Atlas shrugged by ayn rand book club discussion questions. Feb 20, 2007 then i read atlas shrugged and, with that one book, i began to assemble an overall understanding of the world around me. Massmarket paperbacks are cheaper but they are hard to read, as the book and text are small. Wonderful story and scary how foretelling it was for its time. Much of the book s third division is given to his broadcast speech, which presents the authors philosophy of objectivism. Mar 27, 2009 this being the case, turning to atlas shrugged because you dont like the way things are going is the equivalent of diving for the centre of the fire because the frying pan got too hot. But, if you just accept that atlas shrugged is fiction that has a libertarianish slant, and might make you pause and think a few times while reading it, then go for it. The plot was dragged out far longer than necessary with needless sub plots and unnecessary characters. America, the only country that is not yet fully socialized, is sliding rapidly in that direction, as it increasingly accepts the ideas that lead to dictatorship. This is the story of a man who said that he would stop the motor. A harris poll placed atlas shrugged on americas top 10 favorite book list in 2008, and the modern library ranked it the number one best novel. Atlas shrugged includes elements of science fiction, mystery, and romance, and it contains rands most extensive statement of objectivism in any of her works of. This is surprisingly because it is a horrendous book containing cardboard characters, over necessarily long speeches, absurd plot lines and at least 500 pages more than it needs. Atlas shrugged is a huge sprawling dystopian novel that combines economics, science fiction, philosophy, and intrique.
Atlas shrugged is absurd but strangely compelling books the. Dagny taggart, vice president in charge of operations for taggart transcontinental railroad, seeks to rebuild the crumbling track of the rio norte line that serves ellis wyatts oil fields and the booming industrial areas of colorado. For me atlas shrugged feels like a classic that is actually a classic. Henry known as hank rearden is one of the central characters in atlas shrugged. It is the story of a manthe novels herowho says that he will stop the motor of the world, and does. What ayn rands atlas shrugged teaches us about the. Atlas shrugged a true american classic, atlas shrugged, should be required reading for all americans. Thus, it became a wonder of the book trade of a kind that publishers dream about after taxes. Being conversant in ayn rands classic novel about the economic. But, if your expecting it to be a life manual like some people seem to take it as, dont bother. Rand follows the lives of societys movers and shakers firsthanders, in her words, and business men, scientists, inventors, and artists in her novel as they resist the societal pull to.
If you enjoy a good thought provoking book, atlas shrugged will. I read this book at the advice of my mother she said atlas shrugged was her manual for living and that i reminded her of one of the books characters, i thought that was perplexing, protecting the glorious capitalist ideal put forth in atlas isnt something i would leave up to anyone but a conservative and very wealthy liberals. The book tells the tale of an america slowly rotting away due to technological regression and a lack of leadership. Atlas shrugged challenges many conventional notions about good and evil. Atlas shrugged is the second most influential book for americans today after the bible, according to a joint survey conducted by the library of congress and the book of the month club. Mar 14, 2014 atlas shrugged is a mammoth book in dire need of a good editor it could have easily been cut in half or even by two thirds. Explain the meaning and wider significance of the following quote from atlas shrugged. Ayn rands analogy specifically referenced in the books are that the industrialists and geniuses of the world essentially carry the entire. To summarize the book in a nutshell, atlas shrugged is about about free will and letting others act rationally selfish.
Atlas shrugged includes elements of science fiction, mystery, and romance, and it contains rands most extensive statement of objectivism in any of her works of fiction the book depicts a dystopian united states. Peopled by largerthanlife heroes and villains, charged with towering questions of good and evil, atlas shrugged is ayn rands magnum opus. Published in 1957, its a dystopian novel, centering around dagny taggart. The first and most important we learn from atlas shrugged is that you can tell good and bad people apart at a glance. There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteenyearolds life. About atlas shrugged cliffsnotes study guides book. However, not all books that cause the reader to think about big ideas will necessarily lead them in a good direction. My local used bookstore has so many copies they wont accept any more. Why im over atlas shrugged, and conservatives should be too. There is a very good reason why there are always piles of six to ten copies of atlas shrugged in every thrift store and used book store in the country.
They her family were told it was for the good of the people, but she saw that people. One of the most prominent is the notion that selfishness is evil and selfsacrifice is good. Capitalism is often defended by appeal to the public good. If you want to get the gist of the philosophy without having to read the entire book, i suggest reading the atlas shrugged cliff notes or rands virtue of selfishness instead. Ayn rands novel atlas shrugged has polarized opinion for more than. Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the notquite. All the villains the looters, in rands terminology are rotund. If atlas shrugged were required reading for every member of congress and. The book is atlas shrugged, ayn rands glorification of the right of. Centennial edition hardcover january 1, 2005 by ayn rand author 4. The value this book presents is just unmatched by any other work of its kind.
