The good ones both can channel an idea and be entertaining. You shouldn't have to struggle through it just because it has a message. But what I meant was that rather that having an idea and folding it into a creative project, it is like she wrote the story just as a vehicle for her idea. I haven't heard as many complaints about some of the other great books with strong ideas like 1984.

I have heard just as many complaints, and as equally ventilated about 1984, and Animal Farm as another example. Both of which got me thinking, but none of which, including Rand, did I find "entertaining".
I, personally, don't believe that because a book doesn't "entertain" it isn't a worthy read.
I read to be entertained sometimes, I call them my "one off" reads. Books I will only read once. Because once they have entertained they have served their purpose. Then there are books I read for other reasons. I read Atlas Shrugged. Parts I liked, other parts not so much. Some of the characters speeches made me feel the same way I did when I read Moby Dick and the pages and pages of describing knots...

Everyone has different reasons they read. And authors have different reasons they write.

I don't agree, at all, with your statement "a good author can channel an idea and entertain". Although I respect your opinion as yours. My opinion is that a good author is able to communicate their ideas in a way that is purposeful, intentional, and with consistency in the writing elements within the story and have characters that are honest ( meaning acting in ways that are true to the character, not morally honest).  Whether or not an author's given work "entertains" is one of the choices they have. An alternate choice, IMO, doesn't in itself make them less than a good writer.

.... and this book seems to be just a vehicle for sharing them.

Aren't all books a "vehicle" to share ideas?

In Progress

Completed
Harry Potter 5
Harry Potter 6
Harry Potter 7
The Astronaut's Wife's Club
Room With A Clue , prime lend
SPQR IX
The Accursed
SPQR X
Pennyfoot hotel mystery, second book
The White Princess
SPQR XI
The Night Circus

I have not seen anywhere in Atlas Shrugged that Ayn Rand wrote anything about religion.

I have a book called The Journals of Ayn Rand. It covers the years from 1927 until her death. She writes about her ideas for future writing, her political thinking and religious/philosophical thinking. It is an interesting resource to go to when thinking of others views of her writing.

According to her journals her themes for Atlas Shrugged are more man against the world, not man/self. Atlas Shrugged is "what would happen if the mind (thinkers and creators in society) went on strike?"  Actually The Strike was her original title.

I have the update, but aside from the change in the number to 5.3.6 I can't see any difference. I looked at my samples and the options to buy seem to be the same. Maybe I have to get new samples to see a change?

IN PROGRESS
Immortal-Abandoned
Jane Eyre
A Tale of Two Cities

Completed
SPQR VII
Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets
SPQR VIII
Harry Potter 3
Harry Potter 4

Just finished Anna Karenina, now reading SPQR IV.

Completed

SPQR IV
Anna Karenia
SPQR V
SPQR VI
Paris, A Novel

I've read Don Quixote, The Divine Comedy, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Les Miserables several times each. I have also read A  Tree Grows in Brooklyn so many times I've lost track. I was 12 the first time  read it, and many a decade has past since then.  

I'm reading The Sunne in Splendour .  I'm almost done and it is a good historical fiction read.

I found a couple I like that I can read on my NOOK app on my iPad mini.

There used to be a link on the page of the kindle book description that asked if there was quality issues or format issues(?), I dont remember the exact wording. I haven't looked lately but you could report it there so Amazon can notify the publisher.

**Edited to add: I just went to Amazon and looked on the page of a book I just finished, it had typos, and I scrolled all the way to the bottom and there is a link to report format issues.