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sutherlan... sutherlan...
 
January 29, 2009 05:32 AM

Which should I read first, "Atlas Shrugged" or "The Fountainhead"?

I'm interested in reading both of these eventually, but wanted to know from others who have read both which would be better to start with. Thanks!
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bbrookin bbrookin
 
 January 29, 2009 04:25 PM

I'd read the Fountainhead first, if I was determined to read both. It's kind of a like a first draft for Atlas Shrugged. The characters aren't as well developed and the story line isn't as engaging. And, given Ms. Rand's writing style, you're in for more than one evening of reading. In Atlas, the speech given by one character is 50 pages long in the hardbound edition! Still, it's an interesting read, and one that I've read many times.

Atlas Shrugged is the most fully developed of Rand's philosophy. People tend to cherry pick their favorite ideas, but amidst the extolling of personal worth and hard work watch for:

  • denouncement of the "politics of pull" - getting ahead by knowing the right people.
  • running a corporation versus a privately held company
  • dark warnings about the merging of corporate and government interests (fascism) as well as socialism.

I suggest "Anthem" as an alternative to reading The Fountainhead. It's like the Cliffs Notes version of Rand's philosophy.


Source(s):
Fountainhead - Atlas Shrugged - Anthem - We the Living

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marinamart... marinamart...
 
January 29, 2009 09:19 AM
Start with "Atlas Shrugged" - it's still my favorite book after all these years. I found it to be more polished than The Fountainhead, and you'll be able to pick up on all the John Galt references.

Interestingly, people's favorite book of the two seems to always be the one they read first. So I bet in either case you'll be equally as happy ...

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ecofeco ecofeco
 
January 29, 2009 11:44 AM
"The Fountainhead " was written first so then should be read first. "Atlas Shrugged" was her very next book.

On a personal note: "Objectivism" is the theme of these and pretty much all of her writings. It is useful knowledge but not an end unto itself and is considered a juvenile and compassionless philosophy as one gets older. Do not be enamored by it.

Yes, I've read them both.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand


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marinamart... marinamart...
 
January 29, 2009 12:00 PM - Fact Refuted
Objectivism is not considered "juvenile and compassionless" by everyone. It's your personal opinion.

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djscram djscram
 
January 29, 2009 12:59 PM
It is explicitly compassionless. The philosophy assumes that if you are sweeping the floor of a factory for subsistence wages, it's because you deserve it. If you were any good, you'd become the owner of the factory. So poor people, sick people, oppressed people all deserve their lot. The only exception she seems to make is when the John Galt's are oppressed by the unwashed masses because they are not allowed to make even MORE money and do whatever they want.

As far as Juvenile goes, in my experience most people fall under the Ayn Rand spell as a result of teenaged identity angst, when looking for something to tell them they're special. The feeling fades when they have either received more education or enough life experience to see that all the situations in the books are very contrived. A few hang on, though.

And you certainly wouldn't find Objectivism taken seriously at an academic level, either in terms of philosophy or literature.

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ppalmer21 ppalmer21
 
January 29, 2009 06:51 PM
I'm currently listening to Atlas Shrugged for the 2nd time in the past 10 years. It is (IMHO) one of the best novels ever written, and is timely given the status of the US economy. There was an earlier discussion on here about whether it was prophetic. Although I think that it touches some universal truths, it probably isn't prophetic. I do think the economic times make it easier to make the connections between the stories and our own lives.

I read Fountainhead a number of years ago as well. It is also an amazing novel.

Since I'm currently reading Atlas Shrugged, I'm going to have to recommend it!

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