Ayn Rand

Like I said, I only read a couple of her books: "We the Living" and "Atlas Shrugged". I remember seeing part of "The Fountainhead" on TV, but I was quite young at the time and didn't have the patience to sit through the whole thing. I understand that it's about an architect who is pissed at his employers for changing his plans for the building he designed, so he blows it up. Seems kind of extreme to me, but Ayn Rand was not known for moderation. I liked "We the Living" because it was critical of Russian Communism, but I was disappointed that the lead character got killed off in the end. I was hoping that she would escape to America and spend the rest of her life opposing its creeping socialism. Unlike Uncle Ken, I prefer stories where the good guys win.

"Atlas Shrugged" was longer and more complex than "We the Living". I first tried to read it shortly after I got out of the army, but I couldn't seem to get into it. I tried again decades later on the recommendation of some internet people who were really into Rand. As a matter of fact, their forum group was called "The Rand Café". We talked about other stuff too, but I needed to brush up on Ayn so I could converse intelligently with those guys about their favorite subject. The group disbanded shortly after I finished the book, but I'm pretty sure it was not my fault. I was respectful of their opinions, although I didn't agree with all of them. I understand that Rand had kind of a cult following in her day, and maybe she still does. I found "Atlas Shrugged" to be an engaging book once I got into it, but it didn't make me want to join a cult or anything like that. At least the good guys won but, right up to the end, I wasn't so sure that they would. Maybe that's why I found the book to be engaging.

If we are going to discuss architecture, I should probably brush up on it because it's a subject with which I have little familiarity. Should I start by reading "The Fountainhead"?