When Did You First Read Ayn Rand?

[Tyranitar]

I first read atlas shrugged my freshman year of highschool. My brother had the book for a good while but I never payed it any attention. I had already read the sword of truth series in middle school but I never payed the philosophy any attention. After I read atlas I became interested in philosophy and thought.

[moralist]

I first read Atlas Shrugged in the late 70's and was inspired to start my own business which I still have today.

[ruveyn1]

1959

[Skylab72]

Yup, me too, about 1959, mum was a huge fan of Frank LLoyd Wright. That year an architect friend-of-the-family gave her a copy of The Fountainhead, indicating Ms. Rand was strongly influenced in her characterization of Roark by her acquaintance with FLW. Mom took the bait, but I devoured the book and did not slow down (much) until I ran out of published works, the following school year. By then I was a "raving Randite". Bought Rand paperbacks of anything new as soon as they were released, and gave away (Not altruistic I believed it would make my world better.) three or four copies of Atlas and half dozen or so FTNI. The rest of High School convinced me that proselytizing was a slow boat to China, but I shipped out for college with a few extra copies just in case. My second roommate turned out to be the most gratifying intellectual sparring partner. He came to me a classic Beltway (Washington D.C.) liberal, and by the time he graduated we were both much closer to what might be termed mature Objectivists. That was the year we landed on the moon.

[Repairman]

It has been six years since I read the Sparksnotes of Atlas Shrugged. I was born in 1959. I am a late in becoming aware of Ayn Rand, and her works, but quite enthusiastic to realize that there actually is a specific philosophy suitable not only for me, but for anyone who questions conventional beliefs. You might say that I had come to my own "objective" outlook at life early in childhood, while attending Catholic grade school. From a large working-class family, I was the only child in my class to opt out of the sacrament of Confirmation. My father was non-religious, but nonetheless, an overbearing control-freak. It was the 1960s-70s. The only references to Rand I had come across were seeing Book-of-the-Month Club advertisements with Atlas Shrugged, and, in 1975, friends exposed me to the rock album, "2112" by Rush. The rock opera was inspired by Anthem. I failed to seek out the novel, and got on with life. I was independent, working factory jobs at age 18. I put myself through a two-year associate program years later. It was my unplanned experience with fatherhood that set me back to working industrial, union-wage, occupations. As a middle-aged man, I purchased properties, rentals, and had been a voracious reader throughout my life. But it was only in the 2000s that I continued to encounter references to Rand. I began with the Sparksnotes of her novels, and delved right into the non-fiction first. I have read the novels as well, only now reading We the Living. Now I realize why so many people, myself included, fail to fully grasp the magnitude of pure reason.

[Ben Archer]

Stumbled across Atlas Shrugged at a library book sale (Age 24, 5 years ago) and I liked the cover art, heh. I adopted it immediately and bought most of her other books and ARI books within the next year. I was a bit of a zealot about it at first, and annoyed a lot of people in psychology class. I've learned to keep to myself. 

Edited November 15, 2013 by Ben Archer