kjbrown92's review against another edition
3.0
Bizarre that some politicians today actually use some of these speeches almost verbatim. Extremely wordy. Great subject. But a 75 page speech? Yawn.
juliamat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Infinitely satisfying to read a book that so aptly depicts totalitarian socialist/communist regimes and what the average person who lives trapped in the ideological hell is having to negotiate internally. Great story, loved every (main) character. Particularly enjoyed a female protagonist who operates largely in a male dominated space.
Gotta love the complaints from libs that this book is too preachy and they're like "yeah we get it". This book was written 66 years ago & in that time society has certainly proved that it does not "get it" one bit.
Gotta love the complaints from libs that this book is too preachy and they're like "yeah we get it". This book was written 66 years ago & in that time society has certainly proved that it does not "get it" one bit.
bstephens's review against another edition
1.0
The popularity of this book is one of the top 10 things that leads me to ask myself if I was born on the wrong planet. You know you have a challenge ahead of you when the author states in the forward that she is the first genius to combine great art with great philosophy. This book is neither. The writing never rises to the level of a poor romance novel. The characters give cardboard a bad name. The plot lines - how about capitalists who are too concerned about the fate of people in Mexico for a believable source of dramatic tension? - are a joke and an embarrassment. How DID this get published? As for the "philosophy", I think Christopher Hitchens said it best - "No one needs to be reminded how to be selfish." A bodice ripper for libertarians.
aladdin_sane's review against another edition
4.0
This is not a book for everyone. Atlas Shrugged is a posthistorical fiction that is very pro capitalism and indiviudalism, and anti socialism. It takes no break from forcing that upon you. At times it feels way too preachy of the subject, so much that it totally hinders any progress in the story. Closing in at the end of the book there was for example a speech that stretched out for 50 pages, bringing up many matters that already been adressed multiple times earlier in the book. The book could easily drop a 100 pages without any real loss. Despite this, Atlas Shrugged contains a very thrilling story. The dialogue was superb at times, especially the ones that contained Francisco D'Anconia. I also learned some hard truth from the book; That you need to do your best, otherwise you're not allowed to complain. The human mind is capable of some great things, but only if you allow it to. But still, not everyone will enjoy this one. You need to be open (or perhaps biased) to the ideas of liberalism, otherwise this book will feel like a fiction with a cold heart.
sethisthegoat's review against another edition
3.0
Listened via Audible. Interesting premise that gets long-in-the-tooth.
landolphia's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
holodoxa's review against another edition
5.0
Rand's oeuvre serves as an entertaining and moving illustration of the tenets of her philosophy, Objectivism. Objectivism is often misunderstood (just as often misrepresented/misinterpreted), but Atlas Shrugged is a beautifully clear and incredibly accessible explication of Objectivism, though often melodramatic, didactic, or overly simplistic. As a piece of literature Atlas Shrugged diverges from other classical works in that most of the characters are drawn as unchanging avatars of ideas rather than actual people. This is with the notable (though marginal) exception of Dagny Taggart and Hank Rearden. However, I think this choice works well for the Rand's purposes and focuses attention on the action of the story, which is definitely enthralling.
Ostensibly, Rand's ideas have many enemies (don't let this dissuade you from actually reading her). These anti-Rand partisans are eager to malign her, her writing, and her philosophy in any possible way. These criticisms are usually unfair or simply dismiss Rand's ideas without actually engaging them. Amusingly, many of the antagonistic figures in Atlas Shrugged are drawn as different manifestations of these detractors, and Rand mercilessly eviscerates their often feeble arguments, which are usually cheap justifications of envy, sloth, folly, or weakness (more generally a desire to treat individuals as means rather than ends).
Atlas Shrugged is worth the read, and Rand's work deserves serious engagement and consideration (even where she is wrong, such as her somewhat blank slatist view of human nature and capacity). She has been truly influential, especially in the American consciousness and body politic.
Ostensibly, Rand's ideas have many enemies (don't let this dissuade you from actually reading her). These anti-Rand partisans are eager to malign her, her writing, and her philosophy in any possible way. These criticisms are usually unfair or simply dismiss Rand's ideas without actually engaging them. Amusingly, many of the antagonistic figures in Atlas Shrugged are drawn as different manifestations of these detractors, and Rand mercilessly eviscerates their often feeble arguments, which are usually cheap justifications of envy, sloth, folly, or weakness (more generally a desire to treat individuals as means rather than ends).
Atlas Shrugged is worth the read, and Rand's work deserves serious engagement and consideration (even where she is wrong, such as her somewhat blank slatist view of human nature and capacity). She has been truly influential, especially in the American consciousness and body politic.