Ayn Rand

SleepyBob · 03-14-2013, 04:06 PM

I have been avoiding her books for a long time. I'm not a big fan of Objectivism, but feel like I ought to at least give one of her books a try.

Where to start (and perhaps, end)?

Dr. Drib · 03-14-2013, 04:18 PM

Try 'Anthem,' as it's of novella length and it's free on Amazon, right here:

http://www.amazon.com/Anthem-ebook/d...rand+in+kindle

Don

Mike L · 03-14-2013, 04:28 PM

I started reading Atlas Shrugged recently, but I found it heavy going, and gave up. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood. I might try again one day.

Mike

BeccaPrice · 03-14-2013, 05:45 PM

I've been told that you have to be a certain age (13?) to find Ayn Rand meaningful. I never hit that golden age, I think.

xg4bx · 03-14-2013, 05:47 PM

I've never read Rand but Objectivism sounds like it's right up my alley.

GlenBarrington · 03-14-2013, 06:58 PM

It's great as long as you are using it to judge OTHER people you don't know and have no compassion for. The problem is when you try to apply it to people you love. It kind of breaks down then.

Then again, I saw a biography of her on Netflix (excellent), and I don't think there were that many people in her life that she loved or didn't feel betrayed by.

Bilbo1967 · 03-14-2013, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

It's great as long as you are using it to judge OTHER people you don't know and have no compassion for.

That would explain why so many politicians love it then.

hidari · 03-14-2013, 07:56 PM

I second the recommendation......Anthem is a good start

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Try 'Anthem,' as it's of novella length and it's free on Amazon, right here:

http://www.amazon.com/Anthem-ebook/d...rand+in+kindle

Don

LovesMacs · 03-14-2013, 11:47 PM

Haven't read Anthem. I think The Fountainhead is easier to get into than Atlas Shrugged though the latter novel more explicitly lays out her philosophy. You could even say that that is part of Atlas Shrugged's problem as a novel.

rkomar · 03-15-2013, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LovesMacs

Haven't read Anthem. I think The Fountainhead is easier to get into than Atlas Shrugged though the latter novel more explicitly lays out her philosophy. You could even say that that is part of Atlas Shrugged's problem as a novel.

I completely agree with this. I read The Fountainhead first, really liked it, and then was kind of disappointed with Atlas Shrugged. It seemed to be more of a lesson than a novel.

CHunter_Author · 03-15-2013, 01:28 AM

Her writing style is incredible. You can pick any random page of her work and dive right into that powerful narrative voice.

Dr. Drib · 03-15-2013, 06:36 AM

Here's another thread on MobileRead about Rand's 'Anthem,' which may provide further insight into that book:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...nd#post2362195

Don

jmilica · 03-15-2013, 01:05 PM

I first read Fountainhead. I liked the book so I read Atlas Shrugged as well, and yes, I liked Atlas as well. If you just want to try Rand, I would recommend Fountainhead as a beginning. And then you can take it from there.

SleepyBob · 03-15-2013, 01:11 PM

Thanks, I hadn't even considered Anthem. It looks like Overdrive has it available, so I'll put it on my list.

Elfwreck · 03-15-2013, 01:44 PM

Gutenberg also has Anthem.

I like Rand as speculative literature; the books have some serious problems as actual philosophies. Rand's theories about how society should work assumes that everyone is more-or-less equally competent to start with, and if they're not, that's their own fault.

The specific holes in her philosophies are obvious when trying to apply them to children, and any group of people disadvantaged by powers outside of their control. She manages to get around this gaping chasm in actual politics by just not having children in her stories, except as background features attached to minor characters. (This is apparently how she managed them in life, so that makes some sense.)

I enjoy her stories very much. I picked up several important lessons from them. I have never figured out how people got from them to, as XKCD says, "therefore, be a huge ***hole to everyone."

03-14-2013, 04:06 PM	#1
SleepyBob Evangelist Posts: 426 Karma: 8522810 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Wisconsin, USA Device: Kindle PW3	Ayn Rand I have been avoiding her books for a long time. I'm not a big fan of Objectivism, but feel like I ought to at least give one of her books a try. Where to start (and perhaps, end)?

