Atlas Shrugged (Centennial Edition)
by Ayn Rand
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Book Reviews of Atlas Shrugged (Centennial Edition)
Book Review: Intriguing Slog
Summary: 5 Stars
My boss gave me this book and I left it on the shelf for years,(who wants to tackle a 1084 page paperback that looks like 8 point type?) then saw the article in the Wall Street Journal about its resurgence and thought I ought to take a crack at it. After all, there are already over 1,800 reviews on Amazon.
The real reason I'm writing this is just to mention that Ayn Rand way preceded Eli Goldratt of "The Goal" in marketing philosophy as a novel. And of course that was preceded by The Emperor's New Clothes and whatever else.
The book is a slog, but it's an intriguing slog and I'm guessing it took maybe 30 hours to read including a really boring philosophical monologue that took over an hour and a half to wade through. But it's also thought provoking...really thought provoking. If you haven't experienced ALL of the characters in real life,...well, I don't know whether to be sorry for you or happy for you.
You can argue that this is good literature, but I won't, but it is "successful" by definition because it's survived and I suspect a hundred years from now people will still be reading it.
Other reviewers describe it as prophetic; I'd describe it as descriptive of every age.
Ayn Rand's "objectivism" is so black and white that even she had to modify it a bit near the end of the book. But you don't have to share her view of life to find the book thought provoking. I'm guessing the reason this book has legs is not so much what it says, but it challenges the reader to think about their own approach to secular life.
I wonder whether you should be old (experienced) to appreciate this book, or whether it would be better to read it when you're young and find it hard to believe, then recognize what happens around you as conforming to the book as you grow older.
I regret not reading it when my boss gave it to me; it's the only book she's ever given me and she knew better than I did at the time.
Book Review: Ayn Rand would probably not believe.....
Summary: 5 Stars
....that her fictional story published in 1957 would become reality in less than 100 years.
I decided to buy a copy of this book from Amazon after seeing it mentioned on several blogs I read. After having a tough time starting to read Atlas Shrugged - its initial chapters set the stage and introduce the characters, but are a bit dry - I was not able to put it down. Simply put, this book continues to be printed - and sold - because it is nothing short of brilliant.
Rather than attempt to explain the themes of the book (these can be easily found by Googling "Atlas Shrugged", but I don't recommend reading all of the links as they *will* spoil the story for you) I will instead tell you that the book is one everyone living in a capitalistic society *must* read - the story in Atlas Shrugged is a powerful affirmation of the power of capitalism and its embrace of the power of the individual, as well as a powerful rejection of the theory and practice of collectivism and of the subjugation of individuality.
Atlas Shrugged is also a very powerful warning of where we *will* be headed if we ever lose the power of reason and the belief that the rational trumps the irrational.
This book is now selling at a faster clip than ever before because the events in it are eerily prescient of the current situation in the United States. Since reading the copy I obtained from Amazon I have bought more copies and handed them to family, colleagues and friends, as I want them all to read it so they may judge current events - and their possible outcome, as predicted in the story - for themselves.
The next time you have a question you can't readily answer - for instance, why so many businesses that should be allowed to fail are instead being bailed out by our present government, or why so many enterprises are seeking government help instead of trying to solve their situation on their own - just ask yourself, "Who is John Galt?".
Book Review: Atlas Shrugged A Masterpiece of 20th Century Literature?
Summary: 5 Stars
Atlas Shrugged should be thought of as a sequel in imagery only to her other classic -The Fountainhead. This novel fortells the destruction/implosion of American society by our fatalistic approach to living without concern for others and society at large. Mrs Rand style of writing is somewhat gossip columnish in frank style but is still effective in portraying the major characters faults, aspirations and actions with vivid color. The novel denotes the struggle of a brother (Jim) and sister (Dagny) Taggert who run the family business of the Taggert Transcontinental Railway headlined by the Luxorious(?) Comet train. She vividly portrays Dagny Taggert's acumenal and better business management as being the only reason why their railroad line is still operation. Jim Taggert is only a figurehead at best with a few personal problems (he beats his wife and calls her a whore about a year into their marriage) he is a poor excuse for a human being in just every facet of your imagination. He should be restricted to a neighborhood cocktail lounge. But little at a time close friends and lovers of Dagny are introduced and expertly developed. The millionaire Reardon steel magnate who is married but bored with and out of love with his spouse. The idealist character-John Gault. An automotive engineer who develops an engine which runs on ambient light and heat energy. Dagny discovers this engine as it is left after the automobile factory closes and she becomes obsessed with finding its creator. There is a running line said well before and after she discovers this motor-Who is John Gault? The novel is 1168 pages long but it is captivating and obviously had a profound effect on societies intelligensia of the 1950's and 60's. It is a book were the pages tear easily and my binding is very weak after one read and the pages are soon to fall out. I wish this novels was housed in a better binding.Book Review: Where is a good editor when you need one?
Summary: 4 Stars
This book screams out for an editor, an aggressive one at that. But alas, because of Rand's cult status she no doubt was able to ride roughshod over any attempts to rein in her voluble style.
The book remains a classic, and despite it prodigious length should be read to understand Ayn Rand's philosophic perspective. Her characters suffer from lack of believability as does her story. Her treatment of evil is ham-fisted with her characters nearly caricatures who evolve into straw men easily knocked down by the equally caricature like heroes. Her philosophical perspective screams from every single page and is so heavy handed as to render the reader nearly senseless. Personally, I think she would have been even more influential had she crafted her tale with characters a little less caricature like.
BUT, and this is a big but, hers is a worthy philosophical viewpoint that should at least partially inform every conservative or libertarian mindset. One should be very careful however not to be swept away by Rand but rather to carefully and rationally incorporate her ideas into an overall pursuit of truth.
Rand rejects religion. I do not think that one needs to reject religion to appreciate the value of Rand's perspective for at the end of the day many of her ideas would create a more humane rational world fully compatible with a religious perspective. I am a paleo-conservative of the Reagan school who likes Rand a great deal but feel that religion and Western traditions are an essential part of a truthful perspective that informs my own viewpoints.
My suggestion would be to read Rand with the same grain of salt that you would read any author. Maintain your skepticism. Do not surrender your mind to Rand but rather allow her to test and possibly shape your ideas.
Book Review: Americans, don't let the United States become another People's Republic!
Summary: 5 Stars
Since I grew up in the Soviet Union, it is not surprising I had never heard of Ayn Rand until the day my "liberal" coworkers told me I might like her writings based on my "conservative" and "capitalist" beliefs. Thanks to them I now have a favorite writer, Ayn Rand.
Ayn Rand was born in St. Petersburg, "the cradle of the Great October Socialist Revolution". She was "lucky" to live there for 8 more years after the revolution until she moved to the United States. So when she describes in her novel what happens when the looters come to power and the brains leave, she writes from her experience and not from her imagination.
There are people who think that Atlas Shrugged is a utopia novel and the events described in it would never be possible in the United States. In my opinion, it's not about the geographic location or even the laws of the country. It is about the predominant beliefs in the society. When the people's belief system becomes distorted by the pseudo liberal ideas, the people tend to fall for the populist leaders who talk in slogans and read long and boring speeches from TelePrompTers. They feel for those "who never had a chance" and blame everything that goes wrong on the rich. What they tend to ignore is the simple truth that those "who have" will always be able to start from scratch some place else even you you take all their property and "means of production" away. And those "who never had a chance" will remain losers even if you give them all the property you stole from the rich.
P.S. I also cannot help but notice that the people who identify with Ayn Rand's ideas are usually more creative and independent. They also tend to look younger than their age and are more attractive phisically. Good observation, Mrs. Rand!