I been Ayn Randed, nearly branded a Communist 'cause I'm left-handed

[primroseburrows]

[Poll #1457929]

ETA Awesome Subject Line, inspired by Paul Simon and isiscolo. Whee!

Comments

[elementalv.livejournal.com]

The Fountainhead may well make your brain explode. Although Atlas Shrugged gets a bit preachy at times, it's a good end-of-the-world read.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

It's just. I am so diametrically opposed to everything I've ever heard Ayn Rand believed in. I just don't know. But I think I should read some because otherwise I'm pulling opinions out of my arse, y'know?

[elementalv.livejournal.com]

Part of the problem with Rand is the preachy tone her writing takes. The other part is that occasionally, her kinks show through. In The Fountainhead, that means that the male protagonist rapes the female protagonist very early on in the book, the female falls in love with him as a result. Or somesuch. It's been years since I tried to read it, and when I hit that scene and read a bit of the aftermath, I put it down and didn't pick it up again.

Atlas Shrugged has a message, but it's something you can read past for the most part, because the story is interesting. As long as you skip John Galt's radio speech near the end, you should be okay.

[suchthefangirl.livejournal.com]

Ayn Rand is my favorite author of all time, so everything I say is suspect, but:

Fountainhead lets you see her ideas, and Atlas shrugged takes them the next step. They are both very preachy in their own way, but I cannot tell you how many times I've read them both. (I used to drown in existential angst because I would never live up to the standards of the characters in those books. Um. I read them for the first time when I was still in middle school, they might have warped me).

To me A.S. always seemed like a sequel, even though they have no characters in common, it's more like a philosophy sequel. Warning, there is deeply emotionally perverse sex (noncon, etc) in Fountainhead.

Sorry. I tend to be overly passionate about her.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I've heard she was a very good writer. I want to see her ideas, which is why I'm going to read her stuff. My politics and philosophy on life are the polar opposite of hers, though (I'm more John Lennon than Alan Greenspan, y'know?), so I'm prepared to get a headache about that. ;)

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

The main reason for me wanting to read her in the first place is to get a firsthand idea of her message, so I'll probably end up reading the speech (only after taking extra strength Tylenol, mind you).

[peacey.livejournal.com]

Loves me some Ayn Rand. Shocking, I know.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I doubt I'll LOVE it, but it'll be interesting. Enlightened self-interest sounds like a whole world of Not My Thing.

[luzula]

You should read Emma Goldman's autobiography instead! Or Peter Kropotkin's.
: )

[suchthefangirl.livejournal.com]

She's very uncompromising, and has little love for people who disagree, and it is impossible to live up to her standards, but I have to say, I think I am a better person for having read her books. Or maybe not.

Her ideas don't work. They might if everyone thought like her, but they don't and never could/would, so it's useless. But I love her anyway.

The only thing I hated about the books, was that she actually has a character with my name (something that is VERY rare) and I she's a "bad guy". This always made me sad. :-(

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Heheee! Well, I am trying to be well-rounded, and all. Emma Goldman, definitely.

And of course, Helen Keller, always, always. :D

[luzula]

Ooh, interesting article. I now know about 95% more about Helen Keller than I did before.

(Kropotkin is very interesting, too. He was a scientist, and among other things wrote a book about altruism in the animal world. He was also a socialist anarchist and against the Russian revolution from the start. Also, there's a lot of insight in Russian history in the book.)

Of course, I do realize that your to-read list is probably as long as mine, so I will stop now. : )

[patchfire.livejournal.com]

I actually enjoyed The Fountainhead. I disagreed with it, but I enjoyed it.

