What book to read first, "Fountainhead" or "Atlus Shrugged"?

I'm about fifty pages into The Fountainhead. It is one of the worst books I've ever read, to say nothing of Rand's masturbative foreword that was a true punishment from the depths of Hell.

Which is to say, someone tell me if it gets better, because I cannot stand these wooden characters and excessively bad dialogue from a kook who wrote simply to get her bastard philosophy a home to live in. So I'm curious about what answers this thread will get as well.
 
You pretty much summed it up.

However, in answer to the question, I'd choose Atlas Shrugged, I found it slightly easier to digest.
 
You can always check out Anthem before diving into those. It is a pretty short somewhat "lighter" read that sets up her philosophy.
 
[quote name='ToadallyAwesome']You can always check out Anthem before diving into those. It is a pretty short somewhat "lighter" read that sets up her philosophy.[/QUOTE]


Her incoherent borderline Sociopath philosophy.
 
Atlas Shrugged.

Although, I personally like Fountainhead more (architecture and art just seem more interesting to me).
 
I liked Atlas Shrugged much better than The Fountainhead. If you are going to read both, I would read the Fountainhead first, I think it would be hard to go backwards from Atlas.
 
[quote name='Strell']I'm about fifty pages into The Fountainhead. It is one of the worst books I've ever read, to say nothing of Rand's masturbative foreword that was a true punishment from the depths of Hell.

Which is to say, someone tell me if it gets better, because I cannot stand these wooden characters and excessively bad dialogue from a kook who wrote simply to get her bastard philosophy a home to live in. So I'm curious about what answers this thread will get as well.[/QUOTE]

The characters to a certain extent continue to remain "wooden"/simplistic but they are well defined. They are individuals who live by their principles (ie Rand's philosophy). The book is about the struggle that exists between an artist and the rest of the world. Personally, I thought of Howard Roark as Michelangelo (read the agony and the ecstasy by Irving Stone). They both lived a similar life and experienced much of the same agony involving their work, except that Roark never experienced the love and admiration Michelangelo received.

If you are interested in art or architecture you'll enjoy the rest of book.

P.S. I don't think the dialogue gets any better.
 
[quote name='Strell']I'm about fifty pages into The Fountainhead. It is one of the worst books I've ever read, to say nothing of Rand's masturbative foreword that was a true punishment from the depths of Hell.

Which is to say, someone tell me if it gets better, because I cannot stand these wooden characters and excessively bad dialogue from a kook who wrote simply to get her bastard philosophy a home to live in. So I'm curious about what answers this thread will get as well.[/QUOTE]

I had to read it in a history class in undergrad. I enjoyed it, it did start off very slow, but I liked it after that. I'm very opposed to Rand's ideology most of the time but I like the Fountainhead. The story of the power of the individual is the one part of her spiel I do agree with I guess.

Haven't read Atlas Shrugged, so can't give any advice to the OP.
 
Rather discouraging to hear that the characters and dialogue don't make any sort of evolution. I'd like to think the story and theories Rand puts forth have been done to death by now, though probably considered fresh at the time of their introduction. I just can't fathom the idea that I'm going to read 700 pages of dribble to pound the idea that "society resists new things and hates the people who love them" over and over.

I just hate thinking I'm reading something by someone who might as well be considered L. Ron Hubbard's boobified counterpart.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']I had to read it in a history class in undergrad. I enjoyed it, it did start off very slow, but I liked it after that. I'm very opposed to Rand's ideology most of the time but I like the Fountainhead. The story of the power of the individual is the one part of her spiel I do agree with I guess.

Haven't read Atlas Shrugged, so can't give any advice to the OP.[/QUOTE]


Exact opposite for me. I had to read Atlas Shrugged in college. I have a copy of The Fountainhead, but I haven't read it.
 
I think my life would be considerably more influenced if Atlus shrugged, instead of Atlas. It's a bit of a toss-up.
 
