“Who is John Galt?” And so begins one of the greatest novels of the twentieth century. Atlas Shrugged was written by Ayn Rand in 1957. I began reading it in 1964, worked my way through the first one hundred pages (a very apt predicate), set it down, and have only begun reading it again these many years later.

The novel is likely set in the 1950s, amid very dark recessive times, and darker yet to come (think Batman’s Gotham City). The story’s venue is the industrial sector of the United States, and its characters the men (and one woman) of industry. Giants of industry disappear one after the other in this time of great need. Where they go no one knows. Without them, the main characters attempt to save the country.

The basic tenet, however, is really Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, the simple definition stating that one should have an objective reason and purpose for every action taken. It goes far deeper than that, dealing incisively with the competence of the individual, or the lack thereof, government interference, and the idea that selfishness is a good thing.

The book has again become widely popular; in 2009, it has already sold twice that of 2008. Much of this resurgence is certainly due to the worldwide financial and economic crisis in which we find ourselves. Indeed, Atlas Shrugged eerily mirrors that crisis.

It is an intense read with well-developed characters, and I’m very much enjoying it. Only 1,000 pages to go before I can answer the opening question, “Who is John Galt?”