[newleaf31.livejournal.com]

I dated a guy about 9 years ago who based his entire world-view on Ayn Rand. It is diametrically opposed to every single thing I hold to be important and meaningful in the universe. I totally get the feeling that you should read it precisely for that reason -- know your enemies, after all -- but I can't bring myself to do it. I know that I would be taking a butcher knife to the book by page three. It would make me insane, because Rand is dead, which means that unless I start believing in the power of seances and stuff, I can't call her up and have a nice, rational fight with her about her foul and loathsome and repugnant philosophies... and then there could never be closure, and I would be that much closer to insanity, and the whole thing is just... ill-advised. *headshake*

The irony is, one of my least-favorite aspects of Rand is that she sees everything in black and white and leaves no room for shades of grey, whereas I am a dyed-in-the-wool (heh, metaphor) postmodernist who sees most everything in shades of grey. (See? I didn't even say "everything" -- I said "most everything.") But Rand is one of the exceptions to the rule: I can't help but see everything I know about her (which, I admit, is second-hand) in absolute terms. As in, "absolutely intolerable." So as much as I crave and long to embody the exception to her rules, she forces me into the position of exemplifying them. Existentially, it's just a dreadful position to be in.

[briary-flower.livejournal.com]

Is being able to take on Ayn Rand really that pressing? WHO do you hang around with anyhow, lol? No, I just mean - I haven't seen a copy of one of her books on a coffee table or on the back of a toilet since the 1980's. What am I reading? er ... a book about a gay kid who discovers he has superpowers. Oh, and another book about a woman who also has superpowers. But she can control the weather. Uh, forget I said anything.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

I been Ayn Randed
Nearly branded
A Communist, 'cause I'm left-handed
Well, that's the hand to use, well, nevermind.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I now know about 95% more about Helen Keller than I did before.

Which is also 95% more than MOST people know about her, so don't feel bad. It's like there's a bunch of people saying, shh, don't let on she was an EBIL SOSHALIST. Which, who knows, maybe there are.

Helen's been a hero of mine since long, long before I knew what politics was, let alone in which direction she leaned. What draws me to her is her fierce dedication to help the poor and the blind and the oppressed workers (not to mention her being a bloody genius). And yeah, I guess that's political, but I didn't know that back when I was, oh, seven.
♥♥

Of course, I do realize that your to-read list is probably as long as mine, so I will stop now.

Yeah, but I've added Kropotkin to the list anyway. ;)

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

If I end up with a good read it'll be worth my time. If it's not good, bleh. But I'll probably at least start The Fountainhead.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

It is diametrically opposed to every single thing I hold to be important and meaningful in the universe. I totally get the feeling that you should read it precisely for that reason -- know your enemies, after all -- but I can't bring myself to do it.

Yeah, that's why I want to read it. I figure hey, if I start to get too homicidal I'll just throw it across the room--I mean, gah. Books far more beloved have been (literally) hurled at my bedroom wall.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

It's not pressing, I just figure I should read an opposing view, and she does have some very stringent supporters, especially amongst the Right. It's a know your opposite thing, I guess, like newleaf says.

... a book about a gay kid who discovers he has superpowers. Oh, and another book about a woman who also has superpowers. But she can control the weather.

Okay, now I want to know what these books are so I can add them to my list.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I been Ayn Randed
Nearly branded
A Communist, 'cause I'm left-handed

I was going to use that as my subject title, but it wouldn't all fit. Now I find out hey, it does!

[aphephobia.livejournal.com]

If you can switch off to the unsubtle attempts at splicing in her hideous philosophy into The Fountainhead, well... I loved it for the story. Ultimately, it's about being true to yourself, not conforming, and about how people will do just about anything to protect the status quo.

Also, there is so much homoerotic subtext in it that you will explode. The hilarious thing was that Rand herself was a homophobe, yet she's writing these books where female characters seem to get ignored or cast aside or be very, very stereotypical, then she's got things about men telling one another they love one another, helping one another out when they don't need to, and swimming naked together and telling one another they love one another.

When I read the blurb, it mentioned something of a forbidden love. I honestly thought that was in reference to Roark/Keating.

Atlas Shrugged on the other hand-- I've tried about four times to get into it and I can't.

[aphephobia.livejournal.com]

Same here! :D

[aphephobia.livejournal.com]

I agree with you entirely on this. I loved The Fountainhead though I hate the philosophy behind it, but because of the preachiness, it's easy to see it and just roll your eyes.

