Why is Atlas Shrugged Bad?

By Rakib Sarwar Written by Rakib Sarwar
Updated on March 10, 2022

Atlas Shrugged is a book that has been praised by many, but I believe that it is one of the worst books ever written. The characters are unlikeable, the plot is convoluted, and the writing is poor. In this post, I will give reasons why I think Atlas Shrugged is a bad book.

The Atlas Shrugged controversy is rooted in two things. First, it seems to be an anti-capitalist manifesto of sorts that advocates for the abolition of all forms of government regulation on industry and commerce. Second, many people see Ayn Rand’s writing as distasteful because her characters are often unattractive or unlikable with few redeeming qualities. However, there are plenty who love this book despite its controversial nature! 

Why is Atlas Shrugged controversial?

To begin my analysis, I will address the controversial nature of this book. At first glance, it’s easy to see why many might find Atlas Shrugged offensive. Ayn Rand puts forward some truly unlikable characters that are cold and unsympathetic. For example, there is a woman named Dagny Taggart who is an industrialist searching for the original inventor of a revolutionary motor.

When she starts to feel attracted to one of her employees, Hank Rearden, he scolds her into thinking that loving him would be immoral because it would benefit her company. She then decides that she is fine with being alone without any love in her life for the sake of business.

Her love interest eventually goes insane and kills himself, but she decides that it is okay because he fulfilled his purpose for her. There are characters throughout the book that show similar attitudes of unsympathetic or downright idiotic behavior.

Of course, this type of writing isn’t new to readers of Ayn Rand’s other works such as The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. A lot of her characters are cold and unlikeable, but you can’t deny that they have a unique perspective on life.

What is the deal with Atlas Shrugged?

The deal with Atlas Shrugged is that it is very convoluted in its writing. It starts off with Dagny Taggart trying to save her family business which has fallen on hard times. She begins to look for the inventor of a revolutionary motor, but this search is constantly hampered by government regulations and bureaucracy. Eventually, she discovers that the man who invented the motor is John Galt, and he is trying to bring down all of the world’s governments.

Is Atlas Shrugged a banned book?

No, it is not. In fact, there are numerous places in the United States where it can be purchased and read without facing any government opposition.

There are several reasons why this book is so popular. First, the writing style is very engaging to many people no matter how controversial it may be. A lot of people are drawn to this book because they feel that it has a revolutionary message that they can latch onto. Second, many readers are attracted to the law of the jungle mentality that some of the characters have. A lot of people feel that it is a book about survival and beating your competition at any cost, and that is a message people can get behind.

What’s with all the hate surrounding ‘Atlas Shrugged’?

I believe that there are several reasons why people might dislike this book. First, it is an extremely long and complicated book to read. It’s easy to see why people might get bored reading about the same types of government regulations that go on and on throughout this book.

Second, there are a lot of places in this novel where the writing style becomes convoluted and difficult to understand. Even though I read this book multiple times, there are still parts I have to read over again because I didn’t understand what the author was trying to say.

What’s wrong with Atlas Shrugged?

The biggest problem with this book is that it’s extremely convoluted in its writing. A lot of people say it can be hard to understand, and I can attest to that. This issue is probably exacerbated by the fact that this book has a lot of detailed descriptions and long passages that just start to drag on if you are not interested in what is being said.

This book also has a number of unlikable characters that readers might be turned off by. Some characters throughout this book don’t have a sympathetic or even positive perspective on life. For instance, there is a woman named Dagny Taggart who falls in love with one of her employees, Hank Rearden, early on in this book. However, she is constantly scolded and looked down on for having romantic feelings towards a man that she just met.

‘Atlas Shrugged’ has been labeled as a controversial, banned, and hated a book. The truth is that it’s not any of these things; the novel simply explores ideas outside of what most people are familiar with. If you’re curious about why this book can be so polarizing amongst readers, we’ve got all the answers to your questions right here! What do you think? Is Atlas Shrugged bad or good? Let us know in the comments below!