The Fountainhead

The Fountainhead

What amazes me about this book, is that a lot of people are under the impression that this is a book about architecture. I remember back in `96, when I was in architecture school and people found out about it, they would ask me if I had read The Fountainhead. I would tell them I hadn¿t and they would suggest that I read it, because it is ¿a book about architecture.¿

This book is NOT about architecture.

It deals with architects. It deals with buildings. It deals with the creation process and it meaning, but that very well could have been all substituted by a painter, or a director, or a freaking plumber. This book is beyond everything else a philosophical statement on what Ayn Rand calls Objectivism, pitted against Collectivism which is its antithesis. One one end you have the ego, and the egotist, which holds above everything else the self. True, honest and unwilling to dilute his/her ideas, the egotist, stands above the thoughts of the mob, which is too simple to understand. This is Howard Roark, the genius who is calmly driven by his own confidence and morality, without need of religion and without need of assurance from his peers. On the other hand you have the man that will sacrifice the self, for the masses, the `humanitarian¿, the one Ayn Rand calls through her characters, the second-handers. These are the people that live to please the masses, that sacrifice self-worth in exchange for the praise that comes with making others happy. And of these, there are many in this book.

It is an interesting point of view, in my opinion too idealistic and extremely black and white to ever fully function in society, but the argument she makes is interesting nonetheless.

The book as a whole, philosophies aside, is interesting, even if it deals with architecture and most of the people have very little background in the subject. However, because of the philosophy that has been injected into the material, the dialogue tends to get on the heavy side, and some of the characters seem a bit too extreme to seem real. As a result, this is not the type of book that one becomes a part of, but rather one that we can see unfold in a rather voyeuristic sense. There is nothing particularly wrong with that, but its simply a different approach.

Though I do not agree with the idea of objectivism, and I fail to see the world in the way this book describes, there is a lot of good points raised, a lot of material that brings up for interesting thought and conversation if you are into discussing philosphy. But you do not have to agree with the book to appreciate it for its fine quality, its intricate plot, its very fleshed out characters and twists which one never quite sees coming.

This is a heavy, intelligent read and one that requires a bit more of an investment from the reader, where nothing is quite left in the surface and written out over 727 pages in small print. If you pick up this book, expect to put time into getting through it. I personally am not a fast reader, so it took me a while¿but the content and the story are intriguing that one never quite feels like it is dragging.

9 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

A classic

There not enough words to praise this book...a masterpeice. A must read.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Perfection

Rand's writing is captivating and intelligent. The character development is wonderful, and I was unable to put the book down. I have recommended The Fountainhead to multiple friends and to my book club with rave reviews from anyone who's read it. It is an important addition to anyone's personal library.

4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING

Ayn Rand is one of the most intelligent authors i've ever know of. Her books are not only well written, but enjoyable too. Fountainhead is intellecually stimulating and will keep you thinking. You may even have to read it twice! It's really not about architecture at all, but the concept that man's self centered mental stability is the fountainhead of life and how decisive they are. If you are looking for something to make you smarter.... this is it!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Fantastic Story

Anyone that has read Ayn Rand's fiction is familiar with her complex character development, her intelligent plot progression, and her unique and captivating philosophies. The Fountainhead falls seamlessly in line with the other fantastic works in Rand's impressive collection.
I was intimidated when I first began this book. Rand's other pieces have shown great depth of understanding and contain abstract, advanced concepts on politics, society, and mankind itself. However, everything that I had read had been reasonably short, like her novel Anthem, which is around one hundred and fifty pages, or her 120 page long play, Night of January 16th. It is a story of a man that will not give up his self to the common way of thinking. He holds firm to his daring and controversial ideas in spite of those who strive to break him.
Howard Roark, the hero of The Fountainhead, is a bold, intelligent architect with unfailing integrity. He meets one obstacle after another as he tries to build in a society that glorifies classical architectural forms and refuses to accept Roark's modern and innovative designs.
Peter Keating is Roark's past colleague who gives up everything that makes up his spirit in order to gain success in the competitive world of architecture. He hates Roark for his integrity and honorable, unfailing ideals.
Dominique Francon is the stunning, fascinating, intelligent daughter of a prestigious architect, who falls terribly in love with Howard Roark, but tries to tear down his career and marries his enemy.
A vast number of people work to sabotage Roark's career, but find that he will not yield.
The Fountainhead is a beautiful tribute to the spirit of man. Rand depicts the courage that must be had in order for a man to cleave to his innate ego and power and portrays how inspiring that strength can be. I think her concept is magnificent; - that people are willing to succumb to the popular opinion or the accepted norm and give up their true selves, their souls (in a secular sense) to simply obtain recognition. Her flawless and intricate writing adds to the depth of her story and philosophy. This is a book that takes reflection and a willingness to search for understanding, but the reward will surely justify the effort.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

