day 8 of the 30 day book challenge

Day 08. Most overrated book

I started it on the plane. I was excited to get into the novel, excited to read an author that several of my friends live by. I knew from the start that I disagreed with her philosophy, but I was hoping I could at least appreciate her writing style.

Now, before you start commenting, "But read 'The Fountainehead' to change your opinion!" I've heard this. It's on the bookshelf. We're going to suffer through –err– read it sometime soon. First, I need a break from Ayn Rand. (So I'm reading "Songs in Ordinary Time," "Ulysses," & the French translations of the Series of Unfortunate Events.)

My reading of "Atlas Shrugged" looked something like this image, & my feeling toward the ending was remarkably similar to this image. I was disappointed... but I was also committed. Joe & I were reading it together, so there was no stopping. We were reading all 1070 pages. (We should have been committed. I have, over the last few years, abandoned the idea that I MUST finish books I start. If I don't like it, forget it. There are too many delicious books that I'm dying to chow down to mess with ones I don't like.)

Part of our determination came from our limited supply of books. Each of us brought four, & we had yet to help ourselves to the book exchanges & used book stores that have since popped into our lives. So we did it. And there were days we loved it–days we forgot how heavy her writing style truly is.

I'll forgive her philosophy. If I invented something that made people worship me & allowed me to–in several senses–replace God, I'd want to go on about it in all of my books, too. But 40 pages of philosophical ranting disguised as a character's radio broadcast to the average American broke the narrative for me & removed me from the book for too long to then get back into it.

So that's that. I've said it. I'm not sorry about it. I know several of you disagree. It feels good to have that off my chest (and my bookshelf, as it was weighing it down). On the plus side, we did learn what a somnambulist is; I believe it's her favorite word. Or the first word she learned in English. Oh, I need to stop. This is getting ugly.

Want some more about Ayn Rand? Watch her on Phil Donahue.

What book do you think is overrated? Go ahead–bash one of my favorites. I can take it.