deanna's Reviews > Atlas Shrugged
Atlas Shrugged
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The best way to understand Rand's message in this book is to simply close it, and beat yourself over the head with it as hard as possible. This is essentially what Rand does throughout it's ridiculous length. I see no reason that a book with a strong lesson can't also have decent character development, natural dialog, and a believable plot. Of course, I also think that you can establish a theme with subtlety, and trust that your reader will figure it out. Ayn Rand writes as if the elements of fiction get in the way of her message, and that reader's skull's are extraordinarily thick and require a firm beating over the head to absorb the theme. Countless philosophers have said the same thing better (and quicker).
I realize that I offend many atheists, agnostics and free thinkers by writing this, but as one myself, I have to say that a passionate love of Ayn Rand is not required for membership in that particular club. Save yourself a headache, and pick up the much shorter Anthem. It's just as overdone, but weighing it at ounces rather than pounds, it'll leave a smaller dent in your head.
Oh, and if you're only reading it to answer the question on geeky bumper sticker "Who is John Galt?" He's the hero and a symbol of the capitalism in it's conflict over what Rand saw as the oppressive and ultimately destructive forces of large government type societies (you, know. . .socialism, fascism, etc.). It's usually stuck on the butt end of a car to express general disenchantment with big government, and a lack of heroes. Now you know, so go read something worthwhile, and if you insist on reading Ayn Rand, hit her non-fiction. Stripped of an attempt at storytelling, she doesn't do half bad.
I realize that I offend many atheists, agnostics and free thinkers by writing this, but as one myself, I have to say that a passionate love of Ayn Rand is not required for membership in that particular club. Save yourself a headache, and pick up the much shorter Anthem. It's just as overdone, but weighing it at ounces rather than pounds, it'll leave a smaller dent in your head.
Oh, and if you're only reading it to answer the question on geeky bumper sticker "Who is John Galt?" He's the hero and a symbol of the capitalism in it's conflict over what Rand saw as the oppressive and ultimately destructive forces of large government type societies (you, know. . .socialism, fascism, etc.). It's usually stuck on the butt end of a car to express general disenchantment with big government, and a lack of heroes. Now you know, so go read something worthwhile, and if you insist on reading Ayn Rand, hit her non-fiction. Stripped of an attempt at storytelling, she doesn't do half bad.
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Started Reading
January 1, 2000
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Finished Reading
April 17, 2007
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Ak
(last edited Aug 25, 2016 11:54AM)
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Aug 08, 2007 04:18PM

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Bravo.




If you understand the theory of objectivism, you might possibly see the brilliance of this novel. You read 100 pages and give it a 1 star rating? I don't think you guys get it.





No it麓s not

By confining one's social relationships to those who are like-minded and agree without hesitation that A is A, and who unanimously agree to shun the looter metaphysics of autoepistemic "logic", one maximizes one's happiness in the pursuit of rational self-interest.
One's independence of thought and judgment is nowhere more convincingly proven than in a highly exclusive and selective environment wherein everyone sings from the same hymnal, as it were.
High five, Marge!




Again: I find her novels to be poorly written (almost unreadable in fact) and I can麓t find anything in them George W Bush who one can not call a verbal genius couldn麓t spit out when he was high on coke. But that麓s my opinion. I know she was born in Leningrad during the oppressive Soviet era (the Soviet union was not about socialism, it was about domination and terror) but why all of that morphed into some sort of freaky social darwinism is beyond me. Rand reminds me of Boyd Rice. She was a nut-job. High fives comrades!

I think you麓re right Marge. When you run out of arguments and begin to talk about excrements there麓s zero reason to discuss anything. But you麓re a fantastic comedian. I have to admit that

I humbly disagree with your assessment of Marge's comedic skills.
You see, I've heard the entire act before.
It goes back to the early 1960s.
After 50 years, the comedy wears a little thin. No Moli茅re here...

BTW out of curiosity I watched the movie adaptation of Atlas shrugged and that was proper comedy but it was better than the book.

I think you are missing the point: for the most part the criticisms of the book posted here have nothing to do with Rand's philosophy. It's the fact that the book is poorly written as a narrative that turns people off.
Kirk

It is perfectly possible for Ayn Rand's novels to suck both as philosophy *and* as literature!

However I enjoy Rand many degrees of magnitude more.



GREED is truly the most terrible challenge of our times, and capitalism is its tool, its means to power and more greed.
Greed is a (contagious) mental illness, an unfillable hole, a hunger that denies justice, a brutal expression of broken egos.
Greed is having a million times as much as the poor and still feeling you don't have enough.
Greed consumes the earth without respite, and is a cancer on humanity.
Greed destroys us and our children and their future.
Greed is death.

Greed is having a million times as much as the poor and still feeling you don't have enough.

A tax "reform" scam to borrow a Trillion dollars from the young, give it to the rich in return for never-ending campaign donations for the GOP.
Then they dismantle social security, pensions, healthcare, wages, cripple government revenues and end democracy in America.
btw- They WILL BE FIRING Mueller soon. Sorry.