Atlas Shrugged
by Ayn Rand
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ayn RandIntroduction: Leonard Peikoff
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-08-01
ISBN: 0452011876
Number of pages: 1200
Publisher: Plume
Book Reviews of Atlas Shrugged
Book Review: "Not a novel to be tossed aside lightly...."
Summary: 1 Stars
"...it should be thrown with great force." That is, if it didn't weigh a 1100 pounds.
Other reviewers have pointed out the terrible characterization, the rote repetition, the need for an editor, the condescending, arrogant, hateful sanctimony of the book (for someone who "figured out life" Ayn Rand did not seem to be a happy, or even nice, person; hmmmmmm...), the absurd 60-page hokum speech, the irrational claims of originality (I am only indebted to Aristotle, and but a little; never mind plagiarizing Nietzsche), dear me, I'll stop now, don't want to go writing 1100 pages of the same thing already said, now do I?
But I am thankful that Rand was an Objectivist for one reason; she never had any children. And where are the children in her novels? How does Dagny sleep with men (is it possible 'Ayn Rand' was merely the pen name for L. Ron Hubbards harlequin romances?)at every turn of the page and yet never becomes impregnated? What if she became with child? Would she have any responsibility for another life she created out of her actions? What are the moral implications of Objectivism for a baby, an infant, a toddler, a child, an adolescent, a teenager, a person? Not all that is going to be rational, or congruent with self-interests; in fact it would seem quite the opposite. And quite convenient Rand didn't address what could have been a compelling drama and storyline (and very real) in her novel. Instead of repeating herself ad infinitum maybe she should have taken at least one risk like that.
Why do people like this book, though, and why is it still relevant? I've heard some dubious remarks concerning the influence and merit of this novel. The most trumpeted is that it is the most "influential" book behind the Bible, or the best English-language novel of the 20th century (according to ballot-stuffing propagandists). My, my, the most influential book behind the Bible? A quick look at Amazons website for the UK and France shows that there have been 58 and 4 reviews (as opposed to 1700 in the States) for Atlas. The simple fact is that the book isn't that heralded, read or even known about outside our little microcosm of the universe, the U.S.
What about those astute social-commentators that see parallels between Rands "prophetic" book and the financial straits of contemporary society (Stephen Moore, you stilted hack, I'm looking at you)? Rand was right all along, her book is coming true! Thus the renewed interest in the novel. However it would seem the titan-of-industry hucksters, the one's who flee society and responsibility with millions to some utopia like France (i.e. where Rand isn't read), have more to do with Rands ideas and her mouthpieces (infallible characters) than the other way around. Yes, government is doing, I think, too much stimulating and bailing out. But that's just food-for-thought, just like thinking about John Galt out there toiling in the soil, cooking his food, unclogging his toilet, building his house, paving roads, curing his diseases; oh, wait, I forgot, he invented a magical machine that ran on air and generated energy and wiped his bottom and sucked his thumb and purified his water and breathed for him while everyone in elitist Objectivist community takes the same side on everything yet don't stagnate with their ideas, give up the women they love because passion and wanting to love someone else is unbecoming a true, rational Objectivist...I need to stop ranting, my eye has begun to twitch.
I remember reading this book when I was 18. I thought, Wow, that was pretty good. You see, at 18 I knew everything. But as I've gotten older (no thanks to you, Socrates!) I've begun losing my knowledge. For instance, I wasn't yet 20 when I went through the trouble of bringing 'Atlas Shrugged' on an annual camping trip, chucking it into the bonfire, waking up the next morning and urinating on the ashes. How uncouth!
I guess I should try and put something encouraging about the book, so I note that it's been a perennial best-seller and sold millions of copies; Rand would appreciate my differentiating between quantity and quality.
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