Interesting about the Ayn Rand and selling her philosophy in narrative thing. I think every author in some way does it, but I doubt any do it on purpose. Anyway, I enjoyed “Sophie’s World” (well, the first half, anyway), which is definitely primarily a philosophy text and secondarily a story, but I can’t really imagine liking another story like that.

Wow, my comment comes somewhat late. I enjoyed reading your opinions on criticism, because they are clear and well thought out. Thank you.

I have to admit that I’ve never managed to reread Lord of the Rings. I definitely found “The Fellowship” dreary and excessively long and monotonous. I preferred “Two Towers,” and the last book did not satisfy. Completely unsupported opinions, but well… this isn’t meant to be criticism on a well thought level.

I never read “Fountainhead,” although I did read Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged.” It was quite a monster to read, in terms of, well… philosophical ideas. I took two? three? years to read it, bit by bit, and definitely not all at once. Like, a bit in June, then not at all for months, and then a bit, and then set aside for a year… Not a book that you can’t put down. And there is a big, well, presentation of a philosophical ideal that goes on and on and on. Talk about expository. Well. That was painful to read. I think I put it down every few pages and between reads for that passage it was a month’s rest. Not that her writing is bad. I find it interesting that she writes novels to spread her philosophy, interweaving it quite expertly with her story. But I feel sometimes it doesn’t work so well, too dense, and sometimes makes it seem that her characters aren’t real, just puppets to tell her story.

Re: Re: P.S. Who cares about secret passages, I want to have a room that you enter through a cupboard full of old coats.

Re: P.S. This makes me sad, because I am not a rich person, but I would still like secret passageways all over *my* house. Possible solutions?

Re: P. P. S. A panegyric is a public speech (and/or poem) waxing on about how perfect someone (or something) is.

P.S. The thing on trap doors didn’t have anything to do with theatre. Just rich people who put secret passageways all over their house.

P.P.S. So…what does panegyric mean?