The Fountainhead

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Summary: Amid Acrimonious Controversy, A Great Book
Review: Ayn Rand was a talented writer, whether or not you agree with her philosphy. Alas, the Rand purists are offended by all reviews that are not uncritical praise, and the anti-Rand socialists are outraged by any that do not paint the author as unspeakably evil. Whatever happened to the idea of an open mind?

In light of the foregoing, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that "the Fountainhead" is a great book for someone just looking for good fiction. It is a tale of competing schools of architecture in New York during the 1920s and 1930s, when capitalism was increasingly opposed by dialectical materialism and socialism.

Howard Roark, the main protagonist, is a lone eagle who desires to achieve on his own, applying his own modernistic style to architecture, to erect buildings that inspire a sense of joy while being a testament to the greatness of man.

Roark is opposed in his efforts by an assortment of traditionalist-architects, who oppose modernism in favor of the baroque styles of Roman and Greek architecture, and who heap scorn on any architect who steps outside this box. The traditionalists are supported by a socialist-journalist named Elsworth Toohey, who writes a column in the New York Banner, praising or criticizing the work of architects. Toohey has great influence on public opinion, and few architects or builders wish to risk his wrath and public humiliation, and so "go along to get along," much in the same way that political correctness works today.

Howard Roark refuses to be swayed by these strong commercial and societal pressures, and continues to design office buildings, homes and other structures in a way that pleases him. He suffers terrible adversity because of his principles and his vision, but over time emerges victorious.

I loved Ayn Rand's prose, her descriptions of New York and its skyscrapers. Her writing flows smoothly through the mind, painting pictures in the imagination, and is fresh and inspiring. I found her sentences expertly constructed and a joy to read.

The motivations of some of the characters, however, is not always easy to understand. Dominique Francon, for instance, loves Roark but feels compelled to destroy him; and when she no longer wishes to destroy him, marries someone lesser than Roark in an inexplicable act of self-contempt. The novel has other aspects that also strain credulity, such as Roark's long and preachy opening statement in his second jury trial, where he is little more than a talking-head for Ayn Rand's philosophy. (In fiction, this is called "author intrusion," and is to be avoided.)

I like Ayn Rand, and sympathize strongly with her support of individualism over group-think statism. Rand's philosophy jives closely with the writings of 18th Century British economist Adam Smith, who taught that every individual in pursuing his or her own good is led, as if by an invisible hand, to achieve the best good for all. Therefore any interference with free competition by government is almost certain to be injurious. I agree.

Having said that, I do not believe that individual action (the "lone eagle" Roark approach) is always the most effective means of achieving success in every endeavor. There is the concept of synergy, where two or more individuals can produce more or create more than any one of them can do alone. This is the concept wherein "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts." The Beatles achieved more as a group than any one of them ever did alone. The value of teamwork is illustrated by professional sports, and the concepts translate well to the business world, as most creative, productive endeavors require cooperative effort. Individualism is the engine of creativity and capitalism, but a volunatary association of individuals united in a common purpose can often accomplish more than an individual acting alone. This is not a contradiction of either Ayn Rand or Adam Smith.

Howard Roark suffered much in his ascent to the top, but much of his suffering was avoidable or at least could have been mitigated by a better strategy, perhaps by seeking the assistance of a good publicist or marketer, the alliance of a competing journalist to Ellsworth Toohey, and by establishing a business network of professional association and cooperation with others who shared his modernist vision.

Ayn Rand's novel makes you think, and helps you determine where your own personal philosophy fits into the cacophony of competing ideals. But first and foremost, the Fountainhead is just good fiction. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Yuck!
Review: This is certainly and most definitely the most boring book i have read in my whole life.

There is a lot of hype created around this book and that is why i think a lot of them thinks that if the book is not liked by them then they are not literally normal...

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Summary: The message is true and clear in this book and philosophy
Review: A good book.

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Summary: More than misguided, this book is evil.
Review: After many years reading Ayn Rand's work -- both fictional and philosophical -- and sincerely trying to understand why so many people find her philosophy of selfishness to be "the answer," I have finally come to believe that these people who claim to value "reason" are either seriously misguided, or just plain evil. Ms. Rand, quite clearly, falls into the latter camp. She promoted selfishness because she knew it would make her a goddess figure among people desparate to latch onto a philosophy to justify their pursuit of the most base impulses of self-indulgence, and to allow them to continue to avoid the genuinely human practice of compassion. I am not a religious person, but it seems unavoidably significant that every religious or moral system in the world recognizes the virtue of helping those in need, with one glaring exception: the moral system promoted in this book. That, to me, is pretty good evidence that this philosophy is evil.

(Note: I am remaining anonymous not because I do not wish to engage in thoughtful dialogue over this book and philosophy, but to avoid hate mail from the many hateful people who espouse Objectivism.)

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Summary: Still Relevant
Review: Forget that The Fountainhead is (unashamedly) a vehicle for promoting Rand's Objectivism. Overlook the wooden philosophical speeches and underlying sadomasochism. Fundamentally, this is a story about an artist committed to originality and uncompromising excellence. In these times of dumbed-down, manufactured pop culture, it's more relevant now than when first published.

