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Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand, Capitalism, Dagny, Dagny Taggart, John Galt, List of Atlas Shrugged characters, Socialism
Atlas Shrugged (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I tried. I really did, but I couldn’t make it through the book. I had the best of book intentions. I don’t care a fig who John Galt is, but maybe if he revealed himself a lot sooner I might have carried on.
I read through about a quarter of the book, and that’s all I’m reviewing.
In Short.
All the cool kids are pro-capitalist and the lazy schmucks are pro-socialists. This is not at all an over-simplification of the world. Personally, I’d want to be on the side of the capitalists because they work for the sheer joy of achieving something great that furthers the betterment of mankind. Money has nothing to do with it, and it offends me that you would think so. Besides, all the losers who want to pass socialist programs are crazy and have no integrity. It’s very simple — black or white. If you want gray, go read the novel by EL James (there’s fifty shades of it).
Okay, enough sarcasm.
The Major Characters.
My favorite character that I have encountered so far is Francisco D’Aconia. I say “so far” because there is a chance that one day I’ll finish it. Frisco is not only rich and handsome, he’s super smart and can do anything he sets his mind to. He is to inherit the D’Anconia Copper Empire, but so far, it looks like he is up to something more mysterious. I’m not sure what, but it’s probably related to that John Galt guy.
Dagny Taggart grew up with Frisco, and once upon a time they were lovers, then Frisco turned all weird on her. Dagny is disgusted that Frisco is wasting his time and money on frivolous matters (like women and vapid parties). He is harboring some kind of secret master plan that I haven’t figured out yet. I thought this part was a bit confusing and raised many questions. Back to Dagny. I like her because she’s intelligent and is clearly the obvious choice to run Taggart Transcontinental. I don’t like her because I think she’s a bit one dimensional and not a lot of fun.
Then there’s Henry Rearden— poor little rich boy whose family just doesn’t understand why he’s a workaholic. His mean wife teases him and doesn’t respect him at all. In fact, no one in his family respects him, and yet, his mooching relatives all expect him to support them. Still, you have to admire Rearden because he runs a good business, takes risks and works hard.
Conclusion.
I take issue with the fact that everything is black and white in Atlas-World. After all, not all social programs are worthless, and not all capitalist endeavors are noble. I firmly believe that market competition can encourage efficiency and new discoveries. People should be compensated according to their work. At the same time, I realize that there are flaws in capitalism. I couldn’t help but feel annoyed at the one-sided presentation.
As for John Galt, there are rumors that he found Atlantis. I’ll go looking for him again later, but for now, I’m going to move on to something else.
Related articles
- The Dollop Book Corner – Atlas Shrugged (donegaldollop.wordpress.com)
- Ayn Rand-Loving Companies Fight Over Atlas Shrugged Characters in Court (blogs.sfweekly.com)
Oh boy… I’ve had my fair share of books like this one this year. And this was on my list to pick up too! I think I’ll set it aside for now and maybe pick it up later. Maybe. As my to read list is getting long!
Hugs! Now go read something nice and fun! 😀
That Atlas Shrugged was like a monkey on my back. I didn’t want to give up, but I didn’t want to read on either. With a sigh of relief, I admit my faults and am ready to read something else. I am quite excited! 🙂
I know exactly how you feel! I just recently joined a book club and we’re reading A Widow for a Year by John Irving. When I picked it up I was almost discouraged but it’s an interesting, easy read so far. THANK GOODNESS too~! 😉
No more monkeys! This should be a mantra.
I have been avoiding Ann Rand. Thanks for reaffirming I haven’t been missing much. I did like the Gary Cooper movie The Fountainhead, but still haven’t gotten around to the book. Sigh. I’m not a very well-rounded AP Lit teacher, am I. I know, I’ll do like the students and Spaknote it 🙂
Haha! There’s a special place in my heart for Sparknotes. 🙂
Actually, I’m swinging over the Shmoop.com these days. I’m grooving on their wit and approach to the classics. Plus I get Buffalo points.
I think Shmoop is pretty cool, actually. I discovered them while reading Atlas Shrugged (AS). After I finished reading a chapter in AS, I would read what Shmoop’s assessment was, and it always made me laugh.
I think you nailed it. It is pure propaganda. The characters never change. Ayn Rand was pushing a particular view of the world through an adventure story, not writing complex and interesting literature about real people. She was trying to show how her ideas could manifest (perhaps she had run up against too many incompetents in Russia).
Burn your copy and do something better with your time.
Thanks, Ann. I’m keeping the book because I figure that I could always hit someone with the book if they make me mad.
Or, I might take it down to the local used bookstore and get another book. Hmmmm, the idea has merit.
There. That’s why I’ve been avoiding this. Although I loved The Fountainhead when I first read it, and a part of me still does, I wasn’t too keen on reading Atlas Shrugged. At the time, I was worried that it wouldn’t be nearly as good as The Fountainhead, and so my respect for her would diminish and blah blah black sheep. But I was talking to a friend about it the other day, and we realised that the book had screwed us up a little – and was in complete contradiction to what it claimed to be.
The Fountainhead emphasises individuality and marching to the beat of your own drum for about six-hundred odd pages, but by the end of it, I wasn’t living by my rules, I was following HERS.
Everyone I know who has read her work talks about either a) hating it b) not finishing it or c) feeling brainwashed after a while. I’d recommend trying The Fountainhead, but I don’t want you to read it. Don’t. You’re better off without.
I know some friends who really like Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead. Anyhooo, I’m going to take your suggestion and NOT read it.
My friend gave me this one for my birthday last year and keeps asking if I’ve read it… Let’s just say that I’d like to at some point but then again, reviews like yours make me think twice 😉
Oh dear. 😉
I really would like to finish it someday, just so I can say I read it and can talk intelligently about it . . . but good grief. What a drag! 🙂
Ayn Rand’s one of those writers who’s notoriously off-putting unless you already agree with her. Personally, I’m rarely impressed by writers who set up a can’t-lose argument in their novels, like Rand does, by populating the opposition with hopeless stooges. Perhaps they believe their real-life opponents *really are* hopeless stooges, but their books aren’t going to convince anyone who doesn’t already share that simplistic worldview– that “black and white Atlas-World,” as you say.
Good point, Doug. That’s what really turned me off. Had she injected the characters with more depth (rather than creating such stooges), I think I might have appreciated it more.