03-14-2013, 06:58 PM	#6
GlenBarrington Cheese Whiz Posts: 1,986 Karma: 11677147 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Springfield, Illinois Device: Kindle PW, Samsung Tab A 10.1(2019), Pixel 6a.	I like her philosophy somewhat. . . It's great as long as you are using it to judge OTHER people you don't know and have no compassion for. The problem is when you try to apply it to people you love. It kind of breaks down then. Then again, I saw a biography of her on Netflix (excellent), and I don't think there were that many people in her life that she loved or didn't feel betrayed by.

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03-14-2013, 04:18 PM	#2
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 45,441 Karma: 59592133 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: KINDLE: Oasis 3, Scribe (1st), Matcha; KOBO: Libra 2, Libra Colour	Try 'Anthem,' as it's of novella length and it's free on Amazon, right here: http://www.amazon.com/Anthem-ebook/d...rand+in+kindle Don

03-14-2013, 04:28 PM	#3
Mike L Wizard Posts: 1,479 Karma: 3846231 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Kindle 3, Samsung Galaxy	I started reading Atlas Shrugged recently, but I found it heavy going, and gave up. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood. I might try again one day. Mike

03-14-2013, 05:45 PM	#4
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,146 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	I've been told that you have to be a certain age (13?) to find Ayn Rand meaningful. I never hit that golden age, I think.

03-14-2013, 05:47 PM	#5
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	I've never read Rand but Objectivism sounds like it's right up my alley.

03-14-2013, 11:47 PM	#9
LovesMacs Fanatic Posts: 513 Karma: 2644386 Join Date: Apr 2012 Device: iPhone, Kindle Touch	Haven't read Anthem. I think The Fountainhead is easier to get into than Atlas Shrugged though the latter novel more explicitly lays out her philosophy. You could even say that that is part of Atlas Shrugged's problem as a novel.

03-15-2013, 01:28 AM	#11
CHunter_Author Zealot Posts: 118 Karma: 503896 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Bronx, NY Device: iPhone	Her writing style is incredible. You can pick any random page of her work and dive right into that powerful narrative voice.

03-15-2013, 06:36 AM	#12
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 45,441 Karma: 59592133 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: KINDLE: Oasis 3, Scribe (1st), Matcha; KOBO: Libra 2, Libra Colour	Here's another thread on MobileRead about Rand's 'Anthem,' which may provide further insight into that book: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...nd#post2362195 Don

03-15-2013, 01:05 PM	#13
jmilica Banned Posts: 335 Karma: 1545924 Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: India Device: Kindle KB, Kindle PW	I first read Fountainhead. I liked the book so I read Atlas Shrugged as well, and yes, I liked Atlas as well. If you just want to try Rand, I would recommend Fountainhead as a beginning. And then you can take it from there.

03-15-2013, 01:11 PM	#14
SleepyBob Evangelist Posts: 426 Karma: 8522810 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Wisconsin, USA Device: Kindle PW3	Thanks, I hadn't even considered Anthem. It looks like Overdrive has it available, so I'll put it on my list.

03-15-2013, 01:44 PM	#15
Elfwreck Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,187 Karma: 25133758 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area, California, USA Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3 (Past: Kobo Mini, PEZ, PRS-505, Clié)	Gutenberg also has Anthem. I like Rand as speculative literature; the books have some serious problems as actual philosophies. Rand's theories about how society should work assumes that everyone is more-or-less equally competent to start with, and if they're not, that's their own fault. The specific holes in her philosophies are obvious when trying to apply them to children, and any group of people disadvantaged by powers outside of their control. She manages to get around this gaping chasm in actual politics by just not having children in her stories, except as background features attached to minor characters. (This is apparently how she managed them in life, so that makes some sense.) I enjoy her stories very much. I picked up several important lessons from them. I have never figured out how people got from them to, as XKCD says, "therefore, be a huge ***hole to everyone."

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