Atlas Shrugged

[dragonmegaXX]

I've wanted to read this book for a while now, because I heard it was good, plus I wanted to conquer one of the longest novels that there are.

I'm about on page 700 out of 1060 or so, and I can say that it's easily one of the greatest books I have personally ever read. No, I'm not saying this because "Oooh it's sooo political and supports my views" I think that the actual story line and plot is extremely well done and it has a perfect level of description. It draws me in easily and has a very well done man vs. society and man vs. self theme.

I actually found myself standing at the foot of my door after getting home from school, and it took me about 10 minutes to realize I was just standing there reading and not even opening the door.

Has anyone else here read this? If so, what do you think of it?

I've been recommending it to my friends and I kind of get offended when I talk to my young teachers who have never even heard of Atlas Shrugged or even Ayn Rand.

To anyone who hasn't read it, dont ask for a plot summary because it would most likely take up a 5 pages of text to try to get a bare bones thing posted.

[Teddy_scfa]

It's definitely on my list of books to read soon... I read The Fountainhead which was one of my favorite books, and then for an English class I read Anthem which is also amazing..
Her interviews always entertained me with how she disproves the disapproval of a god while disapproving or something like that haha.

[dragonmegaXX]

Originally Posted by Teddy_scfa

It's definitely on my list of books to read soon... I read The Fountainhead which was one of my favorite books, and then for an English class I read Anthem which is also amazing..
Her interviews always entertained me with how she disproves the disapproval of a god while disapproving or something like that haha.

I'm reading fountainhead next, my classmate told me it's better.
People stare at me weird when I say Im reading these for fun and not for class xP

[Cavernio]

I get offended when people agree with Ayn Rand.

[dragonmegaXX]

Originally Posted by Cavernio

I get offended when people agree with Ayn Rand.

Care to elaborate?

[dag12]

Originally Posted by Cavernio

I get offended when people agree with Ayn Rand.

bahaha when I first saw this thread I was going to respond to it with just "lol Ayn Rand."

[fido123]

From what I already know about Ayn Rand she seems to completely align with my philosophy.

Originally Posted by en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand

In metaphysics, Rand embraced philosophical realism and atheism, and opposed anything she regarded as mysticism or supernaturalism, including all forms of religion.[88] In epistemology, she considered all knowledge to be based on sense perception, the validity of which she considered axiomatic,[89] and reason, which she described as "the faculty that identifies and integrates the material provided by man's senses."[90] She rejected all claims of non-perceptual or a priori knowledge, including "'instinct,' 'intuition,' 'revelation,' or any form of 'just knowing.'"[91] In her Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, Rand presented a theory of concept formation and endorsed the rejection of the analytic–synthetic dichotomy.[92]

Idk what's stupid about this or is there other stuff I don't know about?

[Cavernio]

The only book by Ayn Rand that I knew of is The Virtue of Selfishness that my dad had on his shelves, and from what people say about her ideology in general, is completely counter my own. Her fiction might be incredible for all I know.

What I'm actually offended by is how your teachers who don't know who Ayn Rand is offend you. That's pretty ****ed up for you get offended by that. I made that post to troll you as an example of stupid things to get offended by, particularly because I am slightly offended by the fact that you like her fiction, but for no good reason especially because you wanted to avoid the political mumbo jumbo involved in it. It was a stupid, arrogant thing for me to say and think, much like how you think about your teachers.

fido: She takes capitalism and, as wikipedia says, materialism to the next level.

[Avree]

It sounds interesting. I would definitely read it. Is it hard to get in to?

[Avree]

Originally Posted by MrPopadopalis25

It's about 565,000 words long.

Words?! Holy crap. Hahaha. I got the thing about the... what was it, 1,060 pages or something??? I hope I can get it the next time I go to the library.

[devonin]

There is a passage in Atlas Shrugged that is basically 60 pages of a character giving a speech. In that 60 pages, she covers every single remotely cogent or useful bit of information communicated by the entire 1000+ pages of the rest of the book.

There's no reason whatsoever to read more than that 60 page summary unless you want to read about an incredibly mannish woman having an incredibly repressed and kinky sex life, and also incredibly boring information about trains. And a hilarious over-literal and entirely incorrectly presented condemnation of communism.

Also, the thing people find objectionable about Ayn Rand is that objectivist moral philosophy is very critical of everybody who isn't currently both productive and successful, which given our economy right now is a pretty large segment of the population who actually have no real choice in the matter.

[Reincarnate]

There's a reason why objectivism is hardly objective.

Sorry, but I really hate Ayn Rand. Her philosophies and arguments are retarded and I hate that so many people try to use Rand's books as "evidence" of their intellectual breadth.

[Avree]

Does she force her opinions on the reader? I've never actually read any of her works, so I don't know.

[devonin]

How can you force your written opinions on someone? You can just stop reading if you don't like what she's saying.

[dragonmegaXX]

If you actually read what I was saying in my post, I was saying that it was great as a novel, not necessarily a political agenda.

I agree with some of some of her ideals, and disagree with a few, but I am curious what actually makes some of you "Hate her", because she's supporting personal gain and capitalism.

[devonin]

It was much worse as a novel than a manifesto. She's a -terrible- writer.

[dragonmegaXX]

Originally Posted by devonin

It was much worse as a novel than a manifesto. She's a -terrible- writer.

Can you tell me how?
I think it's great and engrossing.

[Avree]

Originally Posted by devonin

How can you force your written opinions on someone? You can just stop reading if you don't like what she's saying.

True, but a writer can express one's opinions as opinions, or fact. I was wondering if she expressed her ideals as fact or as her opinion. I don't mind books even if I disagree on a character's opinions as much as I do when all of the characters agree as to one statement (which should be an opinion) as being fact. If that makes sense.

That being said, I've never read any of her work so I really don't know what she's like. I have a feeling that I'll have to read it to understand and make my own decision, as there are severely differing opinions here.

Although I'm curious, like dragonmegaXX - what makes her such a terrible writer?

[devonin]

Originally Posted by dragonmegaXX

Can you tell me how?
I think it's great and engrossing.

It's incredibly dull, boring, monotonous...how many more words can use to say the exact same thing over and over...because that's what she does...for 1200 pages.

When your entire book contains a summary INSIDE THE BOOK of the whole book, you're a bad writer.

[irionman]

Summary of book:

Sucks