Night of January 16th

by Ayn Rand

1971

Status

Available

Publication

NAL (1971), Edition: Reprint, 128 pages

Description

To the world, he was a startlingly successful international tycoon, head of a vast financial empire. To his beautiful secretary-mistress, he was a god-like hero to be served with her mind, soul and body. To his aristocratic young wife, he was an elemental force of nature to be tamed. To his millionaire father-in-law, he was a giant whose single error could be used to destroy him. What kind of man was Bjorn Faulkner? Only you, the reader, can decide. On one level, Night of January 16th is a totally gripping drama about the rise and destruction of a brilliant and ruthless man. On a deeper level, it is a superb dramatic objectification of Ayn Rand's vision of human strength and weakness. Since its original Broadway success, it has achieved vast worldwide popularity and acclaim.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
A lot of people seem to review Ayn Rand just to have a chance to display their lack of wit in acerbic rants--the woman inspires a lot of invective. I'm actually a fan and admirer of her writing and ideas by and large, yet even I give this pretty low marks. Only I think for those who feel they must
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read everything by her. Mind you, maybe this would play better on the stage than on the page. The play calls for audience participation, and I can imagine that could be a lot of fun. Members of the audience are empaneled as the jury and in the end vote on the guilt or innocence of the accused.

I think it's obvious knowing Rand she'd vote for acquittal. Rand says in the introduction she tried to weigh the evidence in such a way that you could go either way on guilt or innocence so what would come into play are your own values and prejudices. I have to admit, the lawyer in me rather winces at that very concept. Because under the American system, surely if there's a reasonable doubt as to guilt, surely that calls for a non-guilty verdict whatever your beliefs? So I can't really get behind the premise and the concept seems rather gimmicky to me--even if I admit overall I enjoyed the read, those flaws bug me too much to rate this higher. Incidentally, though this is the title in the production of the play, I greatly prefer Rand's original title: Penthouse Legend.
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LibraryThing member jwhenderson
After the death of an international magnate a young woman is accused of killing him and brought to trial. This play depicts that trial with the unusual gimmick that the jury is selected from the audience and no one knows how the trial will end until the jury brings back the verdict.

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1934 (performed)
1963 (printed)

Physical description

8 inches

ISBN

0452264863 / 9780452264861

Barcode

1604234

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