But yeah: she sees the world in an equally-weighted, 2-D way where everyone can just pull themselves up by their bootstraps. I think part of that is her own personal thing about The American Dream: it worked for her, so why shouldn't it for anyone else? (And honestly, I loathe it when people argue like that-- but it's not just Rand who does it. I've heard plenty of lefties do the same thing. ["It was easy for ME to go vegan so you should, too!"])

If our world was like the Randverse, everything would be fine, because ultimately people would be in control of their own destinies and there would be no external forces manipulating how we're treated, how fair things are, and how accessible things are for everyone. It would be great: no racism, no homophobia, no sexism. People themselves would fit into nice neat little labelled boxes and be quite content there.

Thing is, though, it ain't like that. I sort of look at it like it's her fantasy world, just like sci-fi writers see their futures or utopias with Big Brother or robots living amongst us or whatever. Doesn't mean it's valid and not completely flawed, but it can make for a nice story.

[(Anonymous)]

just read Anthem. It's Atlas Shrugged redux; less than 100 pages.

She's crazy, for reals, but she hits a couple of my power kinks with Dagny Taggart's romantic life (in Atlas Shrugged). Which sometimes scares me, but whatever.

[suchthefangirl.livejournal.com]

It is a fantasy, and I have to say, I really do love it. I know it doesn't work at all, but you are right, in her world all people are equal. And I wish that were true.

Mostly, for me, her books were about reaching for your dreams. Not compromising on your abilities, and whatever you do for a living, make sure it's something that you love and want to spend your life doing. I read the books when I was very young (middle school for the first time), and I have always tried to live up to her standards.

Oh, and I'm a card carrying member of the ACLU lefty liberal mind you. Well, really, on the political polls I skew way off to libertarian, but I've voted democratic in the last several elections (I used to vote libertarian, but they kinda scared me, and the republicans were scarier, so Democratic seemed the least offensive). I get the feeling that people think if you like Ayn Rand you must be a crazy republican or something, and I am so not. But I really do adore her.

But, yeah, it is fantasy.

I like fantasy.

[lorem_ipsum]

Read ANTHEM, because it's short. And then you can get a laugh out of Atlas Shrugged 2: Shrug Harder.

[lorem_ipsum]

P.S. I consider ANTHEM one of those sci-fi books that are Good But Wrong Due To Insufficient Social Sciences.

Back in college, I read her essay about the wrongness of altruism and found only one error in her logic. However, said error was the size of a mack truck, so I have trouble believing anyone ever took the essay seriously.

[luzula]

Which is also 95% more than MOST people know about her, so don't feel bad.

Probably not being American is also a factor...I mean, American history is not as familiar to me as the Swedish one.

Yeah, but I've added Kropotkin to the list anyway. ;)

Oh yeah, I never gave you the title: it's Memoirs of a Revolutionist. I, um, kind of got stuck re-reading a bit in it now, and on the subject of altruism he's kind of the polar opposite of Rand. Also, he reminds me a little bit of Fraser (although Fraser could never grow a beard that size). His parents were aristocrats, and he was educated as a military officer. When he's done with the school, he declares he'll go to some regiment in Siberia, where it's cold and poor, and try to do some good there. And one of his classmates goes "But how can you do that! Their uniform is so ugly!". Hee.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Seriously, damn few Americans know much about her. When she's taught in schools, they kind of leave out her adult life and stop with the Patty Duke scene at the water pump. Or, if they do mention it, they talk about how she "helped the blind" and "visited injured soldiers". Nada about her being a suffragist or pro-birth control or an active member of the IWW.

Will definitely be reading Memoirs. *adds to long but way fun list*

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Oh, all right. :)

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

The idea of altruism being wrong sounds, erm. Wrong.

[briary-flower.livejournal.com]

The first book is "Hero," by Perry Moore. I had some issues with the prose - I dunno, sometimes I find that men who write for teens adopt a sparse style that I kind of find hard to follow. So I had to work to get into it. But the characters were good and ultimately I found it a rewarding read. The second book is "Ill Wind," by Rachel Caine, and so far I'm liking the protagonist and the story.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Okay, um. So I've added them to my wish list. Yay? Yay!