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A review by allegra_j
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
1.0
Thank God I went at this via audiobook. Still, the audiobook was 7 parts of 9 hours each, and I really want those 63 hours back.
I read this book out of curiosity and because it's something of a cult hit and a classic that I wasn't ever assigned in High School or College. Here's a brief synopsis:
I want to start with Dagny Taggart. As I began this book, I enjoyed the scene where Dagny showed up, all inpatient elegance, willing to take a calculated risk, the smarts of Taggart Transcontinental. "Yes! A female protagonist!" I thought.
It wasn't much later that she was entering into the most messed up romantic scenes I've ever read, where sex was a violent act of hate and she liked it fine that way. And then not long after that, I realized that Dagny, who could've been our feminist protagonist, was just an amplification device and literary tool to slowly graduate us from one "amazing" man (Francisco D'Aconio), to an even more "amazing" man, Rearden, to finally the most agonizingly amazing of them all, Galt. I have to admit that turned me off. A lot.
By the way, Jim Taggart "bad guy" hits his wife. This is not ok because he's a socialist. But Rearden twists Dagny's arms to try to get her to tell him who she slept with before him and that's fine because he's an Industrialist. Smart people can do anything.
The whole premise of the book is that the brains of the world have abandoned it. That alone is interesting, because apparently all of the smart people in the world can fit into this tiny hidden valley in the mountains. There's like, sixteen of them maybe. Everyone else in the world is a blundering fool. There is no in between. There are the brains and then there are the fools. Also the brains are all rich CEOs and stars. Poor people are blundering fools. Line workers are blundering fools. Sometimes the brains have to go back to the world in disguise and they have to work as the lowest of low line workers and it's presented like the worst fate imaginable because really, there is nothing worse in this world than to not be a CEO. I sort of feel like the book is particularly appealing to those who think they are smarter than everyone else and hold everyone in contempt for not worshipping them as they should.
Toward the end in what should be a turning point, Galt takes over the radio waves, breaking into a government speech. This should be very exciting. But Rand has him proceed to speak for three hours in the form of redundant questions and circular answers, picking out a term here and there to redefine in his own vision. It's a yawnfest. I was hoping he'd come on the radio and just say "Here's the true purpose of the government's actions, here's what's going to happen to you, here's who is benefiting." That would have been more exciting.
I enjoyed the last few pages of the book because finally there was some action! Strange, torture action, but still action! Strange, "good guys" murdering people without a second thought or regret action, but still action! Right? Right??
I'm just thoroughly disappointed. The monologues were a huge turn off. The violent sex and even degradation that seemed to be the marks of romance were a huge turn off. That Dagny was just a mirror for the three alpha males was a huge turn off. I'm not even going to start in with the evil scientists.
There were a few redeeming moments here and there. A golden literary phrase here and there. The bromance between Rearden and D'Aconia and later including Galt (three way bromance!) was endearing. But Dagny was just a follower and in the end, all the smartest people don't owe anyone a damn thing, are crazy rich, and are predominantly male.
I read this book out of curiosity and because it's something of a cult hit and a classic that I wasn't ever assigned in High School or College. Here's a brief synopsis:
I want to start with Dagny Taggart. As I began this book, I enjoyed the scene where Dagny showed up, all inpatient elegance, willing to take a calculated risk, the smarts of Taggart Transcontinental. "Yes! A female protagonist!" I thought.
It wasn't much later that she was entering into the most messed up romantic scenes I've ever read, where sex was a violent act of hate and she liked it fine that way. And then not long after that, I realized that Dagny, who could've been our feminist protagonist, was just an amplification device and literary tool to slowly graduate us from one "amazing" man (Francisco D'Aconio), to an even more "amazing" man, Rearden, to finally the most agonizingly amazing of them all, Galt. I have to admit that turned me off. A lot.
By the way, Jim Taggart "bad guy" hits his wife. This is not ok because he's a socialist. But Rearden twists Dagny's arms to try to get her to tell him who she slept with before him and that's fine because he's an Industrialist. Smart people can do anything.
The whole premise of the book is that the brains of the world have abandoned it. That alone is interesting, because apparently all of the smart people in the world can fit into this tiny hidden valley in the mountains. There's like, sixteen of them maybe. Everyone else in the world is a blundering fool. There is no in between. There are the brains and then there are the fools. Also the brains are all rich CEOs and stars. Poor people are blundering fools. Line workers are blundering fools. Sometimes the brains have to go back to the world in disguise and they have to work as the lowest of low line workers and it's presented like the worst fate imaginable because really, there is nothing worse in this world than to not be a CEO. I sort of feel like the book is particularly appealing to those who think they are smarter than everyone else and hold everyone in contempt for not worshipping them as they should.
Toward the end in what should be a turning point, Galt takes over the radio waves, breaking into a government speech. This should be very exciting. But Rand has him proceed to speak for three hours in the form of redundant questions and circular answers, picking out a term here and there to redefine in his own vision. It's a yawnfest. I was hoping he'd come on the radio and just say "Here's the true purpose of the government's actions, here's what's going to happen to you, here's who is benefiting." That would have been more exciting.
I enjoyed the last few pages of the book because finally there was some action! Strange, torture action, but still action! Strange, "good guys" murdering people without a second thought or regret action, but still action! Right? Right??
I'm just thoroughly disappointed. The monologues were a huge turn off. The violent sex and even degradation that seemed to be the marks of romance were a huge turn off. That Dagny was just a mirror for the three alpha males was a huge turn off. I'm not even going to start in with the evil scientists.
There were a few redeeming moments here and there. A golden literary phrase here and there. The bromance between Rearden and D'Aconia and later including Galt (three way bromance!) was endearing. But Dagny was just a follower and in the end, all the smartest people don't owe anyone a damn thing, are crazy rich, and are predominantly male.