I know a lot of people here have read it, is it good?

Can you give me a short synopsis?




I took te advice of the members here and read Unintended Consequinces. It only took a week, it was FANTASTIC!!





I'm hoping this one will be this good also, what are some other books on the Arfcom reading list?

You have to read it just find out: "Who is John Galt?"
Its basically a fictional story of the dangers of letting the state have control over free people and markets.
I listened to it as an audio book while driving on vacation last month.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Just read it.

You will either fall asleep or be riveted.

The book is excellent, and very, very long.  

The plot is centered mostly around one woman, Dagney Taggert, the driving force behind Taggert Railroad, the last great railroad in the US.  The whole country is very subtly falling apart, and the efforts of a very few incredibly hardworking industrialists and scientists are keeping it together.  Dagny is searching for a way to save her railroad from ruin (and by extension the entire country).  I won't get much further into it than that, except to say that John Galt is the last great hope for the nation.

You will be amazed at how the efforts of the book's antagonists to ruin everything are so completely applicable even today.  The only real difference between the book and modern times is the internet.  Seriously.  It is a fascinating read that will make you think.

Quoted: Just read it. You will either fall asleep or be riveted.

Or both.

I highly recommend reading The Fountainhead, one of Ms. Rand's earler novels, first.

The Fountainhead serves as an excellent primer to Atlas Shrugged.  Dipping your toe in the water, if you will.

Atlas Shrugged is the best novel I have ever read, hands down.

Oh, and, BTW...

boxofficemojo.com/articles/news/?id=030517atlas1.htm

I'd love to see this thing done as a three year 6-9 hour big-screen trilogy...ala The Lord of the Rings.  If it is crammed into a 2 hr. story...it will be abysmal.

Who knows how they'd handle "This is John Galt speaking," in a movie...

spoliers..

I read Atlas Shrugged about a month ago, it took me 1 day.  Who is John Galt? Why he invented a magical motor and walked away from it due to a bunch of commies in a Wisconsin car plant ergo stopping the motor of the world. Then he along with Midas Mulligan, and various other men and women who were tired of helping the looters, created a capaitalistic hideaway in the Colorado mountains.  hahahh  

Quoted: The book is excellent, and very, very long.   The plot is centered mostly around one woman, Dagney Taggert, the driving force behind Taggert Railroad, the last great railroad in the US.  The whole country is very subtly falling apart, and the efforts of a very few incredibly hardworking industrialists and scientists are keeping it together.  Dagny is searching for a way to save her railroad from ruin (and by extension the entire country).  I won't get much further into it than that, except to say that John Galt is the last great hope for the nation. You will be amazed at how the efforts of the book's antagonists to ruin everything are so completely applicable even today.  The only real difference between the book and modern times is the internet.  Seriously.  It is a fascinating read that will make you think.

The airplanes are different as well.  Dagny flew a monoplane, and the rotating propeller was mentioned.
In reality, I believe if Atlas Shrugged played out exactly as depicted, airplanes would supplant the train, and boats would be utilized before the economy collapsed.  As it happened, the airplane played a minor role, serving to ferry around Dagny and nothing more.
Ayn ignored those two possibilities to avoid writing a 10,000 page book!

from zippy's link

While Atlas Shrugged is routinely vilified by left-wing intellectuals, who oppose Rand's view that capitalism is the only moral economic system, and repudiated by those on the right, who shudder at Rand's rejection of religion, it remains deeply loved by readers, who named it the second most influential book of their lives in a 1991 Library of Congress/Book-of-the-Month club survey -- behind only the Bible

Quoted: Oh, and, BTW... boxofficemojo.com/articles/news/?id=030517atlas1.htm I'd love to see this thing done as a three year 6-9 hour big-screen trilogy...ala The Lord of the Rings.  If it is crammed into a 2 hr. story...it will be abysmal. Who knows how they'd handle "This is John Galt speaking," in a movie...

I honestly think nobody would make such a movie, because it screams out against everything that is accepted as a part of modern culture.

If you are into business type things and or the realm of the govt should just step the F back and let things work themselves out and that we shouldnt have to let ourselves be sucked dry by some worthless low performing POS for the good of society then its pretty good.
If not then you will not get very far at all with out falling asleep.
I am currently reading it for a class project.

Ooooookay...

I very recently read Atlas Shrugged, after hearing so many good things about it, and since you asked I'll give you my 2¢.

First, let me tell you a little about myself so you get some idea where I'm coming from:

I'm a voracious reader - I read pretty much anything, but my general preference is Military Science Fiction.  My favorite author is Robert Heinlein - the man who is largely responsible for my political beliefs.  I'm a "small-l" libertarian, but fairly conservative.

Having said that, my take on Atlas Shrugged and Ayn Rand:

Ayn never presents an idea (in AS) that she doesn't bludgeon to death.

And then pounds the corpse into paste.

She has all the sublety of an avalanche.  

She preaches - endlessly.

She has a real problem with sex and submission.  (I'm not sure she ever grasped the idea of romantic love, as it didn't fit into her Objectivist philosophy.)

The book takes a good 350 pages before it starts to get interesting.

It suffers badly because of the change in technologies since it was written and her understandings of steel production, manufacturing, and railroads.

