There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life:

[Douglas Carpenter]

There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. Th other, of course, involves orcs."

-- John Rogers

[cali]

1. that's cute. I've seen it many times but of course

there are many books that can change a child's life.

[erpowers]

2. Paul Krugman

Until recently I thought that was a Paul Krugman quote. He used it in one of his opinion pieces. I am pretty sure he mentioned the actual author of the quote, but I missed it.

[LaydeeBug]

3. I used this as my FB status when "Atlas Shrugged" (the movie) came out. nt

[Donald Ian Rankin]

4. Hardback Gone With The Wind, dropped from sufficient height. N.T.

[HereSince1628]

5. At about 14 I found Atlas Shrugged among my brother's abandoned college texts

Ayn Rand is also the reason I knew at age 15 who Roget was and what was a thesaurus. I think I gave up on it after a couple pages.

IMO, it would take an exceptionally bored and technology deprived 14 year old to read Atlas Shrugged in it's entirety.

[zeemike]

6. Atlas Shrugged was not around when I was 14

The book that most influenced me was called 1-2-3 Infinity...can't remember the author...but it gave me a great appreciation for science.
But I did read it when I was about 19 or so, and the urging of a right winger...and for a short while I bought into it...untill events showed me that assholes are the ones that are the true believers.

[Douglas Carpenter]

7. I didn't read"Atlas Shrugged' at that age but I did see the 1949 movie 'Fountain Head" based on

Ann Rand's novel. I'm sure it was on late night TV. I remember finding it interesting. But the philosophic premise behind it seemed utterly simplistic to me - even at that young age. I later did read the novel and felt the same.

The trailer to Fountainhead - based on Ann Rand's novel of the same name - I believe the entire movies is available on youtube in four parts.

[zeemike]

8. I never saw the movie The Fountainhead but read the book

Oddly enough I was sitting in the library reading it when JFK was shot in Dallas...the librarian came over and told me...and that was the end of my interest in Ayn Rand because the ones that encouraged me to read Atlas Shrugged showed themselves as being assholes...one of them said..."it is about time they killed that nigger lover"...that was my wakeup call.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

9. Lame

Did Rand do then screen play too? Drudgerous dialogue.

[rhett o rick]

10. I was about 16 or 17 when I became fascinated with Ayn Rand. I read a few of her

books and subscribed to her newsletter. When I left high school and met the real world, I quickly forgot Ms. Rand.

[GreenEyedLefty]

11. When I was a bookish 14 year old, I read "Roots." It changed my life.

[pipi_k]

12. The two books

that changed my life the most when I was young were...

"Diary Of A Young Girl: Anne Frank" (about 14 when I read it)

and

"The Territorial Imperative" by Robert Ardrey (about 17 when I read it)


I would say that Robert Ardrey's book was a huge factor in why I turned against Creationism and ultimately became an Atheist.

[RebelOne]

13. I read "Roots" and Anne Frank's diary many, many years ago.

And then I saw the "Roots" series on TV. I never read Ardery's book, but I was an atheist anyway.

[Avalux]

14. I've never seen that quote before - at 14, I spent the summer reading LOR.

My mom thought there was something wrong with me because I spent my summer indoors reading instead of out socializing with my friends. Obsessed? Perhaps...but one of the best decisions I've ever made.

As for Atlas Shrugged...I read it when I was older. What a piece of crap.

[lancer78]

15. Atlas Shrugged review

[pipi_k]

16. Never

read LoTR, but I did see the movie.

Didn't really like it all that much.

Maybe the book is better? The books usually are.


As for "Atlas Shrugged", I didn't read that one, either, although I did read "We The Living".

Depressed the hell out of me. I could not even imagine having to live that way under Communism.