Evan

Ok ayn rand, now write a book where the all the industrialists try to seize power for evil reasons and the socialists are actually good people. then we'll see how both extremes are not good.

I like her writing style still, but she really could've made this shorter. JG's over 50 page speech was just way too much. like, we got it girl, the whole book you've been saying the same shit.

i liked the first person style. idk if that's camus or the translator, but it was unique and made me want to keep reading.

favorite part was definitely the last bit with the chaplain. i like when camus reaffirms the self destiny we can each choose to accept and feel fulfilled with

I just know Farfalla and Johun are spinning in their graves. Those Jedi didn't even bother checking out the tent for hidden spaces and said, “yeah, this dude randomly swinging a lightsaber was the lone Sith Lord capable of defeating 3 Jedi Masters by himself. Good job guys, we got him!”

I started reading this over a year ago, got two thirds of the way through after a few months, and then stopped reading it for whatever reason. But I wanted to finish it this spring and I thought that it was good enough that I wanted to start from the beginning again. And I'm really glad I did that. This time around, I finished the book in two weeks.

Ayn's theory of objectivism seems sound to me. As far as the objectivistic individual's thoughts and motivations, I think they're good. E.g. live for oneself completely, and a person is only that which they create and do by themselves (Roark's speech in the trial sounded perfect to me). I think that part of Ayn's objectivism is good, but I think the limit she puts on the amount people can work together or for each other is too far (very Ellsworth Toohey of me). There are different types of socialist societies. I think the one Ayn imagines is far different from what most leftists imagine as being an optimal society nowadays. So I think there's just some confusion on the naming of things (as the book also mentions quiet a number of times).

And even if you despise Ayn's ideas, at the very least this book serves as a great opening point for discussions on where we as a society should balance ourselves on the spectrum.

But enough with the boring theories. I LOVE Ayn Rand's writing style so much. I read the book so fast that sometimes the descriptions felt a little repetitive (angular, straight lines of Roark, Dominique and nearly every one of Roark's buildings), but even in a 700 page novel, there were so many new ways of describing places, objects, people, and of course... buildings. I often found myself confused with the descriptions because Ayn has such an amazing ability to describe common things in creative, confusing/exciting ways. But I was just happy to have more reason to reread the book.

Ellsworth Toohey: there were a few rare moments where I really wanted to punch Ellsworth because of how much of a manipulator he is. But it's just a book, and he's just a character used to illustrate the extreme of what collectivism can lead to. Plus, Roark's victory despite all the people in the world Toohey had in his pocket was even better than getting to punch him.

Side note: I really thought Toohey was going to win and the world was going to become exactly like anthem. In fact I thought this might be the prequel at some points! But I get that Ayn wanted an uplifting story of what humanity is at its best, and not it's worst.

And the way Ayn unfolded Toohey's character was great. I'm sure I was always right where Ayn wanted me to be on my views of Toohey. At first I thought it was good for Peter to get in with an influential guy, just another step for him, then in the second part (Toohey's part) I saw his methods in some form, but I still didn't know his motivations, then I saw more and more how obviously it was being pointed out his repetitive nature and how much of a second-hander (I didn't realize it was that term at the time) he was, and then when Dominque told Gail, “He wants control of the world” it clicked, and I was like, “oh my gosh, this is way bigger than I thought!!”

Sidenote: Also loved how casual he was about controlling everyone once he really became powerful, and how he told Peter everything straight up multiple times.

One of my very favorite things about this book was the characters of Roark and Keating, among others. I think I can best sum it up with how happy it made me when Keating rubbed Roark's unbreakable spirit in Toohey's face even when he himself was completely ruined, or when he said, “I know who will be sure!” To Francon when he wasn't sure if it had been worth it. Just the nature of Keating's competition with Roark despite Roark not caring and even helping Peter was so fun to read.

Henry Cameron was great for the few chapters he was in, I think Ayn used him perfectly, not as motivation for Roark, but almost as motivation for the reader. And his interactions with Roark were just the best. R.I.P. Henry, gone too soon to see the tallest piece of metal in the world :'(

Gail Wynand/Dominque Francon: I haven't quite figured what to make of these characters. I get that Gail is the man who could have been Roark but wasn't, but I was mainly indifferent to him. Maybe that's because he wasn't mentioned much early on so I didn't have a build up to who the head of The banner, the most powerful man in the city was, but he just seemed like another “big powerful businessman” to me at times. And Dominque is the biggest puzzle I have still. I understood that she was putting herself through the pain of not being with Roark, but after she married Gail I became pretty lost on what her goal was and what her actions were doing for her, Roark, and Gail.

I understand that a lot of people aren't going to like this book. I liked Ayn's style enough that I could read almost anything she wrote about. But I do think the plot here is really good and no matter what your standpoint is on the theories presented in the book, it's a great book for reading and/or discussion.

Loved speed reading every other chapter about boring old historian Holsten to get the cool spider evolution shit