Atlas Shrugged kind of beats the reader over the head with Rand's ideas. Every character is very specific and literal in their portrayal. The events themselves are kind of overdone and drawn out, almost as if Rand is saying SEE! SEE! THE WORLD WILL END! Shurgged does have some decent parts and some unintentionally humorous aspects
The actress who dies on the train in the tunnel is a perfect characterization of many actresses, including Angelina Jolie who was oddly rumored to be signed on to play Dagny in the film adaptation
I think Fountainhead has the advantage of being far less literal and more philosophical, making it a more entertaining read. Rand's philosophy still permeates, but it is less about her and more about the individual versus society/convention. I never felt the dialog got very dry, although there is a monologue or two where Rand tries to drive home her points. These can feel a bit preachy and dry.

So all in all, I would recommend Fountainhead. Though if youre going to end up reading both, it may be better to start with Atlas Shrugged, simply because once you get into Rand, much of Atlas Shrugged is boring.

If youre simply looking for some Rand stuff, I would recommend "Anthem" as a better starting point or my personal favorite "The Virtue of Selfishness". Her first novel "We the Living" is fairly good as well and may help you understand her as writer. A lot of people react strongly to Rand because she has such an "extreme" philosophy, but once you understand what she went through and where she is coming from her writing doesnt come across as quite so polar.
 
I had to read the Fountainhead for an Architecture class. The book was boring and the movie was slightly less boring. Go with Bioshock (Atlus Shrugged)
 
Dont know about the other one but atlus shrugged is a god awful piece of self indulgent shit, it took me over a year to read it because I could only stand reading a little bit here and there. How the fuck this is ever considered a class or good literature I will never know.

Id rather read the great gatsby 3 times instead of reading atlus once.
 
Atlas if you must. The Fountainhead is Objectivism for 11 year-old girls.

If she's assigned reading for you, guess you don't have a choice. If you're just curious about libertarianism, skip her and read Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom," Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson," or anything by Thomas Sowell. Or if you want fiction, read Brave New World, Animal Farm, or 1984. Really, any dystopian literature that isn't by her. The V for Vendetta graphic novel is supposed to be great too.

Rand has the subtlety and philosophical mind of Sarah Palin. I guess she writes better, to be fair, but she still EMPHASIZES WITH CAPITAL LETTERS, like a child wishing someone a happy birthday.
 
[quote name='camoor']Why are you reading them Demon Soul?[/QUOTE]

Just for fun. Its been mentioned that Atlus Shrugged had some influence in the story of Bioshock in some way. I enjoyed Bioshock and they came in a box set for pretty cheap so I decided to check them out.

I"m open to reading philosophical or ideological books if anyone has suggestions. Of course I may have to get into them after I finish these two.
 
I'd say Bioshock is more or less torn directly from the pages of Atlas Shrugged. Well .. minus the whole plasmid and going crazy stuff.
 
[quote name='diaeresis']Atlas if you must. The Fountainhead is Objectivism for 11 year-old girls.

If she's assigned reading for you, guess you don't have a choice. If you're just curious about libertarianism, skip her and read Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom," Hazlitt's "Economics in One Lesson," or anything by Thomas Sowell. Or if you want fiction, read Brave New World, Animal Farm, or 1984. Really, any dystopian literature that isn't by her. The V for Vendetta graphic novel is supposed to be great too.

Rand has the subtlety and philosophical mind of Sarah Palin. I guess she writes better, to be fair, but she still EMPHASIZES WITH CAPITAL LETTERS, like a child wishing someone a happy birthday.[/QUOTE]

I've read 1984 a long time ago and I remember enjoying it. I tried reading Brave New World, but had a hard time doing so. I may try again in the future. Thanks for the suggestions. :)
 
I imagine if Rand wrote anything today, it'd eventually be prefaced by a FW:FW:FW:FW:FW:FW:FW:FW:FW:FW:THIS IS TRUE!!
 
Wow...Im surprised about all the hate for Fountainhead. I thought it was one of the best books I have ever read.

I guess since I am an artist, the book takes a special meaning. Two people who take 2 different paths with their artistic talents (artists in this case being architects who design buildings) with various results. Also I like the philosophy of 'artistic selfishness' which the message the book propagates - which loosely translates that you create art for your own devices and not for the tastes of others.

