When I got my first pay at work last June, the first set of things that I bought, which I indulged in were books. Lots and lots of books. I bought my latest set of books on a rainy Saturday night while Mitch conveniently did his business transactions nearby. I missed the feeling of like being in a candy store, only that I'm looking at aisles and aisles of books. And I was purchasing without a care of the price. It was an empowering feeling.
You see, before I transferred to my new company I had tons of bills to pay. My financial status was in shambles that's why I haven't had time and enough resources to squeeze books in. I wasn't really happy and proud of that phase. So I just kept a list of books that I had planned to buy so when the good cash came in, I stuck to my list and fired away. It was good timing too since I knew that I would be traveling and I always bring good books to accompany me on my new adventure.
One of the books that I brought with me is Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I brought this because I have been itching to read it since my literary maturity and I saw the thickness will make me miss home less. I don't know why I haven't read this earlier since I know about it since eternity, but I think it has something to do with the right timing.
Atlas Shrugged is considered a classic in a sense that there has been editions and versions of it over time. I remember when I was still in my RL Stine phase, I have seen this particularly thick book. Naturally the plot was not an interest back then, but as time went by this particular book kept on nagging me as Leo Tolstloy's Annakarenina did. Atlas Shrugged is one of those books wherein you just have to read at least once in your lifetime. Your literary experience would not have been complete if you missed it. When I have conquered Annakarenina, I was hooked though it was a challenging read. I knew I could take anything else. It was a period piece with a unique narrative style and it is thick. Atlas Shrugged just like Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth is also noticeably thick and has the industrial era and plot as a setting. Though the thickness could be intimidating, it is something that I am already used to. It's the writing style and setting that scare me the most. It could make or break the book instantly.
Thankfully, Atlas Shrug does not bore me. It is an interesting read. Just like Annakarenina and Pillars of the Earth, I feel this particular book will have an audience forever. This is one of the literary works that has authentic characters and interesting plot that would be understood and appreciated through time. No wonder it has been republished and even used in advance literary major classes.
Now, this is the first book I'm reading while I'm here in Ohio. I specifically felt like bringing it here to face dull moments, but unfortunately work and activities bog my reading pace, but I'm getting there. The characters are interesting and it's my first time to read a plot in an industrial era with the railroad business as a backdrop. It's philosophy, economy, drama and suspense combined. I'm beginning to love it. Hopefully I could get to finish it next week. I have three more books egging in my closet.
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