It suffers badly (I think) because of the fact that English was her second language (she was born and raised in Russia - saw the real evil of Communism/socialism up close and personal - but got out.)

Atlas Shrugged was written to make a very specific philosophical/political point.  And it makes it - over, and over, and over, and over...

I've read quite a few of Rand's political essays.  Her mind is sharp and her points are valid, but as a novelist (based on that one book) I think she sucks.

As I told someone after I completed Atlas Shrugged - "Once was educational.  Twice would be masochism."

I'm not sure I want to try The Fountainhead.

Let me just say that if they ever make a movie of AS, they can do it in South Park style - all the characters are about as deep as those cardboard cutouts - but they'll have to do it in Black and White.  

Without a single shade of gray.

It's an important book!  Don't get me wrong on that.  It's just not entertainment in any way, shape or form.

What Kbaker said! All things considered, required reading.

I have to agree with Kbaker.  I'm a fairly avid reader.  It makes some great points early on and you really say, "Wow, I can see that happening right now."  I agree with a lot of her reasoning but, she keeps on and on and on and on and on about it.  You hear the same sermon about 20 times, no it's really about 20 times.  I stopped reading about 70% of the way through the novel as it got old.  Great ideas, but how often can you repeat it?  I'll probably pick it back up just to say I've finished it.  She could have left out a lot of the sex and the redundancy and probably cut the book in half and still had a great story.

jd1

I have a Rubik's Cube, still in the box, unopened.
I've had it since I was about 11 years old.
It never drove me crazy because I didn't open it.
My copy of Atlas Shrugged may join the Rubik's Cube on the 'ignorance is bliss' shelf.

How many of you would see the movie if they cast Julia Roberts as Dagny Taggart?

Quoted: Just read it. You will either fall asleep or be riveted.

I couldn't get past page 35.  As much as I can appreciate her message, her writing style is not to my liking.  I may give it another try if I become stranded on a desert island with only that book for entertainment.

______________________________________________
NRA Life Member
GOA Life Member
SAF Supporter
SAS Supporter

I found it a riveting piece.  

Being a Christian, I didn't care for the anti religious stance, however this book is a MUST READ!!

Easily one of the most enjoyable books I've read.

Quoted: How many of you would see the movie if they cast Julia Roberts as Dagny Taggart?

Naw.  They need to cast an unknown actress.  Julia Roberts is ugly.
And I hope they are faithful to the descriptions of her wearing a transparent white blouse

Quoted: I highly recommend reading The Fountainhead, one of Ms. Rand's earler novels, first. The Fountainhead serves as an excellent primer to Atlas Shrugged.  Dipping your toe in the water, if you will. Atlas Shrugged is the best novel I have ever read, hands down.

What he said.

Note to KBaker-

Do NOT read "We The Living". I am a huge fan of Ayn Rand, and found Atlas Shrugged to be a riveting page turner. However, WTL, her first full length novel, was an absolute chore to read. If you thought AS was long winded, it will take a concerted physical effort to turn the pages of WTL.

How about the gal who played opposite Harrison Ford in Blade Runner ?  Shawn Young ? She had the neo-1940's look down cold.
As for  the transparent blouses, remember that such blouses were always worn with a lacy camisole underneath. The idea was sensuality, not porn,  and to hint at what lay beneath, not to beat you to death with exposed fake boobs.

CKMorley

Quoted:

Naw.  They need to cast an unknown actress.  Julia Roberts is ugly. And I hope they are faithful to the descriptions of her wearing a transparent white blouse

I'd have to agree that Ayn Rand's writing is a wee bit stilted ;). The story is maybe good for 100 pages, not the 45million or so the book actually is.

In any case, I do feel that it's an important read simply for the philosophy. If you want the info without all the yadda yadda yadda, there are alot of more digestible sources.

Start with The Virtue of Selfishness, also by Rand. Basically, you get all of the 'lectures' from Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead without having to deal with trains and construction.

Quoted: I'd have to agree that Ayn Rand's writing is a wee bit stilted ;). The story is maybe good for 100 pages, not the 45million or so the book actually is. In any case, I do feel that it's an important read simply for the philosophy. If you want the info without all the yadda yadda yadda, there are alot of more digestible sources. Start with The Virtue of Selfishness, also by Rand. Basically, you get all of the 'lectures' from Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead without having to deal with trains and construction.

The trains are the fun part.
Which would you rather ride: The Taggart Comet on the John Galt Line, or the Wabash Cannonball?

I’m starting to be reminded of “Gravity’s Rainbow”.  I bought it, tried to read it.  Wound up quitting before I made the 60th page.  Gave it to somebody else to try to understand what was going on.  HE quit too.
With all of those fantastic reviews quoted on the inner and outer pages, you think that at least one reviewer would explain what was going on.   I have this idea for the past 25+ years is the #1 reason so many reviewers gave it so much praise is that they were afraid to admit they didn’t understand what was going on either.
If I try to read “Atlas Shrugged”, I may either become bored or thrilled.  Maybe both.

But before I make up my mind, the latest volume of Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series just came out.  I've been reading the series since Day 1.  Fantastic reads.  I'm going to have to finish "Wolves of Calla" before anything else heavy.