Perhaps they have the book in their home -- in order to tell their Masters (their "Friends") that they have read and understood the book .

I Refer all Able-Minded Men (Ladies included) to two particular Ayn Rand essays: --

"The Comprachicos"
"The Age Of Envy."

". . . the SNEERING attacks that Rand is unreadable." --

Of course it's unreadable -- the attackers CANNOT READ .
The gov't schools have made "certain," that its students are CRIPPLES incapable of reading --
words have rubber meanings, shifting concepts (definitions) incite rage, chaos is the mental platform -- the "normal standard."

No -- it's never too late

(however, men may be reading A$, during a new Dark Age, a new Stone Age.)

Excellently articulated reasons.
However, I do disagree with his either/or conclusion when a both/and produces no contradiction.

One theme that runs throughout Rand's works is that the haters of the mind are the greatest danger. Reading, especially of a work like Atlas Shrugged, represents a dire threat to their existence, because every word in it marches a step closer to their destruction. Is this a terrorist attitude? I assert that things have deteriorated in America to the point that the looters would declare Atlas Shrugged subversive material, and its readers terrorist.

I can't imagine that people would have that book in their home and haven't read it yet. What a terrible waste. But I'm with you, if they have, it is too late as so much damage has already been done.

No -- it's too late .