Surely some of Rand's language use is a biproduct of her not being a native English speaker. A rough sentence here or there, or a somewhat wayward clause, is n

Surely some of Rand's language use is a biproduct of her not being a native English speaker. A rough sentence here or there, or a somewhat wayward clause, is not (in my opinion) reason enough to dismiss an author. My guess is that the editor left those paragraphs alone because he/she understood that they don't detract at all. In fact, if you read them aloud they sound perfect to the ear. If you're looking for delicious, eloquent prose, try Fitzgerald or Joyce. Rand's feat with Atlas Shrugged was different -- not just literary. She wrote a tremendous novel of ideas. As I mentioned in one of the other threads, imagine if all of the world's philosophers wrote significant works of fiction to help explain their ideas to the general public! Also, I don't think that the existence of authors whose strength is the beauty of their prose diminishes Rand's accomplishment in the least. Hers is a different accomplishment and there is room on the book shelf for both.