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Why do many people say Atlas Shrugged is too long?


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Recently, and by chance, I've met 4 separate, unconnected people who've read Ayn Rand. Three did not have a philosophy background or much of an interest in it. One did, and has an interest in history/linguistics. ALL of them, when asked what they thought of her work (specifically, Atlas Shrugged) said it was "too long", and they thought "she could have said what she needed in a much shorter book." I tried to probe further, but I didn't get anywhere, and it wasn't something I was going to insist on being answered. 

 

So as someone who's still studying Rand's work, I find this strange. I read Atlas Shrugged twice, and there are many parts I can say where I don't think I understand them with the full clarity. Others I vaguely understand, and some not at all. So I find it confusing that someone who's not well versed in philosophy or takes up no issue with her ideas explicitly would say "she could have made it much shorter and said the same thing." Or the same for her essays. 

 

Has anyone else noticed this?

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If someone does not want or perhaps need true understanding or perhaps does not like the message ... of course they will ask you to say it in less words.

 

I have been reading book after book and listening to lecture after lecture.... I'm still learning and integrating, and concretizing Objectivism... in that sense the "book" could be labeled as too short.

 

It was not in vogue at the time (not nearly as much as now) but perhaps a trilogy of books or a series of 6 would have covered the O'st landscape more thoroughly.  It could have followed Frisco, and Galt in their youth, followed the aftermath of AS. 

 

Then again that would have been a completely different work of art, a totally different "story", albeit with the same philosophical underpinnings.  Would Rand have been able to pull that off..? I think so, and I would have been a big fan of the series!

Edited by StrictlyLogical
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There is another thread about this, but alas, I can't find it!

My first read through aged ~20, I found Atlas repetitive "philosophically," but not the plot. Second read through aged ~30, I was just happy to listen to every word. I thought it went along smoothly and had a nice arc and climax.

Edited by JASKN
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The standard novel-length is said to be 350-400 pages--based upon average reading skills and attention sopan over days.

 

Moreover, in the past, longer novels came out as serials, later to be pasted together as a singularity. the best two examples are War and Peace and Anna karenia.

 

Atlas want to be an epic, but fails in scope, as it's primarily about only one particular issue, as important as it might be. For example, no one can ever imagine giving a speechas long as Galt's...

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"Fails... as it's primarily about only one particular issue."

This is laughable on its face for anyone who's read the book, but two questions:

1. It "tries"? *Rand* didn't try to do that -- she's said publicly she tried to show her ideal man.

2. What would this one particular issue be? The role of reason in individuals, and the consequences both of adhering to and ignoring that? That's... not epic?

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"Fails... as it's primarily about only one particular issue."

This is laughable on its face for anyone who's read the book, but two questions:

1. It "tries"? *Rand* didn't try to do that -- she's said publicly she tried to show her ideal man.

2. What would this one particular issue be? The role of reason in individuals, and the consequences both of adhering to and ignoring that? That's... not epic?

What's laughable is that you seem not to know much of literature. 'Epic' refers to the taking apart and examining of the entirety of a society, from top to bottom. Think of Les miserablesd, fif not tolstoy, as given.

 

Atlas is about the rise of Galt and his justification for capitalism. Agreeing does not make for 'epic'.

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'Epic' refers to the taking apart and examining of the entirety of a society, from top to bottom....

Atlas is about the rise of Galt and his justification for capitalism. Agreeing does not make for 'epic'.

Wrong. Webster says, epic: a long narrative poem in elevated style recounting the deeds of a legendary or historical hero. B: a work of art (as a novel or drama) that resembles or suggests an epic.

In the true sense of the word, Atlas Shrugged is an epic novel. Distorting the language does not advance your argument.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think they say that because it is incredibly long.  And there isn't a single page of it that you can really skip, either; so not only is it much longer than most books but it's also much denser than other books.

It's all spectacular stuff; I didn't find anything 'flat' and I never felt like stopping halfway.  It's just that there are so many things happening across so many different levels, over so very many pages, that it takes some mental rigor simply to follow along.

 

Some people enjoy stretching their brains out; some people don't.  I don't think Rand cared to appeal to the latter.

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It seemed superfluous to the story at the time.

Yep.  When I read Galt's speech I actually stopped reading the story altogether for a few weeks and just read the speech over and over again, trying to really understand it; when I finally finished his speech I had to go all the way back again to remember what in Galt's name was going on.

Philosophically a work of genius.  Artistically, I really would not have put that there, at least in that way.

---

Edit:  Touche!  But alright, Galt's speech is what; fifty pages long?  If we subtract that from the rest of the pages, which really can't be skipped, it's still colossal.

Edited by Harrison Danneskjold
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