefeatsoftheprincipledrational
individualist(Branden24).AlthoughherprofessedmodelwasVictorHugo(Branden2425),
anyconnoisseurofRussianliteraturewillrecognizeChernyshevskysasceticrevolutionist
Rakhmetov as amajorprototypeofherliterary heroesandheroines.Rakhmetov was, of
course,theforemostrepresentativeofthenewpeopleheraldedinthesubtitleofWhatisto
beDone?
BothChernyshevskysopusandRandsAtlasShruggedcenteruponayoungwomanwhois
orbecomesanentrepreneur.Sheisoneofthenewpeoplewhowill,afterthecollapseofthe
oldsociety,buildabetter,rationalworld.JustasJohnGaltdisplayshisidealcommunityto
DagnyTaggart,Chernyshevskysheroine,VeraPavlovna,offersherdreamvisionofanew
perfectsociety.Eachnovelendswiththeoldworldonthevergeofbeingreplacedbythenew
althoughthemessageisobviouslymuchmutedinChernyshevskyswork.Bothnovelsare
castasmysterymelodramasfullofdidacticharangues.And,notleast,bothhavebeenseenas
monumentsinthewomensrightsmovement.
TheSovietShortLiteraryEncyclopediasumsupWhatistobeDone?asapublicistic,socio
philosophical,educationalnovel,somethingalmostunknowninearlierRussianliterature.
The description fits Rands Atlas Shrugged like a glove, and if her opus is not the first
Americannoveltodoso,itisafineexampleofthatRussiangenretransferredtoAmerican
soil. Not surprisingly, Rands literary manifesto sounds quite at home in the context of
SocialistRealism:Themotiveandpurposeofmywritingistheprojectionofanidealman
(RomanticManifesto161).
NabokovexplicitlytookChernyshevskyasthestartingpointofhisevaluationoftheRussian
literary tradition and his own place in it. In his novel The Gift, Nabokov incorporates a
biography ofthemartyred Chernyshevskywhichintimates thathewasthebadseed in
XIXth and XXth century Russian cultural (and political) history. It was, according to
Nabokov,ChernyshevskysexamplethatdisplacedtheaestheticallybasedPushkintradition
and supplanted it with the utilitarian antiaesthetic tradition that was to end in Socialist
Realism.Nabokovsawhisownworkasanattempttoreassertandadvancetheaesthetically
basedview.ChernyshevskywasthusatouchstoneforbothNabokovandRand.
NabokovandRandnicelyillustratetheoldsawthatnodiscerningpersonshouldlikeboth
DostoevskyandTolstoy.RandrepeatedlyexpressedheradmirationofDostoevskyforhis

