Day #288 - Atlas Shrugged

Atlas is the Greek God holding up the whole world - what happens if it gets too heavy for him? He struggles and struggles to hold up the world on his shoulders until one day...he shrugs and the lights of New York go out...

I finally finished this book. I started reading it and got a headache from the tiny print, so I got the book on tape - it is only 55 HOURS long, but listened to most of it back and forth to work every day until it got so good I had to read the book when I wasn't driving. Here is my review:

I loved it. The characters were deep and well developed. The story line educated me on an additional way of looking at the world. It inspired me to take a look at the areas of my life where I am just going thru the motions and not THINKING or CHOOSING to make it better. It made me want to read "War and Peace" and "Les Mes" and other classics. AND now I know who John Galt is, which was bugging me before.

There were a few things that bugged me...for instance, what happened to Eddie Willers? What...he just gets stranded on a train in the dessert and Dagny never thinks about him again?

Also, is Dagny the ONLY brainy woman good enough for, how many men were in love with her...Ok, only 4 (I liked Hank the best), but still...Besides, if she is so smart, how did it take her SOOOO long to join the others? I kept waiting for her to turn out right in her decision to stick it out. I thought she would somehow bring about the ultimate safety of the world, instead she just delayed the inevitable and made everything worse. I did have a woman crush on Dagny as well. I loved her confidence, professionalism and strong no nonsense statements, plus it sounds like she had great arms - she was pretty cool.  

That 57 page speech John gave - what the heck? We just had chapters dedicated to the ideas he talked about in his speech in the pages just before it. He was basically saying the same thing over and over in different ways. I was happy to hear it took him 3 hours to give it on the radio, because it was at least that long for me to listen to it as well.

I also didn't get the purpose of "Project X" - it never really became a factor in the book except to end Dr. Stadler...well, and the bridge I suppose. Anyway, I didn't really get why that was any part of the book.

I did gain a much broader understanding of business and industry and how important it is in our current world. I also have much more respect for the inventors of industry. It is hard to look at our current economy and not wonder if the great industrialists and minds of our world are hiding out somewhere waiting for the lights to go out.

It is just as hard to reconcile the statement, "I swear, by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine" with "love thy neighbor as thyself". These two concepts and schools of thought were constantly present as I read this book - still working it out actually.

Loved the book - HIGHLY recommend reading it.

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "Love is our response to our highest values — and can be nothing else." Ayn Rand