I've been reading Atlas Shrugged lately, and I've been thinking that there's been no real discussion of the works of Ayn Rand on Allforums, neither of her novels nor of her philosophy, Objectivism. I consider myself something approaching an Objectivist, though I don't necessarily agree with every nuance of it, nor do I worship Rand like some folks I know.

Atlas Shrugged is certainly getting across her philosophy very well, but her characters strike me as incredibly hackneyed, one-dimensional, and predictable. I think she puts her philosophy out too simplistically, and has to exaggerate her characters in order to make her point. Moreover, I don't think she does it well. I accept her pioneering her philosophy and all that, but Ayn Rand does not strike me as a good novelist. I'm going to keep reading Atlas Shrugged because I'm enjoying it, but it's awfully flawed as a novel.

I have not read anything by Ayn Rand... I did read some of the Wikipedia article on Objectivism. It makes sense, but it also strikes me as very selfish. I know you're going to say that selfishness isn't necessarily bad, and I agree, but it's just slightly too selfish for me.

I do mainly agree with the political conclusions of objectivism though.

It's your right to what you earn and capitalistic. I don't disagree with her 100% - understand she's came from a communist society and was not used to being able to keep anything for herself, earn anything that wasn't shared, etc.

I liked Atlas Shrugged a lot - it's one of my favorites as well as The Fountainhead (I probably liked that one best). I have 1 issue with Dagny that I can't mention because you're not done with the book yet - but me thinks the selfishness shows through in that (not everyone agrees with me though). I think what really proves your point, Borg, is Anthem, a very basic story about wanting to be an individual among a bunch of government run pawns. In my opinion, written as though meant for a grade school learning level.

But, she is an interesting person, no doubt.

I think of Atlas Shrugged and Fountainhead as the kind of books that's very very popular among undergraduates of a certain disposition, and that nobody talks about or try to read (if they haven't done so) after college, unless they became a teacher or an activist--or a graduate student in which case they obviously are considered to be still in school.

In a college town, every other sophomore in a local coffee shop is thumping through a beat up copy of Ayn Rand. Seriously, I was made interested and only due to other engagements did I never get to it. But today times have changed and I look around nobody talks about Ayn Rand. I've a long list of books I'd like to read so I have no time for it. I guess there's just something about it that makes it particularly appealing to undergraduates.

I accept her pioneering her philosophy and all that, but Ayn Rand does not strike me as a good novelist. I'm going to keep reading Atlas Shrugged because I'm enjoying it, but it's awfully flawed as a novel.You should have started with The Fountainhead -- it's a much better novel. We the Living is also very good, though it reads more like a Russian novel (which, of course, it is). Anthem (http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/texts/anthem/complete.html), in case anyone's interested, is available online. Not nearly as good an 'anti-utopia' as 1984 or Brave New World, but very well worth reading. So is Yevgeny Zamyatin's We.

You should have started with The Fountainhead
I did. I read The Fountainhead in my junior year of high school. ;)

I still use Atlas Shrugged as a sleep aid.