Atlas Shrugged

Good with some caveats

I enjoyed this book a lot but there are some negatives that diminished my enjoyment of it.

The Good:
- I loved the protagonists (Dagny, Hank Rearden, Francisco). They were strong, intelligent characters and I was rooting for them right from the start
- the story was interesting. I was anxious to find out how it would all end and it was gripping
- the philosophical disadvantages of Socialism are well-presented

The Bad:
- it seems very exaggerated. I don't think the staunchest defenders of Socialism would identify with the "Incompetents' (my word for them) in this book
- the antagonists in this book (James Taggart, Wesley Mulch, etc.) seemed to be the same person. They are one-dimensional with no redeeming qualities
- it was very, very long. A few times I wanted to stop because it was so long but I really wanted to find out how it all turned out. John Galt's speech on the radio could have been cut down to 10% of its length with no loss of meaning or impact.

Overall a good, enjoyable story and I recommend it

35 people found this helpful

A long listen but worth the effort and patience

At 63 hours long, this is the definition of a marathon listening session, but I think it's worth it. Atlas Shrugged is a long story, which presents Ayn Rand's theory of objectivism through a number of speeches and discussions, but it also has a great fictional narrative that goes along side it. You may not like Rand's politics or philosophy, but at its heart this story has a great female lead character who fights to be successful and competent surrounded by idiots, fools and incompetents. So, give it a try, you might be surprised and enjoy it.

84 people found this helpful

Hurt version decidedly superior

While I appreciate many of Scott Brick's audiobooks, he misses the emotional impetus behind the characters and Ayn's incredible grasp of satire. Many of her characters are archetypes, and Hurt just plain understands how she intended them to come across. There are some issues with the audio quality(background noise, etc). This drawback is overwhelmed by the brilliance of his acting. He really brings the book to live. Brick on the otherhand comes across flat, misses the characters emotional states and motivations, and turns a great story less so. I have both versions, but if you only purchase one yourself, select the Hurt version. You will not regret it

463 people found this helpful

A true classic! 'Who is John Galt?'

Released in 1956, Atlas Shrugged has become an American classic. I first read in in 1962 as a college sophomore. There are two versions if the novel at Audible, one is narrated by Christopher Hurt and the other is narrated by Scott Brick. Brick is my favorite narrator, but I admit that Hurt does a slightly better job with Atlas Shrugged, but both are superb. I recommend the Kindle version over either Audible version because of John Galt's very, very long speech to the nation which is easier to understand by rereading parts. (The Audible bookmark feature is almost as useful.)

Atlas Shrugged is too long and complex to easily summarize. Dagny Taggart inherits a railroad and expands it into an empire despite her weak brother James. Hank Rearden invents and patents a new steel alloy (Rearden Metal) that threatens to put all of his competitors out of business, but politicians interfere and threaten his patent. Taggart used Reardon Metal to enhance her railroad construction in the Rocky Mountains. Taggart and Readen become lovers and join forces against the thuggery of the politicians. The ultimate hero is John Galt who years before abandoned society when his invention of a revolutionary motor that would have literally changed the world was threatened by politicians and government regulators.

Reading or listening to Atlas Shrugged requires a significant commitment of time. It is well worth it; indeed, it would be worth twice the commitment. Atlas Shrugged is a great novel.

62 people found this helpful

Stick with the Christopher Hurt version.

Belive me when I say stick with the Christopher Hurt version. I have listened to both. Scott Brick is said to be "THE NARRATOR" but he can't compair to Christopher Hurt.

The Hurt version isn't great sound quality. I did hear some background noise at parts. There is a part where is stops compleatly for a few seconds but stick it out. Hurt's version of Taggart alone is woth it.

Brick makes this book I belive 11 hours longer using the exact same words. Brick has 1 voice for each male and female character and his book is packed with many characters. I think brick trys to play some parts.

This is my favourite book. I read it every year. Belive me when I say stick with the Christopher Hurt version.

253 people found this helpful

Change your views about life and living it.

Any additional comments?

This author has taught all who are willing to listen to what she has said, truly a life changing, mind provoking life style available to the listener.

6 people found this helpful

What an incredible audio book

If you want a real treat - download this unabridged recording.

I have been meaning to listen to Atlas Shrugged for years, but I have been put somewhat off by its length.

When I discovered that a new recording had been made with no other than THE narrator Scott Brick the case was settled.

Atlas Shrugged is a story that will stick with you and make you reflect on The World, your life and the future.

It is set in The US and describes what would happen if you took away the initiative of the individual and deprived all of the intellectuals of their rights.

While I understand why many people will find the story political, controversial and even disturbing - it cannot help you appreciate how lucky we are living in democracies.

Download this recording, listen to Scott's mellow voice for 62 hours and prepare yourself for utter joy.

Wow.

149 people found this helpful

Poor philosophical concept.

Sixty - two hours is too long to listen to someone who has nothing to say.

4 people found this helpful

great story...perhaps a bit long in the tooth

this is a truly entertaining story. one that many people in america would do well to hear considering our current political and economic situation.

i gave this 4, instead of 5, stars for two reasons:

most of the monologues in this book, and there are a handful, are almost suicidally long. the point is typically made within the first 5 or 10 minutes, but the listener is subjected to exhausting reiterations of the same idea. case in point is john galt's radio address clocking in at 3 hours of listening time. having said this, i loved francisco's diatribe about money being the root of all evil (or not, as the case may be) and that probably came in around 45 minutes or so.

the second reason i didn't give this 5 stars is that i felt the narrator portrayed dagney in an excessively weak and frail voice. i don't know if that was his best impression of a woman, but dagney deserved a more confident sounding voice. he did a great job with reardon and i found myself hating james taggert on multiple occasions because the whining tone of his voice was so grating.

overall, awesome book. would recommend to everyone, young and old.

14 people found this helpful

Amazing Audiobook ruined by poor casting.

There's very few things I can add to all that have been said about "Atlas Shrugged" that haven't been said before. Ayn Rand wrote a timeless masterpiece who put her name across the most influential writers of the english language. The story by itself is an Ode to the Human Mind and the best within us. This book change the lives of those who enter in contact with it and, most of the time, for the better.

The production of this audiobook is perfect. There's no background noise and the sound is as crisp as it could be. Only on the technical standpoint, the recording is as perfect as the state of the technology allows it to be.

So, why I gave it only 3 stars? Because of the casting of Mr. Brick. I have no quarrel with him. He's a talented artist who, I am sure, would give an outstanding reading of "Pride and Prejudice". He's, sadly, a poor choice for "Atlas Shrugged". His voice is unable to carry the certainty of John Galt, Dagny Taggart seems to be a moment away to sobbing, Francisco d'Anconia got a mundane voice while Jim Taggart sounds perfectly sane(!). This mostly ruined my enjoyment of this recording. "Atlas Shrugged" is a righteous book and his voice is too mellow to sound right.

In summary, may I suggest to those who really want to enjoy this story that they acquire the Christopher Hurt's rendition of it? The quality is less than stellar but the reading is perfect. In fact, I listened to the later right after I listened Mr. Brick's recording, just to forget the poor experience I lived.

116 people found this helpful