tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post2442372038967163545..comments2023-12-27T13:35:09.431-07:00Comments on Exile in Portales: Small Stuff, Objectivism DivisionBuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-15269429715130731682013-02-02T12:37:04.474-07:002013-02-02T12:37:04.474-07:00Thanks for droppin' by, Bagley.Thanks for droppin' by, Bagley.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-56924809021703445642013-02-01T17:29:39.776-07:002013-02-01T17:29:39.776-07:00As with you, Buck, I was not able to read the book...As with you, Buck, I was not able to read the book.<br /><br />However, I did find that it a "good listen" on an audio book over the course of a very long drive.<br /><br />Love the blog!<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />BagleyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-75739110069706933522013-01-29T13:03:25.967-07:002013-01-29T13:03:25.967-07:00We're (ahem) on the same page in all regards, ...We're (ahem) on the same page in all regards, Dan.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-18912637128846988752013-01-29T12:32:19.607-07:002013-01-29T12:32:19.607-07:00Most of my associates in academia turned their nos...Most of my associates in academia turned their noses up at her stuff. Not because of the writing, but her politics and philosophy. Which tells me they probably never read her. I at least tried but eventually went to the Cliff Notes version and other distillations of her thought. <br /><br />I'm in agreement with most everyone here about her novel writing skills. But I do think many of her views are on target, especially those regarding individual happiness and the best social system for achieving that (capitalism), and I wholeheartedly agree with her abhorrence of communism. Speaking of happiness, I'd be very happy with 1/200 th of her novel sales. :-)Dapper Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01230099347154360809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-61832836263448532912013-01-29T09:27:23.582-07:002013-01-29T09:27:23.582-07:00You know what I know, Ivan.You know what I know, Ivan.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-38910867691369587152013-01-28T17:00:24.399-07:002013-01-28T17:00:24.399-07:00Morgan and I have been having an offline on the su...Morgan and I have been having an offline on the subject of sales... a brief excerpt:<br /><br /><i>Interesting link. This...<br /><br /> "Even more impressive," added Dr. Brook, "is that since its publication in 1957, more than 6 million copies of 'Atlas Shrugged' have been sold."<br /><br />...pales before the 200 million of Dickens' "Two Cities" and Tolkien's 150 million for "Lord of the Rings." So I think we can conclude safely that "Atlas" was NOT the best selling novel of all time. Even WFB can get it wrong... who'd a thunk it?<br /><br /><br />On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 4:19 PM, Morgan Freeberg wrote:<br /><br /> Hmmm. I found some hard figures here: http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?id=17225&page=NewsArticle. I haven't verified them against anything else, but if they're hard numbers, they should be verifiable...or falsifiable...<br /><br /> I have no idea how they compare to the Bible, or others.<br /><br /> Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:12:14 -0700<br /><br /> Subject: Re: [Exile in Portales] New comment on Small Stuff, Objectivism Division.<br /> From: buckpennington<br /> To: (Morgan)<br /><br /> But WHERE did you read that? Here's what I googled... note my search term </i>(link omitted)<i>. I can't find "Atlas," mebbe you can. Not that it matters all that much.</i><br /><br />I'm sympathetic to most of her ideology, as well. I'll also give a resounding "Roger that!" to abridging the original copy. Had Ms. Rand employed a strong editor... and been receptive to the edits... she might well have sold one whole helluva lot more copies than she did.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-89878856295004664342013-01-28T16:52:13.524-07:002013-01-28T16:52:13.524-07:00@Texan99: I'll repeat what I said over at Mor...@Texan99: I'll repeat what I said over at Morgan's place: I like you. A lot! Thanks for dropping by and mebbee... just mebbee... I'll give "Atlas" a fourth go.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-56136325149389832013-01-28T16:48:23.192-07:002013-01-28T16:48:23.192-07:00OK, but at a minimum you've got to admit that ...OK, but at a minimum you've got to admit that it sold an incredible number of copies, and it's still selling like hotcakes after 50 years. No one's going to be reading my deathless prose in 50 years.<br /><br />At the same time, although she'd have killed anyone who tried it, the book would have benefited hugely from abridging to about 1/3 the original size. And I say that as someone who's very, very sympathetic to her ideology.Texan99https://www.blogger.com/profile/10479561573903660086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-27935663438557913962013-01-28T16:41:26.556-07:002013-01-28T16:41:26.556-07:00Her style, yi yi yi. At a minimum, you've got...Her style, yi yi yi. At a minimum, you've got to skip the sermons. She sure did like to drive her points home, and then home, and home again, with cartoonish characters. I can't help it, though; I still enjoy her. I re-read Atlas Shrugged last year. I don't find her harder to take than potboiler authors like John Grisham, and it's not really fair to compare her to real literature. It's lightly fictionalized, completely humorless, stark staring political argument.Texan99https://www.blogger.com/profile/10479561573903660086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-22414251326502995542013-01-28T15:51:28.324-07:002013-01-28T15:51:28.324-07:00My research says Dickens' Tale of Two Cities o...My research says Dickens' <i>Tale of Two Cities</i> outstrips all others and even Tolkien beat Rand<br /><br />But what do I knowIT (aka Ivan Toblog)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07484236901066944983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-19557669824328174582013-01-28T15:44:43.612-07:002013-01-28T15:44:43.612-07:00And I can just hear her from beyond the grave: &qu...