Who IS John Galt? – The Reception of Ayn Rand’s Work in Europe

The novels and political ideas of Ayn Rand (1905-1982) have recently experienced a renaissance, also thanks to the Tea Party movement. While Rand is widely read across the United States, she is practically unknown in Europe, where she was born. The letters she received from European readers often lamented the fact that she did not receive any attention in their respective home countries. It is commonly thought that this difference in popularity is due to ideological reasons, the less individualistic culture of many European countries, for instance. This paper, however, will argue that other factors have also contributed to the lack of success of Rand's American bestsellers in Europe. To this end, the paper first provides a brief European publication history of Rand's oeuvre. It will then analyze the reasons practical and personal, as well as political and economic for the lack of success of Rand's novels in the European book markets.