Has anyone read Ayn Rand? I read Atlas Shrugged and loved it, Can’t get into the Fountainhead!
Has anyone read Ayn Rand? I read Atlas Shrugged and loved it, Can’t get into the Fountainhead!
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God no, wouldn’t touch it.
Why?
Lori, I agree, I would not recommend them except as a point of curiosity. I read them decades ago when I was in college, and was at first attracted to the inspiring impact of the individualistic aspect of the objectivist philosophy. But as I matured and learned more about Ayn Rand, and began to see through the manipulation in her work, and also watched the appalling places it has taken our society, I came to find it repellent.
@Laura Interesting – can you tell us more?
@Caitlin, LOL, John Oliver expressed it better than I can.
https://youtu.be/_8m8cQI4DgM
@Laura great video. I laughed out loud!
TY @Laura, have never seen that but expressed my thoughts exactly!
Thanks, loved the video,
Couldnt agree more. Truly…insidious, seditious, like fascism. Crazy Russian, fake smart
Disgusting woman with disgusting ideas.
My problem with this video…one of their reasons for why she shouldn’t still be a thing is she doesn’t fit completely into a box of being conservative because she’s pro choice but since she’s pro capitalism she can’t be liberal either…so her ideas are no longer relevant? And also we should only read authors we agree with? I agree with her in some things and hate some other things she says. Why does everyone these days either have to be totally idolized or demonized?
@Stephanie exactly how i feel! I think she was a very talented writer and the fountainhead made me feel a lot of things.
@Stephanie, I agree. There are a couple of things that I agree with her about, and others that I find an abomination. And I’m glad that I read her books so that I can make up my own mind from first-hand information and evaluation. The bubble phenomenon is increasingly troubling. I pine for the days when it was more common to be widely and deeply informed, and to use reasoning skills to make up one’s own mind.
I loved the Fountainhead but yes it was hard to get in to at first. But if you loved Atlas, you should keep going!
I loved Atlas Shrugged, but it took devotion to finish.
I loved Atlas Shrugged. Not tried Fountainhead
i loved it! very profound actions taken by the characters.
Atlas Shrugged is my favorite but I enjoyed The Fountainhead.
The fountainhead started off slow for me but then i got really into it. Its my favorite book now.
I read both books, many years ago, remember liking both of them
Only read Atlas Shrugged. Massive disappointment. Overrated IMHO
Oh god no, never,
I tried, but just couldn’t do it.
Shes an amazing writer and I am willing to read The fountainhead but I still haven’t got the chance to unfortunately
I’ve read The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, Anthem and We The Living. I thought they were good stories and interesting in that they came about as a response to her life under the Soviets. They are less good and interesting when she loses faith in her reader and begins to have her characters lecture her readers to make sure they’ve gotten the point.
Not in my house. Probably the first book I threw in the trash.
I read it many years ago, it’s worth the work.
I tried I really really tried to read Atlas Shrugged but I just couldn’t do it.
To be bluntly honest. I got atlas shrugged in the mail. I made it maybe 3 chapters before I told my cat he could shred it. Over the course of 3 days he clawed and chewed and scratched his way through that book. He too only made it about 3 chapters before ignoring it completely.
Read them years ago and do not care at all for them .
I hated Atlas Shrugged. With a passion.
I find Ayn Rand’s beliefs disagreeable, so don’t read her. I know many do.
Supposedly Paul Ryan’s favorite author.
No surprise there.
I’d heard that too.
Never. Was influenced by a college friends father. He was a very intelligent, cultured and diverse reader. He said he would never have this author in his house. I respected his decision and decided there were so many other authors to read.
As much as I dislike Ayn Rand I feel like I have to say to you not to let others make up your mind for you. As this is the internet I also must say. I’m not trying to be rude or say that you do that. I just felt it needed to be said. ?
@Kali I appreciate your input
Read both. Found both utter nonsense.
I got about half way through Atlas Shrugged and had a “who cares?” Feeling about it-so I gave up. Too many books and so little time!
Oh I loved fountainhead. Keep with it a few more chapters and see if you get hooked. If not, set it aside.
It amuses me how folks have the same reaction to Rand as some Evangelical Christians do to Harry Potter – complete dismissal without reading a page. “Won’t have it in my house!!!” Whatever blows your hair back! However, her books might not be about what you think they are about .
I came to my above ^ opinion after reading both Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. (And won’t have either in my house.?)
Which is fine – either way is fine with me – it makes no difference to me.
It just amuses me with both Harry Potter and Rand – people (not you, clearly) allow others to make the judgment for them.
And then people think they know what these books are about, and they generally don’t know. And at some point, maybe they will read these books and then be shocked at how much they aren’t what they thought that they were.
I have come across people who read Potter as adults and were so surprised to learn that they are very Christian books, and others who were shocked to discover that they actually love Rand.
I don’t know of any other books which are like this. Books which are viewed as complete poison by those who have never turned one page. And, Potter and Rand are pretty much dimetrically opposed, aren’t they?
I just find it so curious….
I loved Ayn Rand’s books in high school. They were assigned by my favorite English teacher, whose family escaped communist Russia.
@Catherine I love them, too.
I loved Fountainhead
Wow!!! So many different opinions!
I love the movie The Fountainhead, but couldn’t get into the book. I read Anthem in 8th grade. I liked that one.
I just picked up Anthem at the library book sale to re read
I read Fountainhead many years ago and I remember liking it, but I don’t remember the story. Maybe I’ll read it again, although I never read books more than once.
You must read Ayn Rand with an understanding of the philosophy of her writings, which is objectivism.
Who is John Galt? ?
I have not read those but I really enjoyed Anthem also by her.
I also loved atlas shrugged but couldn’t get into fountainhead
I read them 46 yrs ago and like them at the time. But when I hear Paul Ryan claim all of his staff must read Rand I am out off
Yeah, I hated that too, because I liked them both.
Anthem was amazing!
I think there are certain ages and phases of one’s life when her books particularly resonate with her readers.
Fountainhead is my favourite favourite book of all time!
I love the style of writing and the age it depicts. But not so much the philosophy
I agree with that, but I think it is good to read “the other side” just to be aware!
Anthem was great.✌️
Amazingly my mother gave me The Fountainhead from our home bookshelf when I was in highschool. I loved it. Loved Atlas Shrugged. For years a follower. But life happened and I changed a lot. Just reread recently, remembering how much I loved the books, found the stories compelling. The philosophy not so.
I read and enjoyed the “fountainhead”. I have “atlas shrugged” in my TBR list.
I prefer the story of Ayn rather than her novels. Reading Fountainhead made me feel like she was trying to trick me into something.
I did in college to see what the fuss was about. It made no sense to me. I’ve tried reading it since and it still makes no sense. I understand it, and her philosophy, I just think it’s nonsensical.
The Fountainhead is one of my all time favorites…the movie is excellent as well.
Read them all many years ago. Made quite the impression!
I tried to get into Atlas Shrugged. Could not. Now that I see her philosophy is being embraced by too many I’m glad I didnt?
I read Fountainhead while living in NYC. Enjoyed the architectural nostalgia.