The Works of Ayn Rand

[Deleted]

I actually thought Peter Keating was the most human of all the characters; the others I'd call closer to caricatures (sp?). Sure, he was deeply flawed and had a weak character, but I'd also say he redeemed himself by the end--he took a close look at himself; didn't like what he saw, and admitted it. Plus, he stood up for Roark at the second big trial and told the honest truth, showing integrity and loyalty. Isn't that sort of what life is about, as people go through different stages, hopefully growing and learning from mistakes they'd made?
Roark just never seemed like a real, humanlike person to me. Though I do have to admit, Rand did make me root for him to succeed.

[Deleted]

Yeah, pretty much. Although I preferred Gail Wynand. Total weasel, he was just so entertaining. That and I think he was hot for Roark.

I kept wanting to smack Dominque.

[swanflake]

How old is Ayn Rand? A friend of mine who's getting increasingly pretentious quoted her on his Xanga, and somehow I brought that up in a conversation with my mom, and she told me that when she was in high school, and the snotty, pretentious intellectual types would read her books, and they would always carry a book of hers around with them in a way that said "Yes, I read Ayn Rand. I'm so cool." My mom graduated high school in 1969. I had no idea that Ayn Rand has been around for that long, just going on the discussion I've heard about her.

Again, I've never read one of this woman's books, nor do I plan too, but the people I've been acquainted with in real life and on the internet who have a great deal of praise for this woman have usually turned out to be people I don't particularly care for, thus calling me to this thread.

[Ripley]

Biography of Ayn Rand

When I read The Fountainhead, I always thought that Roark was supposed to be Frank Lloyd Wright. However, that may be because I did a big project on FLW my senior year in college, and I read Fountainhead right after I graduated.

[ahenobarbus]

I had no idea that Ayn Rand has been around for that long, just going on the discussion I've heard about her.

As I was trying to suggest earlier, I think she's a product of the 1920s (even though she only arrived in the U.S. at the end of that decade). Her novels swipe ideas from the popular fiction of the era, and her 'philosophy' is a kind of faux-Nietzschianism cum Ibsenism that H.L. Mencken was making popular.

[incognito]

Unearthing this thread because someone on the Dumb Quotes thread mentioned that there had once been an Ayn Rand thread in the Literary section. My hatred for Ayn Rand has resurfaced after finding a Brandon Routh quote in this week's People mag:

"I don't know if most people will want to read something this heavy, but I really recommend Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. It will take you all summer to read but you just might learn something, be inspired and have your opinions changed."

Brandon? You're a few years behind the curve. You're supposed to gush over Ayn Rand when you're in high school and college. And then you grow out of it.

The only book of hers I've managed to get through is Anthem, and that's because it's so short. It's just like the poor man's version of We. I tried reading both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged (my mom even tried to rope me into a Rand essay contest sponsored by the Rand Foundation). But my eyes kept glazing over and so I finally gave up.

[chonies]

That was me! And now, rereading this thread, I can't find all the searing quotes people had about Ayn and Her Superfans--maybe it was in the "books you threw across the room" thread? Kafka, in particular, gave an eloquent disembowelling to the emotionally stunted who worshipped Rand.

That Brandon Routh quote was wrong in so many ways "it might take you all summer," was both dumb and condescending. Topic? I still hate Ayn Rand, despite not having finished any of her oeuvre. And I don't think I will.

[Deleted]

ripley said:

Biography of Ayn Rand

When I read The Fountainhead, I always thought that Roark was supposed to be Frank Lloyd Wright. However, that may be because I did a big project on FLW my senior year in college, and I read Fountainhead right after I graduated.

He was supposed to be Frankl Lloyd Wright, IIRC.

[chonies]

Incognito, the discussion I was thinking of was in Unpopular Literary Opinions, starting on page 17. It goes on for a while, too!

*eta* I linked wrong.

[dancedancexenu]

incognito said:

The only book of hers I've managed to get through is Anthem, and that's because it's so short. It's just like the poor man's version of We. I tried reading both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged (my mom even tried to rope me into a Rand essay contest sponsored by the Rand Foundation). But my eyes kept glazing over and so I finally gave up.

Oh man, I love We. I love the random technology in it, I love the arc of the story, and I love the ending (it's the ending that 1984 should have had).

I'll admit that I never read an Ayn Rand book until this year (third year of uni). It was Anthem, and it read like an essay about We written by McCarthy. I really wasn't impressed with her philosophy, and I was less impressed with her prose. Just not a fan.