ShyFlyer wrote:Finished Part 1 of
Atlas Shrugged over the weekend. Aside from the fact that Ayn Rand has a fetish for the word "astonished," it's been a great read so far. It's also very eerily prophetic.
So I've now finished it. I had set it aside a while, but I picked it back up and have even watched the movie version.
Imagine a world in which the economy is slowly grinding to a halt. A world in which society is increasingly unwilling to face harsh realities but instead tries to focus it's efforts on making people feel better. A world where the "movers and shakers" are increasingly tasked with supporting those who decide they cannot or will not support themselves. Imagine a world where political leaders are more than willing to aid them. Now, imagine that slowly, one by one, those "movers and shakers" start to disappear.
It's quite surprising that this book was written in the 50s as it could almost be describing today's world. If you haven't read this book, it should be high on your reading list.
Ayn Rand really needs a thesaurus. She uses the word
astonished way too much. I found John Galt's broadcast speech waaaaaay too long, especially by that point in the book, the reader should have a good grasp on his philosophy.
Overall, I give the book:
Make Orwell fiction again.