Although Rand disliked most Russian literature, her depictions of her heroes show the influence of the Russian Symbolists and other nineteenth-century Russian writing, most notably the 1863 novel What Is to Be Done?
ɔːlðˈoʊ ɹˈænd dɪslˈaɪkt mˈoʊst ɹˈʌʃən lˈɪɾɚɹᵻtʃɚ, hɜː dᵻpˈɪkʃənz ʌv hɜː hˈiəɹoʊz ʃˈoʊ ðɪ ˈɪnfluːəns ʌvðə ɹˈʌʃən sˈɪmbəlˌɪsts ænd ˈʌðɚ nˈaɪntiːnθsˈɛntʃɚɹi ɹˈʌʃən ɹˈaɪɾɪŋ, mˈoʊst nˈoʊɾəbli ðə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti θɹˈiː nˈɑːvəl wʌt ɪz təbi dˈʌn?