‘She was smart that way’
Christopher of Just Ask Christopher suggests Ayn Rand would not be surprised the renewed interest in her writings:
“And what would Rand think about all this renewed attention? I think she would just shrug and say ‘I knew it would happen.’ She was smart that way.”
He actually recounts how he first discovered Rand’s novels, starting with “The Fountainhead.”
“Long ago I stopped reading novels, focusing only on biographies and histories. However, there are two novels I read every few years: ‘The Fountainhead’ and ‘Atlas Shrugged.’
“‘Atlas Shrugged’ is about as close to a bible as I have ever found that I can believe in. It is about the freedom to do as you choose as long as that choice does not interfere with the desire of others to do as they choose. It speaks of a world free from government intrusion, from rules and regulations that stifle creativity, where people are judged by the deeds they accomplish, not by how needy or corrupt they are. It is, in effect, the description of a utopian world where one does the right things because those are the right things to do — not because someone is forcing them to do them. It is very difficult to sum up the power of Rand’s works. They must really be read to be appreciated for their true power.”
His opening is pretty good, too:
“I think this is rich: suddenly, out of the woodwork, suddenly, thanks to the recession, everyone is becoming a fan of Ayn Rand’s masterpiece ‘Atlas Shrugged.’ It is so bizarre that her 1957 novel should, 52 years later, be ‘discovered’ by the masses, after decades of influencing thinkers around the world.”
Christopher, if you’re not completely dead set on avoiding novels, pick up a copy of “Anthem.”
