Posted: 6/30/2004 3:08:31 PM EDT
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Is freaking LOOOOOONG. I''m about 80 pages into it (it has small print in the paperback too) and it's slightly boring. Should I bother to finish it? Does it get good? Oh, and I'll abide by the decision of the hive's response to the poll. |
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I didn't vote in the poll for lack of choices. It's not, IMHO, "great." It's a long, irritating slog of a read. That has some VERY important things to say. That it says over, and OVER and OVER again. As a polemic against socialism, it's... abusive of the reader, but effective. As a novel, it's just abusive of the reader. Once was educational. Twice would be masochism. It will never be entertaining, at least not to me. |
Thanks K-man. That's the review I was looking for. After only 80 pages, I feel slightly oogie already. I may just have to pull rank and not finish it. |
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Stick with it...after the characters are intoduced it picks up greatly. When Fancisco De Anconia is introduced at the dinner party things start getting better. Francisco makes some of my favorite speeches in the book. "The Root of all Evil Speech" is OUTSTANDING and so is the "Money and Sex" speech. Excellent book. |
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I'm going to agree AND disagree with Kevin. Atlas Shrugged (and to a lesser extent, the Fountainhead -- which should really be read first), do beat the bloody hell out of the points Rand is trying to make. But I would maintain that this is necessary to counteract the CONSTANT and repetative barrage of messages the reader is likely to receive and have received extorting the virtues of the collective and socialist institutions. I, for one, reread both novels ever two or three years. I've noticed my focus, my productivity at work, and my overall approach to life and stress levels really melow out each time. Your milage may vary. |
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There are a few folks who believe AS is really boring....I guess in some instances I can understand why they may think so...but my vote for the most boring book of recent times is Neal Stephenson's "Quicksilver" DAMN IT'S DULL!!!!!!!!! Being interested in business and manufacturing in general I like Atlas Shrugged and I think that for those who wish to understand what the hell has happened to America in recent years and WHY this book is a must read. |
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It is a tough book to get all the way through, but it scared the hell out of me, and angered and depressed me at the same time. Everytime I come across a story relating something stupid that happened, or a mistake that turned out to be extremely costly, I always think of Atlas Shrugged. This book is a must read. I figured I'd give examples: The left objecting to intelligent forest management that would prevent the huge nasty fires that we've seen in the past few years. The infrastructure (electrical, roads, hospitals) being neglected because there were essential social programs that had to be attended to. A concrete example is that earlier this year, the Austin area hospitals raised an alarm about how most of the ERs were operating near peak most of the time, and would not be able to handle the demand in the event of a major problem. What was getting the attention all that time? Various endangered species, smart growth and the Barton Greenbelt. The NE blackout last year. Atlas Shrugged examples are everywhere. |
I always think about the quote in AS that when the lights of NYC go out for the last time that is when John Galt and Co. return to help America rebuild. Double feed have you ever seen the Hooover Dam??? I always think of the good guys in AS every time I see it. |
There is a floating crane that runs up and down Town Lake fixing docks. I always smile when I see it float by, because it also reminds me of the good guys in AS and their virtues. |
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I, too, would read Fountainhead first. But, Atlas SHrugged and Fountainhead are two extremely profound books. My suggestion -- when you get into the 30/40 page speeches--bookmark them for later reading and try to move forward to more action. Helps to get through the really heavy philosophical stuff! |