Atlas Shrugged (Centennial Edition)
by Ayn Rand
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Book Reviews of Atlas Shrugged (Centennial Edition)
Book Review: Solla Sollew
Summary: 5 Stars
Wanna hear my favorite Chuck Berry story?
Later.
I appreciate the delicious irony of me, former Barry Stoller, reading and appreciating Atlas Shrugged. It was I ~ card-carrying communist, Leninist debater from McSpotlight, publisher of ProletarianNews and author of "Objectivism For Dummies" ~ who espoused behaviorism, egalitarianism and socialism so fervidly for so many years. Well, I sure got what I deserved when I finally arrived at Twin Oaks: proof in real time that socialism don't work. Why work when there's so little incentive? Overtime, overquota? Not worth a red cent. Excellence in craftsmanship? Same value as calling in sick. Leadership abilities? Worth less than seducing hippie chicks. Delicious how bad I wanted this fate. Debtor's prison. The adversary she found herself forced to fight was not worth matching or beating; it was not a superior ability which she would have found honor in challenging; it was ineptitude ~ a gray spread of cotton that seemed soft and shapeless, that could offer no resistance to anything or anybody, yet managed to be a barrier in her way. Utopia!
The coolest trick is Rand writes her stuff in the classic Soviet 'realist' style. But better. Stalin NEVER wrote anything sexy.
But, anyway. Chuck Berry.
In the late 60's, he was coasting on his 1950's hits, played by the Beatles and Stones, acknowledged as the true father of rock & roll, and playing gigs for a firm $1,000 a show. When asked when or if he planned to retire, Berry said, "The day some punk promoter offers me only $900 a show, I'll shake his hand and say, 'Kid, you just retired the legendary Chuck Berry, congratulations'."
Mollusks.
Book Review: The Dollar is Not Evil
Summary: 5 Stars
This book should be in every patriot. The book is one of the most rapturing reading experiences I've had in a long time. I read it in under a week, as I couldn't put it down.
The premise of the book is the answer to the question of "What would happen if the producers of the world, the intellectuals, the people holding the country on their shoulders, simply went on strike?" What if Atlas, holding the world on his shoulders while the world cursed him simply got sick of being abused and shrugged the planet off?
Although the book will certainly make you more of a libertarian, I certainly do not endorse all of Rand's philosophy. She does deride religion unnecessarily, I believe, linking Christianity and Communism as if they are inseparable, when in reality they are closer to being exclusive. This book, however, will enlighten any patriot who wishes to be aware of the buzzwords the looters of today will use.
The characters are startlingly dynamic, and much is spoken in riddles. The plot is bizarre, but shockingly realistic, especially at the beginning. The story is all too real until we visit Atlantis, and then it becomes more like fiction.
Some of the greatest parts are Hank Rearden's trial and Fransisco d'Aconia's argument against the statement that money is the root of all evil.
This book is a must read for any intellectual, regardless of political views. Read with your mind, and be open to changing your views about big business, the dollar, and property rights. Don't accept everything, don't believe that there is no middle ground, but DONT burn the book. It needs to be read before the real Atlases of the world start Shrugging.
Book Review: Almost Perfect -- But Not Quite
Summary: 4 Stars
So many are talking about this book that I decided to pick it up and give it a read.
The novel reads easily for the most part. It's not overly challenging in tone or style, but entertaining and intriguing. The plot, generally, moves along quickly, essential for a book that runs over 1000 pages, and the characters are interesting, if a bit idealized.
Even better, for a history buff, Amity Shlaes' (Non-Fiction) "The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression" reads like a prequel to this novel, setting the scene for the action and providing a logical intro.
Still better yet, it is easy for anyone paying attention to current events to see how the novel, which is amusingly quaint in certain regards, relates to modern society and the political landscape of today.
The real problem I had in reading "Atlas Shrugged" was in the philosophizing. There appears to be much to admire in Ms. Rand's philosophy, despite an almost pathological rejection of religion, but it is presented very awkwardly at times. There are several long sections of the novel, culminating in a sixty-page monologue where the story just stops dead, and the reading becomes tiresome. I realize the monologue was supposed to be a critical point in the progression of the story, but it gets so repetitive and obvious that it feels like it takes longer to read than the rest of the novel combined.
Personally, I felt the philospophy of Ms. Rand was better served in the actions of her characters, and most of the dialogue than in the diatribes scattered throughout. They made an interesting read much longer than it should have been.
Book Review: Well worth the price of hardcover.
Summary: 5 Stars
My first encounter with Atlas Shrugged was when a friend passed me a very worn paperback that had been given to him by a friend. I imagine it had gone through the hands of several readers before my own. I was dubious when I first received the book, because I had always attributed the work to the stuffiness of a college literary class. I was pleased to find that I was wrong.
Rand tells an enthralling, complex story as she incorporates her philosophy into the lives and tribulations of the characters she creates. Even though the 60 page dissertation can be cumbersome to read, it still remains a difficult novel to set aside. I read the book in just over a week's time, even though I don't get much time to enjoy novels due to my job. I simply could not put the novel down. Rand is excellent at making her reader think of the question: "What is next?" Dagney and the characters invoking positive change are very likeable; the pompous characters who believe in the status quo are as easy to root against as a silent movie villain.
When I was finished with my paperback, hand-me-down copy of this phenomenal novel, I regrettably had to discard it due to the fact that several pages fell out after the many readings it had worked through before mine. The sheer size of the novel leaves paperback bindings straining- therefore, I was overjoyed to receive this particular hardbound edition as a gift this year. If you are thinking of buying this novel, it is well worth the price to receive years of enjoyment out of a hard bound edition.
Book Review: capitalist manifesto
Summary: 3 Stars
Outside forces interfere with business to devastating effect. Businesses are asked (read forced) to share their profits and markets to equalize the playing field. This inevitably leads to apathy, corruption, lack of leadership, unreliability, and uneven work share. In a shorter time than one might imagine, infrastructure and production are irreversibly ruined. Meanwhile, the best and brightest go-getters are disappearing without a trace.
People still like and need money, but the world is turned upside-down as non-producers (looters) manipulate the markets and the public's definition of value. Industrialists and workers struggle out their short term on the hamster wheel until they one by one are worn out and financially finished.
At times I disliked and found unrealistic, the one-dimensional cardboard characters. One can practically hear the twinkle of light off the pearly white teeth of the heroes of our tale. The villainous looters are a dark, brooding pack of numbskulls. Conveniently lacking were society's safeguards and refuges such as the police, the church, military, government. There was no mention of a stock market, share holders, trade unions, international trade organizations or allies.
However, I liked this book and would recommend it because it is relevant and prescient. It is thought-provoking, well-written and interesting. The hardback edition is a good choice because it is a very thick book that takes a while to get through and this edition holds up well.