That's just my interpretation of the book though. Everyone is different though.
 
I preferred the fountain head, the characters were more interesting, the story felt happier and more relative to the actual world, but then I read it first. Atlus Shrugged also includes (if I recall correctly) a 50 page monolague where she has a character state word for word the philosophy she's been trying to shove down your throat for the previous 800+ pages.

Like many philosophers her ideas would actually work if people behaved like her characters.
 
[quote name='gargus']
Id rather read the great gatsby 3 times instead of reading atlus once.[/QUOTE]

Who wouldn't? The Great Gatsby is a phenomenal novel.
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']I preferred the fountain head, the characters were more interesting, the story felt happier and more relative to the actual world, but then I read it first. Atlus Shrugged also includes (if I recall correctly) a 50 page monolague where she has a character state word for word the philosophy she's been trying to shove down your throat for the previous 800+ pages.

Like many philosophers her ideas would actually work if people behaved like her characters.[/QUOTE]

The Fountainhead has the exact same monologue in it. Easily the worst part of both books.
 
[quote name='Demon Soul']I've read 1984 a long time ago and I remember enjoying it. I tried reading Brave New World, but had a hard time doing so. I may try again in the future. Thanks for the suggestions. :)[/QUOTE]

I would suggest picking up Brave New World again, I found it to be far superior to any other dystopian novel including 1984. Plus then you can read Island, basically a companion piece written by the same author.

Animal Farm is excellent too, and a rather easy read.

I think it's pretty interesting that videogames are now influencing people to pick up philisophical/political literature - especially because right now the player's interaction options are primarily violent. Just think where this will go when game developers are able to offer greater interactivity.
 
I think a lot of the hate directed at Rand is misguided, as most of it should be directed at the groups picking and choosing from her works and perverting it for their own purposes. She hated the libertarians of the past and would likely hate the old tea partyists, not to mention the new tea partyists, the right and the left. It is important to separate political ideology from philosophy. Most people who hate Objectivisim seem to hate it because they read into it a political ideology. As Diaresis points out, the more fitting criticsim of Rand can probably come from her lack of ability as a philosopher.

If youre just looking for interesting philosophical books then I would suggest Jane Jacobs' "Systems of Survival". Its a bit strange to read as it takes the form of a Platonic dialogue (the characters arent "real" per se, but created for the sole purpose of arguing). It does a good job of showing why government and commerce dont mix, by contrasting the characteristics of the two "systems" necessary for each. Its short and fairly easy to read, as it is more recent (1992).
 
I have no faith in Rand as a storyteller from the little I've read of her fiction, but Ive always enjoyed some of the concepts in the Virtue of Selfishness, even if I cant relate them to my everyday life. I always find it an interesting read.
 
[quote name='camoor']I would suggest picking up Brave New World again, I found it to be far superior to any other dystopian novel including 1984. Plus then you can read Island, basically a companion piece written by the same author.

Animal Farm is excellent too, and a rather easy read.

I think it's pretty interesting that videogames are now influencing people to pick up philisophical/political literature - especially because right now the player's interaction options are primarily violent. Just think where this will go when game developers are able to offer greater interactivity.[/QUOTE]

I'd like to see a version of GTA where you don't have to be violent or the violence causes no real damage like the first and last of the Zero missions.
 
[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']I'd like to see a version of GTA where you don't have to be violent or the violence causes no real damage like the first and last of the Zero missions.[/QUOTE]

I remember when GTA Vice City came out - back then massive sandbox environments were still a pretty novel concept. This guy wrote a review talking about how his young daughter just liked to find a moped and then ride around the road along the beach. I know it's kind of stupid but I always liked that story. Besides I could see a young kid liking that sort of thing, even riding a moped in Vice City blows away most of the 8 bit games I played as a kid.

I thought it was pretty neat that GTA IV put the matrix music in the soundtrack, it was a subtle nod to the fact that in playing the game you are interacting with what might be the most comprehensive virtual environment ever created on a videogame console.
 
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