Themes of the book weave together like nothing i have ever read. May 20, 2012 atlas shrugged is a story about a future world in which the entire globe, with the exception of america, has fallen under the rule of various peoples states or dictatorships. After reading the fountainhead and atlas shrugged by ayn rand in 20052006, my life has been changed for the better. The book is extremely long and does get become unnecessarily long and repetitive at points, but is still a good read nonetheless. Much of the books third division is given to his broadcast speech, which presents the authors philosophy of objectivism. Explain what ideas underlie the maxim that money is the root of all good. Arresting in its breadth, depth, and style, atlas shrugged is a.
Apr 23, 2018 the search for the great american novel should have ended in 1957 when a russian immigrant named ayn rand published atlas shrugged. Atlas shrugged is one of those books that divides its readers. Rands fourth and final novel, it was also her longest, and the one she considered to be her magnum opus in the realm of fiction writing. The novel is written in a modern popular style and is mostly highly readable. To use a teaser, especially at the beginning of the film, reverses that dramatic build to run upstream and contrary to the book s feel of tension. Dec 16, 2019 atlas was a figure in greek mythology who was punished by zeus to bear the entire world on his shoulders. Atlas shrugged 1957 is a mystery story, ayn rand once commented, not about the murder of mans body, but about the murderand rebirthof mans spirit. Its as unpleasant as it is daft and as a work of literature its deeply flawed. It has interesting characters that change over the course of the book in ways that seem reasonable given their worldview and the world they live in. To use a teaser, especially at the beginning of the film, reverses that dramatic build to run upstream and contrary to the books feel of tension. Atlas shrugged, by ayn rand, is a philosophical novel. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. Atlas shrugged is a hugely popular book among american conservatives and libertarians who see it as a symbol of resistance to government tyranny.
Atlas shrugged is a ridiculous book whistling in the wind. Atlas shrugged is absurd but strangely compelling books. The government immediately appropriates the invention in the public good. Because whenever i look at it, i imagine john galt assaulting the readers throats with his dickish speech. This is the story of a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world and did. The words to make money hold the essence of human morality. Her novel, the fountainhead, about an architect, was a. For a book the size of atlas shrugged, its best to go with a larger sized edition to make the reading easier. Atlas shrugged truly was the best book i have ever read. Book summary the story of atlas shrugged takes place in the united states at an unspecified future time. It is a book that will stretch your thinking and will stay with you forever. Upon reading the portion rand submitted, cerf declared it a great book and offered rand a contract. Atlas shrugged, the book, is all about a slowly unfolding story of mystery and no section or chapter begins with a teaser, although many end with cliffhangers.
Atlas shrugged and ayn rands morality of egoism the. The theme according to rand is the role of mans mind in existence. Not a lot of people read it but it is worth it for its contents. The narration was excellent and the writing was thought provoking. In atlas shrugged, she shows that without the independent mind, our society would collapse into primitive savagery. So why is ayn rand and her most famous work, atlas shrugged, so popular. Apr 14, 2018 epic rant on gender equality jordan peterson on why there are so few women at the top duration. Im not going to look into this he philosophy of rand it on its surface appears a pretty. The story is set many decades in the past and focuses on a rail executive who finds herself in a world where business leaders are disappearing.
The search for the great american novel should have ended in 1957 when a russian immigrant named ayn rand published atlas shrugged. Atlas shrugged is an impassioned defense of the freedom of mans mind. There is much good sense in this book and it deserves more careful. Atlas shrugged by ayn rand meet your next favorite book. Contrast this with ars defense of capitalism, as dramatized in atlas shrugged. So atlas shrugged had a first printing of one hundred thousand copies. Naturally, i always recommend getting a paperback or hardcover. I started gone with the wind before i started atlas shrugged, i still cant finish it. But to understand the authors sense of urgency, we must have an idea of the context in which the book was written. Ayn rands atlas shrugged places in the top 20 on the great. Ayn rands literature of capitalism the new york times. This book really makes you take a good hard look at yourself and your behavior, which is why i think a lot of. Never was a story so mesmerizing, characters so interesting and a tale of intrigue layed out so well that i didnt want this book to end, despite my curiosity about how it would.
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