Atlas Shrugged

Ayn Rand

How does someone describe this novel? I certainly can't. It's a tangle of contradictions, an epic, a saga that changes history. It's main philosophy is that each person must think for themself and be responsible to themself. Then, and only then, if they desire it, are they responsible to others. "To thine own self be true" is the unstated, underlying theme.

Dagny Taggert runs the country's best railroad line in all but name. She's the driving force as Chief Operating Officer; her father left it to her brother James to be president. Francisco d'Anconia is a copper mine heir. The three were friends as children. Then, as Francisco became an adult, he turned away from the business world and became a playboy, squandering the money left to him by his rich family.

Henry "Hank" Reardon is a self made millionaire, the owner of one of the few remaining producing steel mills. He has also invented a new metal alloy that is stronger and less expensive than steel. Reardon Metal will be the salvage of Taggart Trainways as it needs to replace worn out railroad tracks. Yet when he will not sell the formula to government agents, the metal is declared unsafe and illegal to use it.

Well, this introduces the novel. It is more convoluted than I can ever describe in a simple review. It introduces Rand's philosophy of living, of freedom, and of business competition. This is one of socially important novels that will be discussed in classrooms and at internet sites for years and years. Despite its philosophical and social ramifications, it also has a good story intertwined in it. It is a sweeping story following the Taggart siblings, Reardon, d'Anconia, and the many people who touch or interfere in their lives.

Do not pick this novel up if you are looking for a light read. DO pick this up when you are ready to have your mind and values challenged. When you have finished, you may be asking yourself the question that opens the novel, "Who is John Galt?"

To learn more about Aym Rand and her philosophy, visit The Ayn Rand Institute.