It sits on the Kola Bay, an inlet of the Barents Sea. Murmansk was a major shipping port in wartime Russia. It is entirely conceivable that while in service with the Merchant Marine, he was stuck in Murmansk, the setting of the novel, and observed much of the background activities that make up the backdrop of the novel. But I suspect that his observations are his own and may be based on experience. Certainly, there is a philosophical flare to the novel. Since it was published in 1963, Mirvish may have been familiar with Ayn Rand’s novels.

Mirvish may have been familiar with Ayn Rand’s novels. Sadly, the book is out of print, but you can find copies from secondhand book dealers online. The novel could be loosely described as a sequel to We the Living set about twenty years later. Now after all these years I read it again and it is even better than I remembered. In 1972 I came across his 1963 novel The Last Capitalist and, as an avid Ayn Rand fan, snapped it up and read it with great enthusiasm. His stories sold well, selling over 150 editions in a dozen different languages. Undoubtedly his seafaring life informed many of his fourteen novels, many of which revolve around sailors. Merchant Marine during and after World War II. Mirvish was a radio officer with the U.S. However, his obituary in 2007 notes that Robert F. There’s only a passing mention of him in Wikipedia as the younger brother of Honest Ed Mirvish, a Toronto businessman, discount retailer and theatrical impresario. Book Review: The Last Capitalist by Robert F.

Book we the living