In a letter dated May 31, 1960, Flannery O'Connor criticized Ayn Rand's writing, deeming it severely lacking in quality. She suggested that if one were to find Rand’s works on the subway floor, they should be discarded. The letter also included a comparison to the popular mystery author Mickey Spillane, highlighting the irony in Rand’s appreciation for Spillane’s work. O'Connor's strong opposition to Rand's fiction underlines the contrasting views among authors regarding literary values in that era. The letter serves as a snapshot of O'Connor's literary opinions and her dismissal of Rand's philosophical narratives.
I hope you don't have friends who recommend Ayn Rand to you. The fiction of Ayn Rand is as low as you can get re fiction. I hope you picked it up off the floor of the subway and threw it in the nearest garbage pail. She makes Mickey Spillane look like Dostoevsky.
Ayn Rand defended Mickey Spillane publicly, asserting he was underrated and commending the gritty realism in his work, contrasting sharply with critics' dismissive views.
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