Atlas Shrugged (original 1957; edition 1996)

If you can skip past the Objectivist philosophy, this book is a surprisingly remarkable work of fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this beast, though I understand that most will not enjoy it as much as I did. ( )

I remember 8 years ago I got this idea that I was going to enter into this contest to win this $10,000 scholarship for college.

All it involved was that you read this book and write an essay answering any one of 3 potential questions! That's it! I was so super excited I ran to the library right away and picked this book up.

I think I fell asleep mid-way through chapter one. Suffice it to say I did not win and I never got through this book.

Maybe someday.

Where do I start. "Thought provoking" doesn't even begin to describe it... The book opens with the premise of the future society that condones mediocrity and frowns upon individual talent and capability. As the story progresses, the picture becomes darker and darker; it becomes clear that when mediocrity is allowed to win over talent, the world is doomed. One feels deep agonizing anguish and extreme drama in every dialogue (though the dialogues sound rather artificial at times).

Rand goes out on a limb trying to foresee the future that includes not only socialist failures (which are completely plausible) but also dominance of opinion "that reason is impotent", "that existence is irrational chaos" (which seems less plausible).

In her picture, the future world is full of People's States - of England, of Mexico, of France, and so on... Industries are getting nationalized, the motto "from each according to his ability , to each according to his need" - is being twisted in such a way that individuals are afraid to show their ability, lest they are used to shoulder the needs of general, less capable, population. These "less mentally capable" people, along with the corrupt government that rules them are "the moochers and looters".

Her protagonists are the individuals who, like the legendary giant Atlas, carry the world on their shoulders, and the corrupt dictatorship of a government makes it harder and harder on them, the burden becomes heavier and heavier, and they decide to "shrug" and let the world "fall from their shoulders" - to go on strike, vanish and hide, until such a time when the country comes back to its senses and values them for what they are, until the dictators stop "enslaving the material providers who are scientists, inventors, industrialists". In spite of all the negative feedback they got from the rulers of the country, the energy, enthusiasm, optimism of these people was one of the reason that kept me reading, it can only be applauded.

Rand's anti-socialist agenda is very convincing, and I can understand it - having lived under socialism. What is less convincing is her opinion of the "accumulated evil of the centuries", of "brain-destroying influence of the world's doctrines", of the idea that in the society her heroes are fighting against, "the pursuit of happiness is evil". Plus her view that such a society relies on faith in god and condemns industrial development is in total disagreement with socialist societies as we've known, not that they should be merited... Her notion that "a proper government is only a policeman" is also an arguable idea...

The author often tries to make her point by repetition. The same ideas are repeated on and on, with slight variation, by different characters. Her main protagonist behind the aforementioned "strike of the minds" pronounces a 60-page (no less!) monologue on the radio for everybody to hear - summing up all the ideas that have already been expounded throughout the book.

The language of the book is full of solemn pathos, short of pompous; too lofty at times, dark and agonizing. Some of her negative characters are a bit too grotesque. But one can certainly feel the author's passion and her strong conviction coming through. What I couldn't shake off was that whiff of egoism - its streak so powerful throughout the book... ( )

Big and bold, this book mesmerizes from the get go. I don't agree with all of Rand's ideas, but this is a grand and wild ride that I've taken many times. ( )

Dagny Taggart is the V.P. of Operations for her families railway enterprise, Taggart International. Once a prosperous business, Taggart International is one step away from ruin as endless government regulations strangle the company and the every other business as well. The looters and the takers run rampant across America, crumpling businesses and crippling entire cities as a frightening apathy grows. Dagny struggles to keep the family busines afloat, fighting off the looters as she also tries to unravel the mystery about why so many leading industrialsts are disappearing. In the end she solves the other great mystery of the novel, who is John Gault and is he friend or foe?

Atlas Shrugged clocks in at over 1000 pages and is not for the faint of heart. Every single character is one dimensional, shallow and hateful. Even the main characters that readers are supposed to identify with, such as Dagny, Hank Reardon, Eddie Wilers, Francisco and John Gault are shallow, poorly drawn and without any real redeaming value. And of course all the "mooches" of the story are even worse. The philosphy of Objectivism that the author establishes is simply foolish. The author seems to lack any capactity for self reflection, nuance or moderation and apparently hopes that readers do as well. Yes, if overregulated businesses will not thrive. However without any regulation you end up with brutal working conditions, pollution so extreme it causes your cities rivers to catch on fire and perhaps even the sinking of the global economy. Does it take a visionary to create a product and bring it to market? Yes! But it also takes a somewhat intelligent and motivated workforce to produce that product and appreciate it enough to purchase it. The economy works when both the CEO's and the employees thrive. But this sort of realistic thinking totally escapes the author. ( )