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sharp_stick

(14,400 posts)

17. Atlas Shrugged and Fountainhead

Wed Jul 16, 2014, 11:22 AM

Jul 2014

I read both of these in high school and loved them. I thought they were genius and oh so highbrow at the time.

Then near the end of undergrad I went back to Atlas Shrugged and finished it again. I hated it, now that I had some more experience with literature and life I figured out what a hack Rand was. The writing that I once felt was highbrow was simply florid and just so full of self important shit that the books became unreadable.

This is the exact same reaction I had to Battlefield Earth and L. Ron Hubbard.

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Who has read Ayn Rand? [View all] edhopper Jul 2014 OP

I have. Terrible writer, worse "philosophy" NT Adrahil Jul 2014 #1

I read it but was too bored to finish it lunatica Jul 2014 #63

I read one novel in High School (assigned) and two more in college. Adrahil Jul 2014 #86

I started several of her books, never finished any of them. PDJane Jul 2014 #2

Same here. HooptieWagon Jul 2014 #3

Ditto. Horrible, boring writer. nt Erich Bloodaxe BSN Jul 2014 #51

I did. I was a voracious reader and read most of her novels as a young teen. It didn't take me FSogol Jul 2014 #4

Message auto-removed Name removed Jul 2014 #5

I made it all the way through JustAnotherGen Jul 2014 #6

good advice from your dad... dhill926 Jul 2014 #38

Read It In HS ProfessorGAC Jul 2014 #53

My story, too. Realized as early teenager this was awful writing, but finished AS and Fountainhead. Shrike47 Jul 2014 #56

Tried to. Archae Jul 2014 #7

I have read all three of her fiction works. CBGLuthier Jul 2014 #8

Her stuff is unreadable, and devoid of any reason to try. MineralMan Jul 2014 #9

I don't think I could finish JustAnotherGen Jul 2014 #10

I have never been able to finish any book by Ayn Rand malaise Jul 2014 #79

I read her novels and some of a couple of her "philosophy" books KatyMan Jul 2014 #11

I've read Atlas Shrugged and Anthem, not Fountainhead. riderinthestorm Jul 2014 #12

I read Atlas Shrugged as a teen ager and John Rogers describes it perfectly MohRokTah Jul 2014 #13

"Ayn Rand's prime audience is .... Bigmack Jul 2014 #14

I tried to when I was a teenager. Iggo Jul 2014 #15

Got through the Atlas Shrugged audiobook. Kablooie Jul 2014 #16

Atlas Shrugged and Fountainhead sharp_stick Jul 2014 #17

A "philosophy" for 13 year olds, I always thought. Ron Obvious Jul 2014 #18

That was about when I read it, and it did speak to me then. It was during the time when Squinch Jul 2014 #41

I tried, years ago. The Velveteen Ocelot Jul 2014 #19

I read bunches of Rand during my misspent youth.... mike_c Jul 2014 #20

High school The Traveler Jul 2014 #21

Atlas Shrugged is like the bible in that you always meant to read it Johonny Jul 2014 #22

Well, I've read the Bible rogerashton Jul 2014 #28

I've read Terry Goodkind. Does that count? Hong Kong Cavalier Jul 2014 #23

Funny comment on Goodkind from an author panel at Comicon sweetloukillbot Jul 2014 #60

Hah! Hong Kong Cavalier Jul 2014 #61

I read it. Savannahmann Jul 2014 #24

Wow edhopper Jul 2014 #33

I had a crush on Dominique. Boom Sound 416 Jul 2014 #25

The first one I read... CanSocDem Jul 2014 #26

"Slog" was exactly the term that came to mind. truebluegreen Jul 2014 #27

I read Atlas Shrugged 30 or so years ago. LWolf Jul 2014 #29

She wrote "take me you brute" bodice rippers claiming to be philosophy. Tierra_y_Libertad Jul 2014 #30

I think most of us had during college years or thereabouts... joeybee12 Jul 2014 #31

I did, in high school. I've re-read them occasionally as studies in lasting trauma. politicat Jul 2014 #32

I read Atlas Shrugged el_bryanto Jul 2014 #34

Read Anthem, Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged several times each. stevenleser Jul 2014 #35

It's like the section of Siddhartha edhopper Jul 2014 #37

Her philosophy would obviously be a disaster edhopper Jul 2014 #36

I tried. I gave up. AngryAmish Jul 2014 #39

I read The Fountainhead in high school. A friend gave me his copy octoberlib Jul 2014 #40

Dreary, boring tomes of right wing BS. Hoyt Jul 2014 #42

Tried, back in the '70s. madamesilverspurs Jul 2014 #43

"Atlas Shrugged" was one of my economics text books in college Generic Brad Jul 2014 #44

Not for very many pages. Maugham's "Of Human Bondage" is the antithesis of Rand's hateful spew. greatlaurel Jul 2014 #45

I was an afrocentric college student into ayn rand in the 90s bettydavis Jul 2014 #46

Tried, failed . . . hatrack Jul 2014 #47

About 45 years ago in college. Golden Raisin Jul 2014 #48

The Fountainhead Puzzledtraveller Jul 2014 #49

During my angsty libertarian phase a few years ago, conservaphobe Jul 2014 #50

Officer Barbrady thelordofhell Jul 2014 #52

That speech alone marks the worst writing of the 20th century. arcane1 Jul 2014 #54

"The Fountainhead" was her most accessible novel Warpy Jul 2014 #55

I read "Fountain" and "Shrugged" back in college, and even then I should have known better. Paladin Jul 2014 #57

I read Anthem as a class assignment. When I encounter a new author I like, I read everything Gormy Cuss Jul 2014 #58

I have Prophet 451 Jul 2014 #59

I have: I thought it was dreadful and I was like 12. Warren Stupidity Jul 2014 #62

Her works were on our reading lists for book reports when we were Skidmore Jul 2014 #64

While I love Kafka... Chan790 Jul 2014 #74

I know, but ready Metamorphosis in its Skidmore Jul 2014 #75

Anybody edhopper Jul 2014 #65

I tried to read both. Heard hollywood was reading the books. applegrove Jul 2014 #66

I read almost everything and a few things by Nathanial Brandon (one of her followers who quit her) treestar Jul 2014 #67

This is as close as I've ever gotten- Starry Messenger Jul 2014 #68

No thanks. Warren DeMontague Jul 2014 #69

I read about 5 pages from a co-worker's book Quantess Jul 2014 #70

"We The Living"... pipi_k Jul 2014 #71

I read Atlas Shrugged when I was 14 or 15. bluedigger Jul 2014 #72

I read Atlas Shrugged in high school as an assignment. Feron Jul 2014 #73

Long long ago. oldandhappy Jul 2014 #76

Ive read The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. bunnies Jul 2014 #77

Not I. scarletwoman Jul 2014 #78

I read Atlas Shrugged approximately ten years ago. Didn't like it. Louisiana1976 Jul 2014 #80

I tried to read Atlas Shrugged.... prairierose Jul 2014 #81

When I was 17 SheilaT Jul 2014 #82

Her novels are awful and not worth reading, but do have some value when used as kitty litter. nt Zorra Jul 2014 #83

I read Fountain Head in my Senior year in H.S. 2banon Jul 2014 #84

long before I was interested in politics I read her novels.....a waste of time Demonaut Jul 2014 #85