Atlas Shrugged

By: Ayn Rand

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

"Who is John Galt?" is the immortal question posed at the beginning of Ayn Rand's masterpiece. The answer is the astonishing story of a man who said he would stop the motor of the world and did.

As passionate as it is profound, Atlas Shrugged is one of the most influential novels of our time. In it, Rand dramatizes the main tenets of objectivism, her philosophy of rational selfishness. She explores the ramifications of her radical thinking in a world that penalizes human intelligence and integrity.

Part mystery, part thriller, part philosphical inquiry, part volatile love affair, Atlas Shrugged is the book that confirmed Ayn Rand as one of the most popular novelists and most respected thinkers of the 20th century.

©1957 Ayn Rand, renewed 1985 Estate of Ayn Rand (P)2000 HighBridge Company

Must read.

Great narrator. AClassic novel that everyone needs to read given today's leftist political climate. Should be required reading in any political science class.

a political must-read

frequently cited as the bible of conservative-think, this bleeding heart liberal was pleasantly surprised to find it a wonderful story, brilliantly written, and thoroughly enjoyed. It's politics are more libertarian than conservative, challenging assumptions not so much about whether there is a role for government, but where the lines are or should be drawn on that issue of 'spreading the wealth' between the economic benefits and revolution avoidance vs. compassion than can take it so far as to be self destructive. Despite an ending that I thought was far weaker than the book in general, its length, originally a turnoff, turned to be a delight, as it was one of those books that you just don't want to end.

Beware of Utopia

Would you consider the audio edition of Atlas Shrugged to be better than the print version?

The audio verson flows smoothly and speeds up the story significantly.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dagne Taggart - she doesn't give up. She sees and understands the problems associated with the the utopian view espoused by her brother and others, and is still able to overcome many of the obstacles placed in her path.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"How to Go From Happiness to Misery in a Few Easy Steps"

Any additional comments?

This is a terrific book, one that I should have read many years ago, but didn't. It has many parallels to our world today and is a lesson for those who practice 'group-think'.

MUST READ!

If you could sum up Atlas Shrugged in three words, what would they be?

Amazing, Terrifying, Eye Opening.

What did you like best about this story?

It is relevant to things today. So much so that its almost prophetic.

What does Edward Herrmann bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He seem to capture the emotions of the characters well and was still easy to understand, even through my car stereo.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Many and more, but none I can discuss without spoilers.

Any additional comments?

This book puts words to how I and probably many others feel about the way our country is headed. More impressive, is the fact that it was written by an author who experienced communism first hand and was compelled to write this story 50 years ago.

Cannot be succeeded

whatever the more expensive version has to offer cannot possibly be better than this Edward Dude's reading.

Big Government Crushes the spirit of Individuals

Would you listen to Atlas Shrugged again? Why?

No, but then I have read it earlier and I have the salient points by now. The value of this book is the intrinsic insight of someone who is intelligent and lived under Socialism. Ayn Rand brings to the table an understanding of why Socialism does not work. You cannot remove individual incentive and personal responsibility from the equation and have the better things that man is capable of creating.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Most interesting is that man does have a self-interested nature and to deny it is to deny a reality, that if lost, will crush the whole. Least interesting is how she flows from this keen perception of the self destructing mechanisms of collectivism to the conclusion that one must also deny God.

What about Edward Herrmann’s performance did you like?

I felt it was excellent.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Picking up the tab for a free lunch

Any additional comments?

This is a true modern classic and should be encouraged as part of an over all view of man's journey

A story for our time

Hopefully this fictional adventure story will cast some doubt in those who think the world should be run like a big high school where we are all told what to do by a power authority. We are all responsible for ourselves in the real world, and have to produce in some way for society to function.

Highly recommend

I love dystopian books, but not many write when the dystopian begins, how it grows, and it's collapse all in one book! This was a great read

Another take on 1984

The first time I read this about 30 years ago, it seemed an interesting fantasy. Unfortunately, however, it is no longer a fantasy. I had no idea that in 2023. That fantasy, in many respects, is more the unfortunate new reality.

Great listen

I read and enjoyed The Fountainhead some years ago but I've never read Atlas Shrugged. I expected that even the abridged version of a 1,200 page book might be a little dry in parts, but that was not the case - I was captivated all the way through. Even if you don't agree with Ms. Rand's ideology you can't help but laugh at some of the scenarios presented.

The narration was also excellent - the voices of the various characters were consistent and underscored the surreal nature of some of the characters and situations.