What makes a book one of the greatest books ever written? Is it the unforgettable characters, the gripping plot, or the thought-provoking themes? And who could forget J. These are just a few examples of literary masterpieces that have captivated millions.
Curious to see which other titles made the cut? Check out our full list of the best books of all time below and discover some must-reads that might just become your new favorites. Most divisive: The Da Vinci Code. Over Tropic of Cancer. Henry Miller. Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. Mario Vargas Llosa. It was published by Editorial Seix Barral, S. Atlas Shrugged. Ayn Rand. Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand. Rand's fourth and last novel, it was also her longest, and the one she considered to be her magnum opus in the realm of fiction writing.
Atlas Shrugged includes elements of science fiction, mystery, and romance, and it contains Rand's most extensive statement of Objectivism in any of her works of fiction. The book depicts a dystopian United States, wherein many of society's most prominent and successful industrialists abandon their fortunes and the nation itself, in response to aggressive new regulations, whereupon most vital industries collapse.
The title is a reference to Atlas, a Titan described in the novel as "the giant who holds the heavens on his shoulders". The significance of this reference appears in a conversation between the characters Francisco d'Anconia and Hank Rearden, in which d'Anconia asks Rearden what advice he would give Atlas upon seeing that "the greater [the titan's] effort, the heavier the world bore down on his shoulders".
With Rearden unable to answer, d'Anconia gives his own response: "To shrug". The theme of Atlas Shrugged, as Rand described it, is "the role of man's mind in existence". The Heart of the Matter. Graham Greene. The book details a life-changing moral crisis for Henry Scobie.
