Silly Little Country

A Giggle regarding Atlas

I've never read anything by Ayn Rand and expect to die in the same state. So Obscene Desserts gave me a giggle this morning, as so many blogs I follow seem to express some triumph that "Atlas Shrugged" is selling well again, as apparently so often in recessions.

Maybe it's just that those who are praising the book have a greater capacity for irony than I have given them credit for.
I doubt it, though. The key psychological trait I've noticed with admirers of Rand's work is their natural inclination to identify with the swaggering, self-absorbed Übermenschen who populate her novels. (The fact that some of said admirers were students attending state-funded universities using state-subsidised grants or loans has never seemed to quiet their rage at the state for some reason, but this is by the by.)

My sympathy for these outbursts is clearly unfair, given my lack of exposure. But I will provisionally trust this assessment and keep reading Anne Tyler, or possibly re-read some Jane Austen.

posted by Alan Adamson @ 9:08 AM