Atlas Shrugged

It is tilted to show the size of the book--2in. thick.

Well, where to begin?

I think I can safely say that this is the longest fiction book that I have ever read. It is 1168 pages long and took approximately 14 hours to read and the length of 7 days.

I had heard a bit about this book before I read it, which resulted in my trying too hard to guess what would happen in the end. I spent the first part trying desperately to figure it out, and the last part realizing what a futile effort it had been. :)   Although, I did guess two things right!

ATLAS SHRUGGED can be described as a mystery novel in form, and a political one in topic. Throughout the book, one is left guessing who certain of the characters are and when they will be revealed. And yet, the book is written about the author's (Ayn Rand) political premises. She writes about the earth being shut down under the wrong and overwhelming government rules and regulations. Her political party believes in stunting the growth of the strong to build up that of the weak. One character has declared that he will stop the motor of the world--and he does. But at what price? The lastest and greatest industrial men are disappearing; the railroad (main example of the book) is falling apart piece by piece; a national emergency has been called, resulting in more rules and regulations. In a final act of surrender, atlas shrugs.

For some reason I can't quite grasp, this is not an easy book to review. It is likely due to my misconceptions when I started it, the time it took to read it, and the intense detail and overall depth of the subject. But still, I enjoyed reading the book. Especially as things started falling into place. If you want better to understand what I am saying, you'll just have to read the book for yourself. It is preceded by THE FOUNTAINHEAD, which I have not read.

I did not read this book because it looked interesting, but to grasp its topic. While I enjoyed the story, there are some scenes and language that I did not like. It has really made me appreciate Christian authors. If it weren't for that, I would strongly recommend the book to everyone out there.