Atlas Shrugged

[Sapper41]

Has anyone read it? Did you like it?

 

[lies]

I know someone who's crazy about Ayn Rand's work, but my library doesn't carry any of Rand's books, so... I wouldn't know. *sigh*

 

[novella]

I read it, as well as The Fountainhead, a long time ago and thought The Fountainhead made a lot more sense. Then I went to re-read that later and thought it was quite bombastic.

I think Rand's writing is such that younger people can find it full of big ideas and strong convictions, which can be very appealing at a certain age, but the fictional aspects don't hold up that well. The characters are often one-dimensional and endlessly spout on about their (or Rand's) philosophy or another point of view to just bounce her ideas off.

But, I would say of the two, The Fountainhead was for me a better read overall and the architect Rourke a pretty well-drawn character.

One thing that I find dated is Rand's butch attitude toward gender, i.e., only her kind of female is "legitimate."

Novella

 

[warm_enema]

The whole book is summed up in John Galt's harangue.

 

[Thea]

I have never read anything by Ayn Rand, but the attitude of her devotees has seriously turned me off from reading her books, which is unfortunate because I'm sure there is something to be gained. The internet is crawling with "objectivists" who think it is their right to judge and belittle others wherever they go. Hmm, I wonder if all forum trolls are Ayn Rand followers.

Maybe someday I'll get around to it, after I've worked my way through the giant mound of books I've got now.

 

[Nancy]

I read both Atlas Shrugged and Fountainhead a number of years ago - why? It just seemed that I should - can't explain it further than that. Am glad I read Rand, but don't think I would re-read either book.

 

[Everett]

Rand has one valuable observation that is worked and reworked throughout her pedantic, polemical tombs: Change and variation should be embraced; creativity and individualism represent the best interest of the many.

 

[kaushik_acharya]

But, I would say of the two, The Fountainhead was for me a better read overall and the architect Rourke a pretty well-drawn character.

Novella

The architect is Howard Roark
This character is very odd and impractical.