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Summary: Fountainhead - Fascinatingly capturing fiction
Review: Ayn Rand has very fascinatingly captured the lust for power in her nove. It is by the very virtue of lust that power exists among the like minded who think, and are in a materialist sense, capable of influencing and dominating the people who have no easy means of proving their potential, except their voice. Men have lusted for power since ages. It is a natural emotions, and deceptive enough. It is somehow inherent in any individual who cannot tolerate the co-existance of another superior being. Men have been mentors, there is something called conditioning of the mind, in which people are made to belive in certain theories in life. The earlier it happens more ruthless a person becomes. It is easy to affect ordinary, regular men and women who can be driven like flocks. Amongst them who are easily bored in life of secondary positions in life for themselves, but who wish for othes to remain in the backseat, must become supreme by cutting down any possibolity of opportunity of thought and action among the other. And lesser lot is the only word that the others must be confined to
Fountainhead is about Howard Roark, a firm believer in himself. He is willing to defy the society when it comes to compromising in work. He is a truly gigted Architect whos only commitment in life is , his dedication to originality and honest efforts, and his constant battle against odds.

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Summary: No one is that perfect.........
Review: .......or that evil. Those of you that have read this book will know what I mean. Those of you that have not, will find out. Let me first say that you should read this book, it is a very good story. It differs greatly from "Atlas Shrugged", however, in that there is not one single human being in "The Fountainhead" that one could look up to. Howard Rourks ideals are simply too lofty to be taken seriously (remember that this is just a novel and as such Ms. Rand can take all the leeway she wishes. Superman is a fictional hero also). The rest of the charactors are so evil that they too are beyond belief. In "Atlas Shrugged" one could truly admire the strength of the charactors and grab with both hands their struggle against others who felt the world owed them everything as their destiny. I do suggest that you give this a try. But, don't say that I did not warn you.

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Summary: Architorture...
Review: the longest book i have ever read and probably the most profound. i have often wondered if it was a sin to be truly original, to be able to follow my own vision and not give a damn about the masses. our society preaches individuality, but in reality, we don't want people to be " too different " then we chastise them for being freaky. we're not supposed to love our job; it's just something to pay the rent. is the need of one more than the need of many?

ayn rand thinks so. and i'd like to thank her for writing this book. when i started reading it, i didn't read it for it's philosophical merits; i read it because it was a well known book. but i have to agree with some of the ideas she puts forth here. i think a man is honest, if he lives his life on his own terms. if he does work that is true in his mind and heart, and not simply for the masses. i think you help your fellow man most, by helping yourself first. then you can put yourself in a position.

i could be all day talking about the characters. i will just say that they are dynamic. you won't get bored getting to know them.dominique francon is the most intriguing character in the book.more so than howard roarke. ellsworth toohey is the ultimate heavy....

don't be afraid of the book's length...it goes by quickly... after reading this i feel courageous enough to take on longer stuff...

Rating:
Summary: Far be it from humble little me
Review: Anybody who does not love this book is basically a worthless human being.

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Summary: A powerful artistic statement.
Review: While I am by no means an objectivist, The Fountainhead is one of my favorite books. Why? Because its theme reflects and glorifies my deepest values of art.

This is the story about two architects. One, Howard Roark, is a brilliant yet radical artist who wishes to design buildings strictly to satisfy his own desire to create. His uncompromising and unusual designs get him kicked out of school, and he heads to New York to start a career. Roark is pensive man, impossibly confident, proud, and never sees himself or his work in relation to others. He judges himself strictly according to his own values. Truly an independent man. He endeavors to please no one but himself.

The other architect is Peter Keating. Keating is also a brilliant young man, but he lacks Roark's sense of assurance and individuality. Lacking self-confidence, he feeds on the flattery and can only exist on others' opinions. His designs are unoriginal menageries of past architectural conventions, and he must compromise artistic integrity for satisfying everyone else.

The book spends much of its time following these two men and their careers. Keating meets with easy success thanks to his mainstream designs that make everyone happy. Roark often struggles to find work with his atypical designs, and his refusal to accommodate the desires of the client makes things tricky. The Fountainhead's objective is to show why Roark is the hero and Keating is the "bad guy." (There's other "bad guys" that come into the plot later with their own complexities, but let's keep the review simple.)

One problem is already evident. Architecture is largely comparable to any other business...it's about serving the customer. If someone wants a "lame" Greek- or Renaissance-style home, an architect isn't necessarily inferior as a person because he's trying to do good business.

But this book is not about architecture. To me, it's about a heroic artist. Architecture is just the vehicle with which Roark's story is told (Rand could have made Roark a musician, or something). In any case, The Fountainhead makes Rand's case (that man's ego generates the desire to create) in a striking manner. I think the ideas in this novel have tremendous impact, especially today.

...

You see, The Fountainhead, despite the faults of Ayn Rand's philosophy (more completely explored in Atlas Shrugged, another good book), is a powerful story because of its credo on art and some other themes that can be extrapolated through Roark. And Roark is a fantastic hero. Yes, in standard terms he's a self-absorbed sociopath (although he does get friends later), but he has many great qualities. He's honest, he knows what he wants, he's a genius, he's individualistic, and perfectly happy with himself. Is he the perfect man (as Rand would have it)? Probably not, but in The Fountainhead he's the perfect hero.

Many have faulted The Fountainhead for being a naive projection of ideals, for its unrealistically black and white characters, and didactic writing. The didactic thing bothered me -- later in the book there's parts where Rand loses that narrative objectivity and gets a bit pushy instead of just letting the character convey the ideas and letting the reader see things himself. But as for the romantic and black & white elements, I think those are part of makes the book so much more powerful. The message would have been suffocated by characters possessing a mix of good and bad qualities. With Roark being "white" and Keating and Ellsworth Toohey being unambiguously "black," Rand makes her message remarkably powerful.

And I also think Rand's a great writer. She can get more out of a person's physical description than any author I've read, and the way she captures that lucid sense of greatness in Roark's buildings is pretty magnificent. As for Roark...I wouldn't want to be him, but he is a great hero. One that I'll never forget.