superbmasteryofplotstructureandforhismercilessdissectionofthepsychologyofevil
(RomanticManifesto 55).Asshesaysof CrimeandPunishment,Dostoevskyrevealsthe
soulofacriminalallthewaydowntohisphilosophicalpremises(68).Onesuspectsthat
whatRandreallyadmiredaboutDostoevskywashisgiftformelodramatizingphilosophical
andmoralissues.Ideologically,Rand,theultraindividualistandmilitantatheisthadlittlein
common with Dostoevsky. Tolstoy was Rands bte noire: I cannot stand Tolstoy, and
readinghimwasthemostboringliterarydutyIeverhadtoperform,hisphilosophyandhis
senseoflifearenotmerelymistaken,butevil,andyet,fromapurelyliteraryviewpoint,on
hisownterms,Ihavetoevaluatehimasagoodwriter(55).Nabokovheld,ofcourse,quite
contrary viewsofthetwogiants ofRussianliterature. DisposingofDostoevskywithhis
BedlamturnedbackintoBethlehemaphorism(Gift84),heregardedTolstoyastheonlyA+
inRussianprose(Boyd:AY115).
NabokovandRandsharedamuchmoreimmediateliterarycontextthanthatofthenineteenth
century. If the aristocratic young Nabokov breathed in the recherch atmosphere of the
Symbolists, Alisa Rozenbaum (whose selfmade father owned a pharmacy) was of the
affluent bourgeoisie whose family reading matter probably tended more toward such
bestsellingwritersasAnastasiyaVerbitskaya(whofaroutsoldTolstoy),LeonidAndreev,and
MikhailArtsybashevwhose Sanin titillated theRussianreadingpublic.Verbitskayasand
Artsybashevsideologicalpotboilersfeaturedsociallyandsexuallyemancipatedheroinesand
heroes spouting halfbaked Nietzscheanism. With sensationally overwrought plots, crude
didacticism, and clumsy prose, their novels, at least in part, find their Russian origin in
Chernyshevskys WhatistobeDone? TheliterarylineofdescentfromChernyshevskys
messofpottagetoGorkys1906Mother,withaseguethroughtheVerbitskaya,Andreev,and
Artsybashevschool,toAynRandsideologicalepicsofthefortiesandfiftiesisclearenough.
TheideasofNietzscheweremuchintheairintheearlydecadesofthecentury(Rosenthal).
For the Russian Symbolists, he was the artistphilosopher and herald of modernism; for
Verbitskaya,Andreev,Artsybashev,etal.,hewastheadvocateofthebermensch,theman
orwomannotconfinedbythemoralityoftheherd(Clowes317;Rosenthal28).JohnBurt
FosterhasrecentlyarguedthattheyoungNabokov,whoisthoughttohavereadThusSpake
ZarathustraduringhisCrimeanexile,seizeduponNietzscheandhisconceptoftheeternal
returnaspartofhissearchforliterarymodernity,beforeturningawaytowardothermodels
(4044,4951).RandsheroesandheroinesaredirectdescendantsofthoseofVerbitskayaand
Artsybashev,popularvulgarizersofNietzsche.ItsaysmuchthatthefirstbookRandbought
intheUnitedStateswasThusSpakeZarathustra(Branden45).
NabokovsandRandsbestsellerdomledtoaverystrangesituationinAmericanliteraturein
the late 1950s when Atlas Shrugged and Lolita shared the limelight. One was a stylistic
masterpiece that was widely condemned for its affair between 12yearold Lolita and
HumbertHumbert;theother,theclumsymegaepicoftycoonDagnyTaggartandJohnGalt,
theneoNietzscheansupermanwhoproclaims[]Iwillneverliveforthesakeofanother
man,noraskanyothermantoliveforme(993).VeryfewAmericanreaderswereaware
Rand and Nabokovwere,respectively, continuing and/orreacting against aspects oftheir
native Russian literary traditions: Rand continuing the realist (in Nabokovian quotes)
utilitariantraditionlaChernyshevskyasfilteredthroughapopNietzsche,andNabokov
themodernistaestheticinheritedfromtheSymbolists,whohadariseninrevoltagainstthe
Chernyshevskiantradition.
WeknowwhatAynRandthoughtofNabokovand Lolita.Ina1964interview,shecited
MickeySpillaneasherfavoritewriter.WhenaskedaboutNabokov,shereplied:Ihaveread
onlyonebookofhisandahalfthehalfwasLolita,whichIcouldntfinish.Heisabrilliant

stylist,hewritesbeautifully,buthissubjects,hissenseoflife,hisviewofman,aresoevilthat
noamountofartisticskillcanjustifythem(PlayboyInterview40).Onecannotbutnote
how closelyhercondemnation ofNabokovresembles herdamnation ofTolstoy.Wecan
imagine whatNabokovmighthavesaidabout AtlasShrugged byreadinghisestimate of
WhatistobeDone? in TheGift.HerehemocksChernyshevskysbookforitshelplessly
rational structures, its appeal to rational egoism, and concludes that the idea that
calculationisthefoundationofeveryaction(orheroicaccomplishment)leadstoabsurdity
(29394).TheideasattackedbyNabokovlieattheverycenterof AtlasShrugged whose
authorheldrationalitytobemanshighestvirtue.
Inspiteoftheirmanifestdifferences,itisinstructivetolookattheparallelsinthelivesofthe
two RussoAmerican writers. Both born to comfort and affluence in Petersburg; lives
disruptedandremadeinconsequenceoftheRussianRevolution;exileandwritinginnew
languages;thelossofEuropeanfamilymembersinWWII;literaryfameasEnglishlanguage
writers; that fame magnified by hit films Rands 1949 film The Fountainhead and
Kubricks 1962 Lolita; beatification through interviews in Playboy (1961 and 1964,
respectively); and ultimate canonization through the establishment of Nabokov and Rand
ArchivesintheManuscriptDivisionoftheLibraryofCongresswheretheliteraryremainsof
theoddcouplenowrestsidebyside.And,Ohyes,TheResurrection!:bothNabokovand
Randarenowbeingpublishedintheirnativeland.
Since their deaths in 1977 and 1982, Nabokov and Rand have assumed the status of
contemporaryclassics,although,Iwouldguess,rarelymentionedinthesamebreath,orby
thesameperson.Notonlydotheirworksremaininprint,butspecialanniversaryeditions
appear.ThestatureofLolitaandAtlasShruggedissuchthattheirheroineshavebecomestock
reference points for feminist literary critics. Spearheaded by Linda Kauffmans essay,
feministcriticshaverisenupinrighteouswrathataestheticallyorientedinterpretationsofthe
novel, while others have approvingly cited Ayn Rands heroines as role models of self
empowerment(Gladstein1978).3 Bothnovelshavebecomeiconsofapopularculturefar
transcending the world of literature. Videos of Lolita and The Fountainhead do a brisk
business.AnewfilmversionofLolitaispromised,andaTVminiseriesofAtlasShruggedis
rumored.
BothNabokovandRandareenshrinedinpopmusic.AsNabokovremarkedLolita isfar
more famous than [I] am. Sting and The Police had Dont Stand so Close to Me
bespeakingtheperilsbesettingateacherandhispupil.Thesingerlikenshimselftotheold
man in that book byNabakov. Most recently singer Freedy Johnstons makes a similar
allusioninlinesfromhissongDelores:Deloreswashermiddlename/Shedreadthe
bookandeverything/NowIknowhowoldIam.SingerNickCaveadvisesyoungreadersto
turnoffBukowskiandontoLolitawhichheelsewherecreditswithbeingnumberoneona
listofninethingsthatchangedhislife.4
AlthoughhernovelscannotcompetewithLo,Randsnameandbookshavealsopenetrated
deeplyintopopularculture.Theearlynovel Anthem,recommendedononereadinglistas
idealfordiscussioninhighschoolEnglishclasses(Gladstein95),providesinspirationand
plotforaninterminabletwentyminutesingspielentitled2112bytherockgroupRush.A
3

