I was impressed with The Fountainhead when I read it at 16. The lonely rebel standing against the restraints of convention has a strong appeal for an adolescent who can view his own struggles in that light. By the time I read Atlas Shrugged, in my mid-20s, I had started to find my footing as an adult the appeal of the outlook had evaporated. I was more keenly aware of the need for cooperation and the importance of interdependence, and the outlook of the novel seemed sterile (and the writing tedious).