Leo Walsh answers “In terms of Ayn Rand's fiction, does it...”

Kendall Moore asked this question about Atlas Shrugged:

In terms of Ayn Rand's fiction, does it make more sense to start with Anthem or The Fountainhead?

Leo Walsh "Anthem" is at least half-way decent pulp science fiction novel. It is derivative of many distopias, notably "We" by Zamyatin, but it's not terrible. …more"Anthem" is at least half-way decent pulp science fiction novel. It is derivative of many distopias, notably "We" by Zamyatin, but it's not terrible. Say about three-stars.

"Atlas Shrugged," on the other hand, is rapidly becoming a one-star read as I plod though it. The "heroes" don't act heroically. Instead, imagine Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark abandoning regular people, and holing up in a gated community. Then exhuming Marie Antoinette, where they can scoff at the common people, and chant "Let them eat cake."

And it strains my ability to suspend my disbelief. I often find myself laughing, saying "People don't act that way." Example. One of the "good guys" [according to Rand's intentions, not my assessment] disrupts a wedding, preaches for like twenty pages (maybe fifteen or twenty minutes straight), insulting the groom and his guests and doesn't get slugged.... You get the point.(less)

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Peter Hernandez It's five pages, bub. No need to exaggerate (lie). And do you remember anything in particular about the groom, James Taggart? Anything that may have s ...more
Jun 10, 2016 07:09PM · flag

Tzvi Deutsch Leo, you missed a key point; The entire book, it's characters and the situations they find themselves in are exaggerated to make a point, the point of ...more
Oct 26, 2016 01:59PM · flag

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