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Summary: The single most important book you'll ever read
Review: Yes, the characters are one dimensional. It was written that way to show in the abstract the various values, good and bad, that Ayn Rand wanted to illustrate. Yes, there are other minor flaws, yet in scope and ideas, the book is breathtaking. When the history of the 20th century is written, Rand's book will be an important turning point. It will change the world, one individual at a time. It points out the lies of collectivisim, socialism, totalatarism, all the ism's that demand that the individual give up his rights for the "greater good." This book should be "required" reading for everyone, which of course begs the question of required by whom?
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Summary: Because of Ayn Rand I almost became a Socialist
Review: I finally gave up reading this rather boring book when Rand had a musical composer leave society and join the Rocky Mountain Millionaire's retreat. Rand doesn't understand what motivates artists because she isn't an artist. She has a kind of denatured creativity and the capacity to get people thinking about certain ideas, which is not easy to do, so I give her book 2 stars (instead of just one).
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Summary: Unbelievable
Review: This book is the best book ever written. It blew my mind. That's all I can say about it.
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Summary: MAGNIFICENT -- ITS HATE-FILLED ENEMIES ARE LIARS AND TWITS
Review: This novel explodes with passion, intellectuality, cinematic style, a profound (and apparently profoundly inspiring) philosophy. The New York Times's admiring review deemed this novel: "Thundering Melodrama and Profound Political Parable." I will add that it is much more than that. The power of the book is apparent off the page as well as on. For example, observe some of the negative reviews below. Someone from Austin, Texas tells us "Atlas" contains a rape. It most certainly does not; that is simply a malicious lie, amounting to slander. "Atlas"'s detractors are so full of guilty hatred and rage that many frequently misrepresent the novel, some quite deliberately. If you have independence, self-esteem, a sense of humor (yes), and imagination, and if you want a profoundly materialistic -- and spiritual -- experience, then read the novel yourself.
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Summary: I'd been dying to read this, but...
Review: I'm still amazed at Ayn Rand's talent, having read many of her books (We the Living, my fav of all time), but didn't completely agree with her philosophy that she visited OVER and OVER and OVER again! (VERY long book) It's amazingly relevant to modern times, but much too much to the right.
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Summary: Rand Unleashed and Out of Control
Review: This book was a pure exercise of the "ego" as Ms rand described in "Anthem" - only problem is, its an ego out of control. The book has its redeeming moments and weaves in and out of some very interesting sub plots, but it is just too over- simplified and most of it antagonists too one dimensional to be given any attention. The indutries if the U.S. are bascially run by only a handful of individuals - no stockholders, no real board of directors (That term was always a no-no - see "The Fountainhead"). Although purporting a somewhat futuristic look at the world, it just for some reason ends up not "feeling right" - 1950 set at the new millemium. Also, Ms. Rand's attempt at writing an action novel in parts, reads like a cheap dime novel. Overall, I liked it more than I disliked it, but for the amount of time it required, it just wasn't worth it. For the newly initiated, read "We the Living" instead. You will find Ayn Rand in her most pure form and the ideas make perfect sense.
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Summary: One million trees died for this
Review: A distinction should be made between Ayn Rand's philosophy and her novels. Her philosophy is a rehash of individualism, libertarianism and laissez-faire liberalism. Most people would agree with it, at least in part, though few would go to Ayn Rand's extreme of "Everyone but me is expendable." Her novels, on the other hand, are garbage. The characters are cardboard cut-outs. Her plots are out of a comic book. As for style, Ayn Rand writes like Adolf Hitler on speed. We are continually subjected to long-winded rants saying the same thing over and over again. Come on, we got it the first time - and the second, and the hundredth. Ayn Rand has a very low opinion of your intelligence, why else would she keep on explaining as if to a moron. Of course, she cannot insult your intelligence if you have none in the first place. One of the strangest things is the contradiction between the Rand philosophy as advertised and as it appears in her books. For example: "Man is a rational creature." / "If you disagree with me I hate you." "Everyone can be the hero of their own life." / "There are a few heroes and all the rest are evil parasites." "Don't expect other people to sacrifice themselves for you." / "Six billion people will be sacrificed so that the Ubermensch can triumph."
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Summary: This book has had an enormous impact on the world we live in
Review: Atlas Shrugged is by no means a perfect book, but it must be read. Among its greatest errors are the one dimensionality of the characters. They are either good, or bad. There are no shades of gray. It is also filled with redundancy. There is no better example than John Gault's speech. The love story is clumsily handled. The writing is often mundane. The ideas, however, are so important that they would overcome five times that many weaknesses. The book is an unbelievably vivid illustration of the principals that make capitalism the premier system of government that man has ever devised. The threats to that system are illustrated brilliantly by showing how the results of well intentioned actions backfire.
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Summary: Atlas Shrugged is the book for our times.
Review: Hinduism describes phases of life--gratification of the self in youth, the quest for power and productivity in middle age, and the search for truth as one gets older. Hermann Hesse, Dostoevsky, Lawrence--these are the authors of youth. Ayn Rand speaks to those of us of more seasoned years, who produce the goods and services that keep society afloat. It is a novel based in philosophy--but don't let that scare you. She makes her point, in fabulous prose, while weaving a great mystery and love story. It is a book for those who love a well turned phrase, who want to escape into a great novel, who want to understand the problems of today's entitlement laden society. Ayn Rand--who fled the reality of Bolshievik Russia,learned English as a second language, and herself learned of capitalism the hard way to rise from rags to riches and fame--has truly written a book for our times.
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Summary: this book got me out of my messed up life
Review: i was into dope & i was messing my career up really badly. then someone passed this book to me. i left dope the day i finished this marvel. i was 18 when i had read it. now i am 19 & i am reading it for the 7 time succesively. i have started studin a lot. i got the 3rd rank in my class in XIth std. i am in my scools's basketball, football, T.T. teams & my name has been appearing in the papers quite often now. all this i wanna dedicate to the book which changed me all together and changed me for the good only. my heartiest regards to the author. there was a time in my life two years back when i had tried to commit suicide. but now the zeal for life has increased as never before. thanx again AYN RAND. your thinking gave me my life back.
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