Ayn Rand is who I think of when I hear Billy Joel sing:

“She can ruin your faith with her casual lies

And she only reveals what she wants you to see

She hides like a child but she’s always a woman to me”

The above summarizes Objectivism better than wikipedia ever could.

Atlas Shrugged == a pop novel feigning depth. At least the Fountainhead has a catchy start. But let’s face it, they’re all literary dung. Why?

1. She chooses words carelessly for shock value:

“The clouds and the shafts of skyscrapers were brown, like an old painting in oil, the color of a fading masterpiece.”

Seriously?

There is no meaning here. Move along.

2. tl;dr

3. If you have to justify your characters’ realness on the first page of Atlas Shrugged, a rewrite is due.

“I trust that no one will tell me that men such as I write about don’t exist. That this book has been written–and published[alas]–is my proof that they do”

4. Ayn Rand justifying Objectivism over Altruism is like Satan selling someone on Hell:

5. Here’s someone blaming the recession on Ayn Rand.

Can we also blame the Japanese Earthquake on her? And empty paper towel dispensers?

6: So, before you spawn more emo kids with a rational self-interest (as opposed to an irrational self-interest?) read this:

Seriously though, make sure your kids only read Ayn Rand when they’re happy.