I loved The Fountainhead, and my first time through Atlas Shrugged took a long, long time. Whoever said it was not for the faint of heart was right. I was a history and philosophy major in college and wasn't handed that book until I got into grad school.
I thought the plot for AS was incredible, you just need to be able to wade through the philosophy that is quite thick and takes up many pages.
Saying Ayn Rand is "a terrible writer" because you have a short attention span is pretty silly.
But saying that a writer is good because her book contains dense material and because she spent a lot of effort on it is also silly.
It's worth reading because it explains how a lot of Americans think and any material that makes oneself contemplate the philosophy behind it is worthwhile. Be careful not to swallow the material without real evaluation though just because it sounds convincing and it's in a "good book".
Absolutely loved Cloud Atlas. It's one of my favorite novels. For sure.
i wouldn't necessarily chalk up people struggling to make it through this book as having a short attention span. granted i have only read the fountainhead, but i am pretty sure that will always be [more than] enough. i understand rand has certain philosophies she wishes to expound. i think there is no denying she has some interesting ideas, some of which are spot-on. not only could i deal with how cynical a view these philosophies present, i had/have similar views myself.
still, the main thing is making it through the novel, and if AS is anything like the fountainhead i'm sorry, but the writing is poor. having good ideas, being intelligent, and presenting it in an engaging manner can be mutually exclusive. in this case i would say that they are. the problem is, rand can't find a middle ground between telling a story and espousing her beliefs. instead we are given story with characters who act based on this belief system and yet are still given to long monologues outlining these beliefs. be subtle, or be blatant, but don't try to do both, especially when your novel turns out monstrously long.
i have read many long books and enjoyed most every word. i would not put the fountainhead on that list. i'm not going to argue about the quality of the writing anymore since that is subjective. as i said, i don't feel it is particularly well-written. i say read the cliff notes or a good analysis with excerpts if you want and spend more time on some british and russian classics (sorry horace mann and flaubert, the english translations were rough for me, maybe when i speak fluent french and german). all i'm saying is, not every that is a struggle (like finishing this book seems to be for you) is worth. but hey, this is all just my opinion.
and did you originally think there was a page missing at the end of the first sequence?
"but the writing is poor. having good ideas, being intelligent, and presenting it in an engaging manner can be mutually exclusive"
We have differing opinions. I find much of what she writes to be pure poetry.
"She stood looking after him through the screen door, watching his gaunt figure move across the rigid neatness of her parlor. He always made her uncomfortable in the house, with a vague feeling of apprehension, as if she were waiting to see him swing out suddenly and smash her coffee tables, her Chinese vases, her framed photographs. He had never shown any inclination to do so. She kept expecting it, without knowing why."
and
"The approval, together with that wise half-smile, granted him a grandeur he did not have to earn; a blind admiration would have been precarious; a deserved admiration would have been a responsibility; and undeserved admiration was precious."
when thinking of Howard Roark and Peter Keating respectively those are beautiful passages. Both within in the first 50 pages of The Fountainhead.
I've gotta stand up for Ayn. I read this in high school and tore through it because I found myself in complete agreement with John Galt et al. I can't remember any book that had as much influence on me. I can though see how it would be an unpleasant read if you don't like Rand's ideas.
I'm still a believer 35 years later, in fact just read Anthem last night.
like i said, my opinion. i agree that at times there are beautiful passages (don't own the book personally so i can't post any others), i am referencing it's strength as one cohesive work. betwixt much of the passages you cite, i think you'll find more than your share of the doldrums, but maybe not. that's how it was for me. most importantly, when i read a book, i like to be engaged from the start, and this i simply had to force myself through a chapter or two to start warming up to it and, even then, finishing was a bit of a struggle.
What you need to do is get eleven other people together and have each read 100 pages, reporting back to the other members in the group.
The collective, rather than the individual, is best suited to get through "Atlas Shrugged."
Then start with WE THE LIVING.
You get most of the philosophical underpinnings plus a MUCH more human story PLUS some biographical info: it will spur you on to read the others.
Vanamee wrote:
What you need to do is get eleven other people together and have each read 100 pages, reporting back to the other members in the group.
The collective, rather than the individual, is best suited to get through "Atlas Shrugged."
hahahahaha, i like the way you think.
God, there are so many better things you can do with these precious minutes of your life than read that crap. Go look at the Brothers K / War and Peace thread.
Ol Grumpus wrote:
God, there are so many better things you can do with these precious minutes of your life than read that crap. Go look at the Brothers K / War and Peace thread.
Yeah, it's a horrible idea to read something from one of the most influencial thinkers of the 20th century; a person who actually advocated individuals be responsible for their own success and happiness.
Letsrun.com is the only place I've ever known that takes Ayn Rand seriously. Maybe because of all the high schoolers/young college kids.
easy one wrote:
Letsrun.com is the only place I've ever known that takes Ayn Rand seriously. Maybe because of all the high schoolers/young college kids.
i thought that was an interesting comment.
the ONLY place i have ever seen anyone walking around with a rand book was in high school. and then only high school boys.
ayn rand seems to have some sort of hold on pubescent boys.
Vanamee wrote:
The collective, rather than the individual, is best suited to get through "Atlas Shrugged."
I like the way you think.
madarin wrote:
[
one of the most influencial thinkers of the 20th century; .
When I think of that I rather think of people like:
Sigmund Freud
Jean-Paul Sartre
Karl Popper
John Maynard Keynes
Max Weber
Jurgen Habermas
Jaques Derrida
Robert Nozick
To name but a few - but Ayn Rand...please!
i was thinking the same thing about high school/college boys. I think it speaks to kids who see running as their end all be all in life and having that one purpose. Hopefully most make it past that point, but some never do and their life is forever about themselves.
madarin wrote:
...a person who actually advocated individuals be responsible for their own success and happiness.
One of the complaints against this philosophy is that this a short-sided goal that seeks to justify one's actions without empathy or regard to others.
When you view the ramifications of your actions on others into consideration it should, at times, prevent you from gaining at their expense. A foundation of individual success and happiness should never come as a result of denying or diminishing others. I have wished that Rand would "actually advocate that individuals be responsible for everyone's success and happiness."
You'd have to be psychopath to believe in Objectivism... or a high-school boy.
Outside the United States Rand is viewed as somewhat of a hack. For whatever reason she strikes a chord with the American psyche.