"Going a long distance out of the way, to come back a short distance correctly"
Wow!
Quite a ride. Great book, although the romantic aspects of this baby leave something to be desired. As far as drama goes, I don’t know. She has some good dramatic spins in the book. But tends to crush her own efforts under the weight of her prose.
Anyway, Lots of thoughts to cram into 1200 (or so) words. Let’s go.
Atlas Shrugged – Day 073 – pp. 792-801
Galt, Francisco and Dagny walk out to see d’Anconia Copper mine #1.
Francisco and Galt chat but Dagny is watching Francisco. She notices the “quality of his glance whenever it rested on Galt.”
Francisco obviously looks up to Galt. He’s the alpha dog in this pound.
And the way Rand is describing this, or at least the way I’m reading it, it’s leaving me with a little bad taste in my mouth. (Like a really cheap cigar.)
Atlas Shrugged – Day 072 – pp. 782-791
Now we cut to a section where Rand does a little philosophical exposition via her characters. She expands her worldview to beyond the realm of just “business.”
Atlas Shrugged – Day 068 – pp. 741-750
Now Rand twists — or rather UNtwists — a commonly held belief.
“We’ve heard so much about strikes. . .and about the dependence of the uncommon upon the common. We’ve heard it shouted that the industrialist is a parasite, that his workers support him, create his wealth, make his luxury possible — and what would happen to him if they walked out? Very well. I propose to show the world who depends on whom, who supports whom, who is the source of wealth, who make whose livelihood possible and what happens to whom when who walks out.”
Atlas Shrugged – Day 067 – pp. 731-740 (Your bonus section for the day…)
Dagny’s hot for this. It’s the one thing that has consumed her even more than the railroad.
Over the door, there was a sign.
I SWEAR BY MY LIFE AND MY LOVE OF IT THAT I
WILL NEVER LIVE FOR THE SAKE OF ANOTHER
MAN, NOR ASK ANOTHER MAN TO LIVE FOR MINE.
Ominous moment of silent awe and respect.
Atlas Shrugged – Day 001 – pp. 2-12
Ayn Rand is a libertarian prophetess along the lines of George Orwell. You know what gives a prophet the ability to see into the future? It’s nothing divine, nothing mystical.
Continue reading “Eddie, Jim and the Rio-Norte Line!”
Today, I am setting out upon a mighty quest.
One that few have dared set out upon. One that fewer still have completed.
Attempted by both great and lesser men, it has raised lesser men to greatness simply by it’s completion. (And by that I mean anyone who’s done it’s a better man than me sister….)
I have attempted it before myself. And each time I have failed.
But this time I am determined.
This time I will begin at the beginning and not stop until my trek is complete, until my journey is at its finish.
Continue reading “Atlas Blogged”