Night of January 16th

This is a play written by Ayn Rand that documents the trial of Karen Andre for the murder of her employer and lover, Bjorn Faulkner on the "Night of January 16th".

The play is fully set in the court and no actual depiction of the murder is shown. The whole incident is recollected through the statements of the witnesses and the defendant. A jury which is picked from the audience (a novelty) at the start of the play is pleaded to come to a decision. Since this isn't scripted, the jury could go either ways and the ending has been tailored for the two outcomes (another novelty). To make life difficult for the jury, the evidences are evenly balanced and Ayn Rand hopes that before pronouncing the verdict, we will bring out the mirror with which we judge ourselves and the society.

This is a thin book spanning around 100 pages and can easily be read in one sitting.