...

I love what Ayn Rand was about. This book, though, was a prelude in many ways to what I consider to be her more important book, Atlas Shrugged.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A story with a message that carries across the decades

Ayn Rand has written a novel that is also a warning to future generations. While her expression of her personal phylosophy may not resonate with everyone, we can all understand her assertion that man, or women, should not begin life under the blanket of mediocrity. Her characters show individuals who celebrate their own abilities and demand nothing from others except respect for that ability. The story takes us on a journey where we are not really sure where it will end but with an ending that does not surprise the reader. Ms. Rand's style does not lend itself well to casual dialogue between her characters so they sometimes come off a bit contrived, but althentic nonetheless. This is not a book for anyone looking to spend a quiet afternoon with simple, light fare. it is a story for those who wish to stimulate their intellect.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Fountainhead

While I enjoyed Atlas Shrugged very much, The Fountainhead was disappointing. The book was well written, however the two main characters were psychopaths. Rourk and Dominique were sick individuals. It was disturbing to read how they both enjoyed the power and brutality of rape and found it sexual and fulfilling.

2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

This Book Changed My Life

By far the best, most-inspiring piece of literature that I've ever read...it's only equal is Atlas Shrugged 'also by Ayn Rand'. The Fountainhead makes an excellent introduction to the objectivist way of thought. It is profoundly moving and thought-provoking and causes a reader to question their own decision-making process.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

overpriced

Overpriced

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Price

I thought the classics were supposed to be the most affordable books for the Nook. Why are all of them so expensive? This is very disappointing.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

rate the book

rate the book, not the price. this is perhaps the 2nd best book ever written but thanks to everyone upset about the price it has a horrible rating.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

over priced

19.99 is extremely over priced for an ebook.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A must read!

From beginnining to end constant stimulation,a real will justice ever be served.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Integrity above all

The Fountainhead is a character study of people with and without integrity. The hero is uncompromising in his approach to others as well as to himself. The "villain" is one whose sole purpose in life is to manipulate others into compromising their integrity. The other characters are gradients along the line of integrity.

I chose this book because I had read Atlas Shrugged by the same author and found that the issues it addressed were as relevant to this time as it was when it was written. I hoped for more of the same from The Fountainhead. While it was worth the read, I enjoyed Atlas Shrugged more.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not sure what all the fuss is about...

I know that people generally love this book but I could not get through it. I read about 100 pages and was too disgusted with the characters to go on. The protagonist(s) has no redeeming qualities whatsoever and I really didn't encounter a single character I could relate to, much less appreciate. I found the plot dry and slow. I know I may be alone in this, but I found this book to be a huge disappointment.

1 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

This book is a true masterpiece. It's rare to say that every sin

This book is a true masterpiece. It's rare to say that every single word in a novel with well over 700 pages is important and delicately placed there. It's about identity, love, commitment, commercialism, strength, power, and the pursuit of happiness. Absolutely stunning, compelling, and for me, life changing. Please, PLEASE read this.

Very good; requires strong focus in some parts

The book has very good ideas on society and ideologies. Its very long but worth the many nights it took me to read.

Typos

There are a horrendous number of typos in this. Sometimes one every page.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fantastic read!

This is not a "beach read" type book. It's the kind of book that leaves you thinking and analying well after you put it down. A must read for all.