<i>And I can just hear her from beyond the grave: "Yup, and this is the best-selling novel in the history of the world. Hey, have you written any best-selling novels in the history of the world lately?"</i><br /><br />"Atlas" isn't anywhere to be found on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books" rel="nofollow">this list</a>. Or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_100_Most_Influential_Books_Ever_Written" rel="nofollow">this one</a>. One wonders where Buckley got his information.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-83525750584164984412013-01-28T14:29:39.680-07:002013-01-28T14:29:39.680-07:00You're going to love this part. This is on pag...You're going to love this part. This is on page 785:<br /><br />"Will you let me speak first? you see, it's something I should have said to you long ago. Will you let me speak adn not answer me until I finish?"<br /><br />She nodded.<br /><br />He took a moment to look at her as she stood before him, as if to hold the full sight of her figure, of this moment and of everything that had led them to it.<br /><br />...me again. As I said, that is p. 785, about a quarter of the way down.<br /><br />He winds it up at the bottom of page 788. One guy talking. That is micro-printing, averaging North of 500 words to a page.<br /><br />And I can just hear her from beyond the grave: "Yup, and this is the best-selling novel in the history of the world. Hey, have you written any best-selling novels in the history of the world lately?"<br /><br />She'd have a point, I suppose.<br />mkfreeberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13265933747192068934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-56624895946594086022013-01-28T14:08:41.339-07:002013-01-28T14:08:41.339-07:00Yeah... okay, we'll call it persistence and de...Yeah... okay, we'll call it persistence and dedication <i>[GRINS]</i>.(not necessarily your) Uncle Skiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02705753220273516841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-19498691979348021052013-01-28T13:50:54.178-07:002013-01-28T13:50:54.178-07:00That's a pretty good point, Darryl. I've ...That's a pretty good point, Darryl. I've found Russian authors difficult, at best.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-21088155174330837622013-01-28T13:50:17.601-07:002013-01-28T13:50:17.601-07:00And I salute you for your persistence and dedicati...And I salute you for your persistence and dedication!Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-36793126804324046532013-01-28T13:49:47.443-07:002013-01-28T13:49:47.443-07:00@Dano: Thanks for the tip, but given the fact I&#...@Dano: Thanks for the tip, but given the fact I've read so much ABOUT Rand... her life and her philosophy/politics... I doubt bad novels would add anything for me at this point. I ain't as young as I used to be and there's too much left to do (and read!) without adding superfluous BS to my list.Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-11797741357621379532013-01-28T09:31:36.785-07:002013-01-28T09:31:36.785-07:00One other thing for all to consider; Rand's bi...One other thing for all to consider; Rand's birth language is/was Russian, which may be how her mind worked while crafting her pages.Barco Sin Vela IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15621907771132379553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-92217151803004233102013-01-28T09:30:16.297-07:002013-01-28T09:30:16.297-07:00Agreed. I couldn't get through Atlas either. F...Agreed. I couldn't get through Atlas either. Fountainhead and Anthem summed it up for me. Or one could listen to 2112, side one and the final song on side 2. Barco Sin Vela IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15621907771132379553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-7943070535353440812013-01-28T09:26:00.463-07:002013-01-28T09:26:00.463-07:00I have been trying to think of anything to add to ...I have been trying to think of anything to add to the commentary, but it reminds me that I actually took the time necessary to read the entire book.<br />That depresses me.(not necessarily your) Uncle Skiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02705753220273516841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-75428373428481314512013-01-27T19:41:20.781-07:002013-01-27T19:41:20.781-07:00You can get Rand in a much shorter form by reading...You can get Rand in a much shorter form by reading 'Anthem.' I agree with everyone... she was a little wooden, but the ideas do hold some water.Danohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02477455161050442125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-17648680979270553212013-01-27T16:32:11.357-07:002013-01-27T16:32:11.357-07:00I'm of the same school, Lou. I could be a sta...I'm of the same school, Lou. I could be a staff writer for "Short Attention Span Theatre."Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-12047327077046883852013-01-27T16:30:55.233-07:002013-01-27T16:30:55.233-07:00Yup!Yup!Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-16472341687442704432013-01-27T15:12:27.806-07:002013-01-27T15:12:27.806-07:00I'm of the KISS style of writing, and Cliff No...I'm of the KISS style of writing, and Cliff Notes are my friend. Bag Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01885412195900280096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-16788189181475944142013-01-27T14:28:28.383-07:002013-01-27T14:28:28.383-07:00Never even tried to read it. The Cliff Notes told...Never even tried to read it. The Cliff Notes told me all I need to know. HA! Glancing up, I see Old Goat beat me to that one...Andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10945901944078164054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18232353.post-60355460035262173882013-01-27T13:28:15.339-07:002013-01-27T13:28:15.339-07:00Go to the "cliff notes" if you don't...<i>Go to the "cliff notes" if you don't like the literary style. You would probably be happier. </i><br /><br />I did, and was. <b>;-)</b>Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05319116022465066060noreply@blogger.com