Atlas Shrugged

Rand's crowning work is little more than a modern morality play. The good guys (and they're almost all guys) are tall, handsome, strong, charismatic, and intelligent. The bad guys (also almost all guys) are bloated, sniveling, conniving, slothful, and perverse. The conclusion of the novel, both in terms of its plot and its philosophy, is inevitable within its own constructed reality. If Rand's purpose in writing Atlas Shrugged was, as she stated, to convince her readers of her “objectivist” philosophy, her methods were poorly chosen. Unless you come to this book already sharing Rand's view of the world, you will likely find yourself (as I did) revolted by her rejection of compassion, disturbed by her unabashed racism, and incredulous at her overly simplistic characters and their apparent motivations.

That said, I found the book enjoyable enough and certainly worth reading, given its significance for modern American political thought. The plot is compelling enough to have kept me wanting to read on and through a thousand pages of diatribe, Rand forces each reader to come to terms with her political philosophy. For me, personally, this has forced me to reluctantly adjust the way I think about the role and purpose of government, even if I'm a long way from accepting Rand's views. Her impassioned defense of personal agency hit home with me as well, but her static, predestined characters send a mixed message that undermines her intended effect.

Three stars.