Less Ordinary

I finished Atlas Shrugged early last week and had thought I'd post my thoughts on the book, but now that I've waited this long I find that I don't have much to say. It is a good story, the ending is ridiculous, given all the build up to it, but the characters and world/reality are very interesting. It's very preachy, but the art of getting a political point across in a novel doubtless requires talent and brains far beyond even the most acclaimed authors. The fact that the book is so very relevant to this day and age, is nothing short of scary. I asked Jason if we could run off and live in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming or something and he just raised an eyebrow at me.

Meanwhile Pickwick is getting himself in all kinds of mischief! I laugh and laugh at times while reading this book. Strikes me as a forerunner to Wooster and Jeeves. The more I think about it, the more I see how this is the work of a younger Dickens, the descriptions are great, and the characters are just that, and I try to keep in mind that these accounts were written as a series printed over time in a magazine, but all the little stories various people interject to read to the Pickwickians or to simply recount to them are exhausting!

On a personal note, my mom came to visit this past weekend. It was great! She beat the bad weather and stayed with my Aunt and Uncle for a while, seeing Grammy during the day and then came up to see us. We took her to the city wide yardsale and had a blast! Then ate delicious dinner and watched Return to Cranford. I LOVE that series!!!! All in all it has been a good week!

Clairify

I feel a strong need to point something out as briefly as possible. I have no problem reading long books. Dickens Bleak House, need I say more? But the thing that has irritated me about Atlas is the amount of repitition. She makes the same points over and over and over again using different settings, and sometimes not so different settings. I guess it bugs me that the "point" of this novel is so blatent and in my face. It bothers me Because I like the story and characters. Also because I don't like being assumed to be an idiot. If I didn't get her point the first 4 times am I really going to get it the next 20 times? Doubtful.

Still enjoying the story, and Mr. Pickwick is pretty funny...

Confession Good

Atlas Shrugged. And Shrugged and Shrugged and then Shrugged some more. Basically, I agree with the political point Rand is making, and I like the story and most of the characters. The length she goes to is the problem. There has been a lot of waisted ink read by this reader in the last two weeks. Rand is passionate and serious about her point and wants to be surer than your average sure that her readers know the fullness of her opinion and its, in her opinion, impeccable rightness. I have enjoyed reading about Dagny, and Rearden reminds me a bit of my husband. I have not finished the book. I do like it. I will finish it, likely quite soon. There are many unanswered questions at this point, but I will break a rule I've held for two years now and read two non-school books at once. I used to be terrible about reading several books at once and it was easy to leave several unfinished for long long periods of time. That first year I read one book at a time I read more books than I had in the previous two years combine, so there is some thing to be said for taking it one at a time for this reader. I am making an exception because I care more about starting the Dickens Project and I know I'll feel better about all of it if I do. I will stop resenting Rand for keeping me from Dickens and I will begin to more fully get into what I want to be into concerning both books.

Pickwick Papers, Hello! Let the journey begin!