Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Atlas Shrugged
Book Review: 5-Stars
Summary: 5 Stars
When one judges a book of this nature, one has to realize the impact that the ideas imprints on one's mind. How lasting? How relevant 50 years later? How thought provoking? Are values challenged? Are you changed after reading? This book exceeds in all of these areas, with accessible styling, and believable examples that are explicitly detailed in her novel.
The story occurs something in the 20th century America set in a parallel universe where the history of the world reflects a diversion from our history occurring sometime after American was formed. Perhaps one major event occurred such as Germany winning WWI, or a great communist revolution swept the world. Anyhow, the end result is a race to equality is allowed to proceed by the ones in charge, and what happens when the producers of the mind decide to remove there efforts, all brought about by a secret incident that occurred in a small town in Wisconsin. The story follows important industrialists, politicians, media, common folk, in fact, an entire nation's actions and how they can all interrelate and unknowingly greatly affect one-another. This is a novel about a quest, values, morality, truth, economics, sex, motivation, evil, utopia, philosophy etc. As a reader in a voyeuristic sense gets to imagine an alternative world and what happens to the characters in detail when they get what they ask for.
The biggest complaint is that the work is very verbose. It could take one 100-500 pages before really becoming involved with the story as long speeches are commonplace.
Agree or disagree you will be challenged on many levels and forced to comfort issues in your life on a much deeper level. You will be forced to use reason to your limits to work through the issues presented, which in the end all Rand asks you to do. Right or wrong, mission accomplished 5 stars.
Book Review: A 14 year-old's essay on 'Industrialists I Have Loved'
Summary: 3 Stars
I knew absolutely nothing about Ayn Rand when I won a copy of this book in a review competition, and thought it was wonderfully ironic that the first novel I had 'chosen' to read since 1990 turned out to be a 1,168 page long philosophical treatise. Divine retribution, indeed, for having inflicted a 1,014 page novel on the public myself.
However, despite having lost the patience with novels years ago, I had taken this one on with the promise to review - and review I would, and no skimming bits either!
Atlas Shrugged is a simple story. For all its supposed breadth of scope and 'epic' qualities its essence can be boiled down to very little.
Indeed there is something strange about the fact that although it discusses (at great length) supposedly large philosophical issues, and sets itself in a curiously dated industrial 1950's America, it feels rather like someone trying to expand a very narrow range of experience into the semblance of something more 'deep'.
Ayn Rand can write, and it seems a great tragedy that she bogs down her obvious talent in a great mishmash of half-baked teenage notions repeated ad nauseam, as if in repetition they will somehow gain credibility.
She writes her 'philosophy' exactly like a fourteen year-old at the debating society: Is Capitalism a Force For Good or Evil?
Ayn believes it's good. It's good because capitalists build stuff, because competition encourages even better stuff, and because steel smelting plants look great at night.
Ayn believes industrialists are sexy. They are muscular, lean, tanned, have aquiline profiles, look good in dinner suits and are very confident.
You can tell she never met Richard Branson.
In fact, Ayn hasn't really conceived of men like Richard Branson - undoubtedly hardworking, competitive, indeed everything that Ayn expects 'great creators' to be, but missing the fact that now, a mere 50 years later, these men don't really create or build anything.
Ayn's 'great' philosophy didn't even make a hundred years before it went out of date. Her notions of how business works are frighteningly naïve and her determination to batter you to death with crudely-handled polemics reduces her scintillating poetic descriptions into The Collected Speeches of Senator McCarthy.
Atlas Shrugged may be considered a 'classic', but for me it will remain only a classic of How Not to Write a Novel, and a testament to how bad experiences in a communist regime do not necessarily make you very astute, let alone a 'philosopher'.
Book Review: A BORING BOOK BASED ON A BIZARRE PHILOSOPHY!
Summary: 1 Stars
I was introduced to Ayn Rand in my high school philosophy class and began buying her books. she is a philosopher and even her novels are transparently manifestos of her philosophy! As a books, its simply too long for me. I read the first hundred pages and moved on to other books, cause i cant read one book forever. the book is 1100 pages, and I don't not read stories or fiction books in general. I attempted to read this book to learn more of her philosophy, but learning it in story form is not for me.
her philosophy is objectivism. this philosophy is a great capitalist and business philosophy born out of industrial age ideals and glorifies self sufficiency, economic competition, entrepreneurship, and being an over all cutting edge and sharp business person. people take this philosophy out of context by applying it to all aspects of life like love, helping others, spirituality and inner happiness. ayn rands philosophy FAILS in all other aspects of life. its cold, logical, atheistic and bizarre. your family should not be runned like a competitive business, where the member that contributes the least is of less value. and you shouldn't avoid giving to the poor because "its not a fair trade" like capitalism teaches. and you cant find GOD or inner peace and happiness my analyzing reality with "cold, scientific, rational logic". if you practice objectivism at work and in your career, you will succeed and be a prosperous and fierce business person. but please don't make the mistake that many ayn rand followers do, by trying to apply objectivsim to anywhere or anyone outside of your work!
Book Review: A Book Worth Reading
Summary: 5 Stars
"Atlas Shrugged" is a book worth reading. It takes some effort to make it through this lengthy, thoughtful and intellectually challenging book, but it is worth it in the end.
While controversial in a number of ways, the philosophy, thoughts and observations that thread through this book are worth understanding, whatever one's viewpoint(s) might be along these lines.
A novel, a philosophy textbook and a snapshot of the world as it was wrapped up into one publication, "Atlas Shrugged" remains as relevant today as it did when it was published decades ago.
Highly recommended reading.
Book Review: A Brilliant Story with a Fascinating Philosophical Foundation
Summary: 5 Stars
Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" is a beautifully written, thrilling novel.
I enjoyed the depth of the author's characters and her way of capturing the essence of different mentalities. The plot was engaging and intense, with an interesting mystery that unravels with every chapter. This book never stagnates - the story is always moving forward, and every aspect serves a purpose in developing the plot.
Ayn Rand's prose was extremely enjoyable. Her abstract portrayal of beauty was unique and unforgettable.
I was fascinated by the different plot devices that the author used throughout the book - from the strong tree (and terminal), rotted from the inside, to Dagny Taggart's railroad, that served as the blood feeding the country's spirit.
Atlas Shrugged can be read as a story in and of itself, but if one chooses, he may notice the unique philosophy that served as the basis for its greatest characters and themes. Ayn Rand's purpose in writing was to portray the ideal man. Painting a portrait of man as he can and ought to be, Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged will challenge your every premise, and the premises of the history of mankind.