General Discussion

stevenleser

(32,886 posts)

35. Read Anthem, Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged several times each.

Wed Jul 16, 2014, 12:03 PM

Jul 2014

The stories are fun and interesting, but basically boil down to long winded apologia for greed.

Replace greed with any other sin or undesirable behavior and you can glorify them too and its understandable why some folks would gravitate to that. They want to feel better about the undesirable behavior. Her novels allows them to do that with greed.

"Greed is OK because we're unique, special people without whom industry wouldnt happen/progress/etc. oh yeah, and freedom." - that's really the entire premise of the books. The rest is filler.

One can imagine similar apologia for war/murder/violence, rape (in fact, Fountainhead contains rape apologia), pedophilia, you name it. Whatever socially/morally undesirable behavior can attempt to be excused by claiming individual exceptionalism.

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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