Not to say that I didn't enjoy reading the book; I'm just a little disappointed that I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought would. As a Slavic Lit minor, I read a plethora of books on collectivism, utopias, and the constant struggle of man's identity versus society. Rand's book fits nicely in with my background as one of her main themes is the struggle of individualism versus collectivism. Her main point is that the only way to truly achieve success and fulfillment in life is to follow one's own instincts, desires, and thoughts--without asking for help or input from others. Not that man should operate in a vacuum--the protagonist in the novel who represents individualism is able to surround himself with a select group of people who live their lives similarly to him. Ultimately, according to Rand, the rights of the individual should NEVER be trumped by the good of society. When the protagonist builds an inner city housing project, for example, he does it because it will allow him to fulfill his own personal desire to design a gorgeous building, not to help the people who will live in it. It is the architects who claim that they build to give back that suffer and ultimately sell themselves out in the novel. While I don't ascribe to these ideas...they are interesting to ponder.
And I have a favorite quote that reminds me of medical school...
(said to Roark, the perfect example of an "individual" according to Rand): "You're completely natural only when you're one inch from bursting into pieces."
I can completely relate to that statement--I'm much happier, productive, and efficient when I have too many things to do.
Now onto finding a book I enjoy a bit more....
