Atlas Shrugged

[jaredalynch]

Going on vacation to the beach next week and I was thinking of reading Atlas Shrugged while there.

Question for those who read it - Is it easy to get into, and can you read it for hours on end?

I guess I'm debating trying it or should I stick with more typical beach reads (I'm also thinking of trying "The Girl w/the Dragon Tattoo" series) and wait to tackle AS.

Thanks in advance for the input.

[grechzoo]

i haven't read it yet, but its high on my list.

its long, though so i guess that already disqualifies it as a typical beach read, me personally i dont have beach reads, i simply try and read the best novels out there, whether they are 100 pages or 1000, any book is more enjoyable sitting ourside in the sun :)

sorry if this is a useleess post, this is just a book im very excited to read, so couldn;t help posting, ill just add that in all my many hours of researching new books to read, this book is mentioned often, and its one i have confidence i will totally enjoy. so if you dont mind a bit of a lengthy read on the beach i would definitely give it a shot.

[dfloyd]

It is much better to get a battery operated cd player with earphones and listen on the beach. These cd players are usually no more than $25. I get cds from my library. At my condo pool, I am currently listening to the Stieg Larsson novel The Girl Who Played with Fire. I previously listened to The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo. Young people never think they might injure their eyes by reading in adverse conditions such as sunlight. But its like staring at an eclipse, You may seriously injure your eyes.

As for reading Ayn Rand, I can't give advice except not to bother. She is not a good writer, and I detest her philosophy.

[mtpspur]

One of my favorite Litnetters AndaveYa thinks very highly of the book. Even the owner of the Comic Shop where I vegetate liked it UNTIL the 190 page speech portion. Me I would rather read Ethan Frome then this stuff and EF is and never will be a favorite read.

[minstrelbard]

I've read Atlas Shrugged several times. Do I recommend it? Yeah. I think it's a fun read (maybe I'm weird that way ...)

Do I agree with Ayn Rand's philosophy? No. I think she was a kind of a genius, but one who was fundamentally wrong. But go ahead and read Atlas Shrugged - you'll probably enjoy it. You don't get bonus points for reading the whole radio speech in it, though, so it's okay to skip over that part.

[Emil Miller]

I haven't read 'Atlas Shrugged' but I know someone who has and therefore know the general storyline. I wouldn't be put off by other people's views on the philosophical content of it; after all, one doesn't need to be in agreement with a writer's views to find them interesting. I tried reading 'We the Living' by Rand and couldn't finish it. It wasn't particularly well written and the subject matter about post-revolutionary Russia was something I had studied fairly comprehensively in the past, so it didn't need going over again.