Atlas Shrugged

Atlas Shrugged with indifference

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Value for money? Yep it's 63 hours long. Entertaining? Not in any real sense.

What could Ayn Rand have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Had Rand employed a judicious editor, introduced a sense of pace, or narrative thrust it might have been bearable. While I have no personal issue with didactic writing, labouring a point over interminable ages bears little fruit in terms of convincing or entertaining the reader.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favourite?

Character performance is superb throughout and his delivery is a real strength.

Could you see Atlas Shrugged being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

Even God himself (deity of your choice) could not forge this into a film worthy of watching.

Any additional comments?

The book is notable not just for its length but also for containing the least appealing love affair in history.

29 people found this helpful

John Galt would have liked it

A minor criticism first. The first track in this audio book is an introduction with spoilers, so you should skip it if you don't want the surprise to be spoiled. The narration is clear and well acted and the sound is good.



Atlas Shrugged is two books in one: a novel and a book of philosophy. As a novel, AS is very good. It has interesting characters that change over the course of the book in ways that seem reasonable given their worldview and the world they live in. The plot also makes sense and is very effective at presenting Rand's worldview.



Many people complain about AS. I think these complaints are largely due to them disagreeing with the philosophy without having any good arguments against it. Do characters speak more eloquently than most people do in real life? There isn't a novel worth reading where that isn't true. The characters sometimes give speeches when they have something to say that requires a speech. People disapprove of this stuff because they dislike the content of the speech, not because there is a speech. My suggestion about how to approach the book is this: every time you feel outraged ask yourself whether you have a logical argument against what Rand is saying. If you don't then you should be willing to admit that you might be wrong and keep going.



So, to conclude, this audiobook is a well-narrated presentation of a challenging and dramatic novel.

85 people found this helpful

Has challenged me to rethink ideas

For a long time I was reluctant to start reading this book, as it is a very long book, but it has been a great "read" for many hours of driving. Yes, it is long, but it has kept me interested and curious for the next turn of events.



I knew it was a political/philosophical book and it has certainly provoked my thinking - more than I really like, as I normally do not see myself as such a radical liberal as promoted here. The "looters" seem so obvious wrong in this book, that it is scary how often we see and hear their ideas promoted in real life also now in 2013. Having travelled around the world, I see countries almost purely based on the model promoted by the "looters" here - and not surprisingly these countries seem on the brink of catastrophe.



Probably the most thought provoking book I have "read" in years.

28 people found this helpful

Way too long, only for ideologues

Rand is a terrible writer who doesn’t understand the meaning of the word subtlety - she makes the same point over and over and over, using ridiculous straw men characters.

8 people found this helpful

Well Worth the Effort

I was so pleased when I saw the unabridged version of Atlas Shrugged had been released on Audible. I tried to fight my way through the tiny font 1168 page paperback I bought a few years ago but I only have so much determination. This is what audiobooks were meant to be.



As many know this set in an America where socialism has gone bad. At times you do feel as though Rand is hitting you over the head with her message, but I suspected it was always going to be that way.



After a slow start Rand manages to keep my interest in the plot, although I have to admit that it's lovers of philosophy who will get the most out of this book.



Well read by Scott Brick; next up for me in the unabridged Fountainhead.



The longest book I have ever bought and definitely value for money.

24 people found this helpful

Atlas Shrugged

This is a fantastic eye opening read. It gives the reader a whole new view of the economy today even though it was written in the late 50s. I would recommend this audio especially for those who find reading a book of this size difficult. Definitely a must have!

14 people found this helpful

A work of fiction, a work of philosophy.

I really can not describe how much this novel has affected me. The value this book presents is just unmatched by any other work of its kind. For me Atlas Shrugged feels like a classic that is actually a classic. Themes of the book weave together like nothing I have ever read. If you enjoy a good thought provoking book, Atlas Shrugged will change your life.

18 people found this helpful

Painful at times

I want to start by saying that I was very happy with Scott Brick's narration, to the point that I think I may have stopped listening around 50 hours if the narration hadn't been as strong.

Throughout reading this book I struggled to reconcile the feeling that a book challenging the more dominant narrative that societal good trumps individual liberty is important with a general frustration with the book. The story is ok but when that story strays into the barely concealed philosophic message it descends into lengthy rambling monologues that endlessly repeat themselves. All people who follow the 'wrong' moral code are set up as ridiculous straw men of their views, the 'good' characters are all absolutely faultless with no one who follows something approaching the right code ever doing anything slightly dubious even though the code allows considerable leeway for behaviour that would be considered negatively by many in our society. I got extremely close to stopping listening over 50 hours in because of an extreme example of this. A speech by a character that is positioned to be the cap stone of the philosophy the author wishes to communicate; Entire films have been able to communicate deep meaningful messages in less time than this speech which is so unpersuasive, so repetitive, so full of fallacies and false equivalences, untruths, and meaningless prose.

3 people found this helpful

Atlas Shrugged - 30th Edition complete with extras

Would you listen to Atlas Shrugged again? Why?

A titan of a book, by any standards, would need to give it a while before revisiting, will be trying The Fountainhead though.

What did you like best about this story?

Narration perfectly executed by Scott Brick.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favourite?

Brick's take on all the characters is excellent, but his Hank Rearden was the best.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Such a great book, narrated so well, with notes from the author etc thrown in for good measure.

Any additional comments?

One of the best purchases I've made on Audible.

7 people found this helpful

An Explanation of Our Current Folly.

Prophetic vision of our future written Sixty years ago. This is a gripping read that seems to explain today's headlines. Well read in the audible format. An excellent explanation of why ,"There is no free lunch."

10 people found this helpful