Reading Rand

I've heard enough about it from various sources that I decided to try actually reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged this month. So far I'm about 20% in and not understanding the appeal. Not really much subtlety to it, not (yet) a particularly compelling plot, nor the most appealing view of life...

"What are you after?"
"Money."
"Don't you have enough?"
"In his lifetime, every one of my ancestors raised the production of d'Anconia Copper by about ten per cent. I intend to raise it by one hundred."
"What for?" Jim asked, in sarcastic imitation of Francisco's voice.
"When I die. I hope to go to heaven - whatever the hell that is - and I want to be able to afford the price of admission."
"Virtue is the price of admission," Jim said haughtily.
"That's what I mean, James. So I want to be prepared to claim the greatest virtue of all - that I was a man who made money."

Not exactly the most compelling philosophy to build your life around it seems to me - and neither it (nor Jim's opposing view above) seem quite in line with a Christian view so I also don't understand the appeal amongst those who mark themselves by that label. (Perhaps it fits with the prosperity gospel better though - although I'd argue that that's something other than Christian). Seems more consistent with the label that an TIME article awarded it - The GOP’s Godless Philosopher.