[Sans-Culotte]

Unabridged! It really isn’t THAT long. Kids polish off Harry Potter Books and they are 1000 pages long, so Atlas Shrugged isn’t that daunting. There is, However a long radio speech towards the end that outlines Ayn’s philosophy of Objectivism. I do not know how they will be handling that in the Part III portion of the movie. The character development in the Book is much better and deeper than in the movie.

I slogged my way through the book last year. I really don't share the enthusiasm many Freepers have for the book. I did find it too long for what it was. I loved the over-all concept, but felt the long-winded speeches from Francisco and Galt were too long to be effective. The sex scenes are ridiculously over the top, and the last third was like a comic book adventure.

I don't have a problem with long books per se; I'm 2/3 of the way through a recent translation of WAR AND PEACE that is 1200 pages long.

[left that other site]

I just picked up “War And Peace” at a yard sale TODAY!

I do appreciate and understand your objection to the speeches in Atlas Shrugged. Ayn Rand even said in an interview that the Book was a vehicle for expressing her philosophy, so, instead of writing a Philosophy Book, she wrote a Novel where the characters spout it! LOL!

The same thing happened in The Fountainhead, but not as much.

I agree that if the speeches were condensed and more “pithy”, Ayn would have gotten many more followers to espouse her cause.