7 thoughts on “Atlas Shrugged”

  1. I’ve heard that book described as turgid, with cookie-cutter two-dimensional character, written by an ugly russian woman. I did try to read it, a couple of times. But my attempts usually lasted about as long as my attempts at reading Das Kapital – the book is too boring and poorly written.

    Now the Wealth of Nations, or The Moon is a Harsh Mistress… those were good books.

  2. I’ve heard that book described as turgid, with cookie-cutter two-dimensional character, written by an ugly russian woman.

    Would it make it more readable if she had been a beautiful Russian woman? I’m not sure what the pertinence of the author’s physical appearance is to the worth of a book, unless perhaps it’s a book on beauty tips.


  3. Would it make it more readable if she had been a beautiful Russian woman?

    Sure, I would read a book written by Anna Kournikova. Although I doubt it would be as good as something written by Dostoyevsky.

  4. Sure, I would read a book written by Anna Kournikova.

    Why? You have very strange criteria for selecting reading material. I might read a book written by her, but it wouldn’t be because it was written by her. There would have to be some other reason.

  5. From what I have seen of authors’ photos, if I based my choice of reading material on how good-looking they were I’d have maybe read one or two books in my whole life.

    That being said, I’ve seen photos of Ayn Rand and in her younger days, at least, she wasn’t bad looking.

  6. I’ve heard that book described as turgid, with cookie-cutter two-dimensional character, written by an ugly russian woman.

    All true, though that last bit is just mean. It’s not relevant to her writing either, as Rand alludes.

    I thought the novels were lousy, but I thought her philosophy was just as lousy. She was spot on in diagnosing the problems of a collectivist State (even democratic ones), but Objectivism (as a solution to certain human shortcomings) is nearly as inhuman as Marxism. Classical Liberalism really is “the answer”, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.

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