Whoops, I forgot to add “in the US”.
Ever been to Detroit?
It’s just a gut feeling, but I have to think that there are more Muslims than Objectivists in the US (granted, there is some amount of overlap). Heck, I’m pretty sure there are more Mormons than Objectivists.
How are you quantifying “influential?” What real historical or cultural influence has the book actually had as compared to something like The Book of Mormon, or Huckleberry Finn, or The Grapes of Wrath, or, To Kill a Mockingbird, or The Jungle, or Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or The Autobiography of Malcolm X or Gone With the Wind, orThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, or Dianetics or any number of other American books which can be pointed to as having had tangible effects on society, history and art?
I would posit that Richard Scarry’s ABCs has had a bigger influence on more Americans than The Fountainhead has.
You could probably make an argument for Dr. Seuss as well.
There was some survey taken years ago asking readers what book influenced them more than any other.* Atlas Shrugged* came in second to the Bible, just barely ahead of L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics and Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s* A Gift from the Sea. * Not exactly intellectually outstanding company, and it should be mentioned AS was a very distant second. So far as I’m aware, this is the only factual basis for that claim.
I see. One of those polls where the real question is, “Which organization has the most rabid followers that will each vote multiple times in order to win a meaningless Internet survey?”
Well, this was before the internet, but you’ve pretty much got the right idea. The survey was in no way scientific.
I just got home from watching* Atlas Shrugged Part I,* even took the day off work to see it.
Before I go any farther, I want to say that I really, really, really wanted to like this film, so anyone accusing me of being prejudiced against* Atlas Shrugged Part I* has merely made it plain that his opinions on the subject deserve no respect.
Now, here goes:
Like* Catch 22*, if you haven’t read the book you’ll probably find the story difficult or impossible to understand. In my book, one of the greatest sins a filmmaker can commit is failing to tell his story coherently enough that an ordinary audience can understand it.
Like Stephen King’s The Stand mini-series, the production values have the feel of a made-for-TV film with serious budget issues. I’ll cut 'em an awful lot of slack on this, because there are many films whose shoestring budget shows painfully up on the screen, and I still liked 'em.
Like Reds, there’s too much political boilerplate masquerading as dialogue. The voice over at the end is particularly awkward.
The soundtrack music was effective but undistinguished. It seemed to me to overwhelm the dialogue at times, but my hearing isn’t as good as it used be.
It’s not as big a mess as* Battlefield Earth*, or the typical Sci Fi Channel original, but that’s damning the film with faint praise. Think* Left Behind*: It has its moments, but overall, it just doesn’t gel. It may play better seen in conjunction with parts two and three, but at this point I’m fairly sure parts two and three will never get made. If you’re a Rand fan, you may like it, though at least some of her fans will be disappointed. If you haven’t read the book, or you have and you’re not at all in sympathy with Rand’s politics and philosophy, you have better things to do with your time and money.
Oh, yeah, and whenever John Galt’s silhouette showed up on the screen, I had to fight the temptation to say in a loud, deep, spooky voice, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!”
I’ve rarely seen a book to movie translation from a book I’ve really enjoyed that came out well, with a few notable exceptions. I’m hoping Game of Thrones is one of those exceptions. This one…I won’t watch it, as I can’t imagine someone doing a movie that would meet my expectations.
-XT
Following up on my own post, I realize that it may be impossible to be both an observant Muslim and an Objectivist. One of the Five Pillars of Islam is zakat, or charity.
Not to mention that Objectivism is explicitly atheist, which would really be difficult to reconcile with Islam.
I was never Ayn Randed.
Or nearly branded a communist.
But I am left-handed.
But that’s the hand you use…well, never mind.
Now see, there’s an example of a common misconception about objectivism. Rand was never against charity. In fact, to an objectivist, charity is great–as long as it’s voluntary. Objectivism is all about what you value. If it’s important to you to help the less fortunate, then by all means donate to the charities of your choice. The only way it clashes with objectivism is if you’re forced or coerced (or guilted) into doing it.
Oh, ETA: Yeah, it would probably be tough to be an observant Muslim and an objectivist, but it wouldn’t be because of charity.
Oh, yeah, that Rearden Metal chain for which Dagny traded a diamond necklace to Lillian Rearden? You can buy a replica for the paltry sum of $159.00.
To directly answer the OP’s question:
“**Am I Gonna Be Able To Sit Through “Atlas Shrugged”, The Film?”
**Based on the reviews, I think that’s gonna depend on if you can sleep while sitting.
- The Bible
- Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand
- The Road Less Traveled, by M. Scott Peck
- To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
- The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
- How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
- The Book of Mormon
(there were many ties for 9th)
To the best of my knowledge* there hasn’t been an equally comprehensive/large study since then.
Obviously there’s a huge dropoff after the Bible. Atlas Shrugged is not my favorite book. But the people who dismiss it as lacking influence are just wrong. Color me surprised that the Road Less Traveled is so high up.
*My knowledge being quoted from a former librarian boss. It’s considered accurate, just 20 years old.
Well, regardless of the reviews, from what I’ve heard of the movie, Quasi, if you didn’t like the book you won’t like the movie.
Maybe he got confused by Hubbard’s Constant of dollars having a red shift relative to his victim’s pockets.