ThislastisastickyissuesinceRandsheroines,althoughruggedindividualiststoafault,alsoyearntoberaped
byadominantmale.Cf.Thatwasthedegradationshehadwantedandshehatedhimforit(Lane66).
4
IwouldliketothankseveralcolleagueswhosharedtheirknowledgeofNabokovandRandinpopularculture:
informationonFreedyJohnstonandNickCavewas suppliedbyJeff EdmundsandJakePultorak; Suellen
StringerHyediscoveredtheelectronictextofANewLo;RichardStringerHyespottedthecommunicationon
The Lolita Society; Brian D.Walter called my attention to the RandRush conjunction, while Shoshana
MilgrimKnappandScottHolleransuppliedtheremainingRandtrivia.

SimonandGarfunkelsongconvertsRandsnameintoaverbinthelineIvebeenAyn
Randed.RandallusionsinfilmsincludethemovieDirtyDancinginwhichtheIvyLeague
hero,a Fountainhead fan,impregnatesandabandonshisworkingclassgirlfriend.Andthe
televisionshowTheSimpsonshadanAynRandDayCareCenterwiththeAristotelianwall
sloganAisA,thetitleofasectioninAtlasShrugged.
BothauthorshaveenteredcyberspacewithEmailgroupsdevotedtotheirlifeandwork.
ApartfromNABOKVL,Nabokovoftenfiguresindiscussionsonseveralliteraryandarts.
reclists.OneofthemoreinterestingandambitiouscontributionswasChuckHamilsstory
entitledANewLo:or,EverybodyintotheMemePool,asortofwildcyberpunkextension
of Lolita focussingonthefurtheradventures ofCharlieHolmes,Losfirstlover.Iteven
containspatchesofFrenglishpoetryand,ifnothingelse,ishighlyinventiveinitsuseof
language.EmailalsobringsnewsofaLolitaSocietywhichisthetargetofadiatribeabout
pedophiliaonalistforprivateinvestigators,lawenforcement,andinformationbrokers.
AynRandsphilosophyisfeaturedonatleastthreeEmaildiscussionlistsandherestate
financesafoundationdevotedtofurtheringherideas.Littleseemstobesaidaboutthenovels,
althoughtheycontinuetosellverywell,especiallyamongtheyoung.
Rands obsessive rationalism and rampant Social Darwinism stand in sharp contrast to
Nabokovsvisionoftheotherworldandinsistenceonthemoralsuperiorityofthevictim.In
justicetoMs.Rand,however,wemustremarkthatshesharedwithNabokovanabsolute
dedication to the supremacy of the individual consciousness, as well as a militant anti
Freudism.
NabokovandRandhavebothleftsubstantiallegaciestotheiradoptedcountry.Ifwelimitour
purviewtoliterature,wemighttrytosumupthecontributionsoftheRussoAmericanodd
couple: Nabokov wrote modernist novels that broke new ground in both Russian and
Americanliterature;AynRandwroteRussiannovelsinEnglish,transformingthetraditional
Russian didactic novel of ideas into something that we might loosely label Capitalist
Realism. If the RussianAmerican Nabokov stands at the crossroads of modernism and
postmodernism,hiscompatriotAynRandremainedstalledattheintersectionofideologyand
aesthetics a debate that is as current in todays America as it was in the time of
Chernyshevsky.ThatSaintPetersburgandtheRussianRevolutioncastforthtwosuchdiverse
figuresontheAmericansceneisoneofthegreaterodditiesofXXthcenturyliterature.

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