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Book Description
When The Fountainhead was first published, Ayn Rand's daringly original literary vision and her groundbreaking philosophy, Objectivism, won immediate worldwide interest and acclaim. This instant classic is the story of an intransigent young architect, his violent battle against conventional standards, and his explosive love affair with a beautiful woman who struggles to defeat him. This edition contains a special afterword by Rand’s literary executor, Leonard Peikoff, which includes excerpts from Ayn Rand’s own notes on the making of The Fountainhead. As fresh today as it was then, here is a novel about a hero—and about those who try to destroy him.
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Most helpful customer reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read it yourself,
By Tracy G. Fitzgerald (Micro, NC USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Fountainhead (Paperback)
I bought a copy of The Fountainhead at a used bookstore. At the time I had never even heard of Ayn Rand. After reading The Fountainhead I began searching for information about her and was surprised to find how prolific she was. Most people either love her or hate her; no middle ground. Rand has been much criticized for events in her personal life. Let me just say that if all philosophers were discredited on such grounds, there would be few who could withstand such scrutiny. Human beings aren't perfect. Rand's mistakes in her personal life do not detract from her brilliance. Her support of logic over emotion is just plain good sense. She encourages everyone to be self-sufficient and to base their decisions on reason rather than blindly accepting what others would tell you is right based on their own agenda. However, don't take my opinion or that of anyone else. Simply read the book for yourself and draw your own conclusions. Even if you don't agree with Rand's philosophy, the story is riveting. But I must say that the validity of her ideas is illustrated every night on the six o'clock news! Since reading this book I have viewed politics, philosophy, and human relations in an entirely new light.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
valley of skyscrapers,
By bob (hayward california) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Fountainhead (Mass Market Paperback)
I am a 30 year old architect. I read fountainhead for the juicy details of big time architecture. Rand wrote a story that is both bigger than life and true to life. She was a voracious researcher and a highly imaginative writer. Art imitates life in Fountainhead, in glorified fashion. I can attest from personal experience that a career in architecture does indeed include elements such as school rivalries, office politics, insecurities, megalomania, long hours designing, critiques, skyscrapers, mansions, engineers, contractors, tradesmen, and wealthy clients. There is mediocrity in American architecture, and there was a modernistic movement in the early twentieth century. Rand abridged it for her story. The lives of her magnified characters are entangled in destiny. This could never happen in real life, could it? Many scenes are so confident and gritty I cannot forget them. Also, her building descriptions are vivid and beautiful. As you can tell, I needed some extra excitement in my 9 to 5. I thank Rand for the greatest American story about architects that I know of. Only, I wish she would have finished it. I have a big problem with the last third of the book. A misplaced dialectic of philosophy cuts into her ending. The ending is missing something. If only Rand would have kept her artistry and philosophy more separated. Thus, as is, Fountainhead ultimately is not literature to me, but propaganda. And every person should be wary of propaganda. The message of this story is not universal. It is a mistake for young readers to imitate Rand's protagonist. Roark is the most wooden hero. He is a robot programmed to design masterpieces. A puppet in a book, not to be confused with a real life fountainhead. Instead of anthropormizing Roark, look for real life leaders who struggle and ultimately change our world. I know I'm just a regular architect. If I was a fountainhead, I would know it. Don't be a player hater.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, philosophically challenging novel,
By "admiral_chris" (Virginia's beautiful countryside) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Fountainhead (Mass Market Paperback)
This novel is like a drug. It's so good, no matter how much of it you read, when you put it down you feel the pull. It lures you back. It's just that good.Rather than simply telling a story, Ayn Rand wraps her tale around an overarching philosophy -- Objectivism, her own creation. This basically revolves around self-interest, occupying yourself with your own affairs and nobody else's, and preserving your integrity at all costs. It seems that Rand carries this through to its illogical conclusion; she rejects any act of altruism as evil, for example, yet freely acknowledges that some people are born to succeed as individualists (Roark) while others are born to fail (Keating). Whatever you think of her philosophy, this is a great story; who would have thought the architectural profession could be so exciting and dynamic? The central conflict is Roark vs. the world, and it's inspiring to see how he fights against incredible odds. Once one understands Roark, what motivates him, and how he thinks, it becomes easier to understand his struggle. This is a good book -- lots to think about. Nobody should go through life without reading it and thinking about what Rand has to say. Read it!
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