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Summary: Worth reading on its own terms -- ignore the deabte.
Review: My first thought on finishing this book was "it's a litmus test for the ideologue". It seemed to me that a great many people will find themselves either enthralled or repulsed by this "book of ideas" (that's right: it's not strong on characterization). As a result, they will be too quick to judge, and they will likely judge too kindly or too harshly.Rand presents a strong argument against a simple-minded collectivism... a collectivism that is probably more a strawman than political reality. Even so, as a critique of collectivist mediocrity, it is a success. "Fountainhead" is an intellectualized, breast-beating, defiant statement of individuality and individual integrity -- it can be a sort of a tonic for the soul for certain people, in certain situations. So, read it. Be provoked. Consider its ideas. Don't accept the "conventional" wisdom about this book, be it favorable or unfavorable. The folks that shriek the loudest about this book (for or against) are those that brought more into it than they took out of it.
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Summary: The Bible of a Satanistic Cult!!!!!!
Review: Yes, that's true. Anton La Vey, the leader of the Church of Satan, used the ideas of Rand when he set up his religion. Also as every decent person can see, Rand really hated ordinary people. The only ones acceptable are psychopathic Ubermenshen. If this ideology comes to power anywhere in the world we will see the Holocaust once again.
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Summary: Neofascist propaganda
Review: The problem with The Fountainhead is that it is intended to seduce its target audience (high school and college age kids) to embrace right wing politics. Kids who read The Fountainhead have seldom ever read or have a clear understanding of politics, philosophy, and sociology. After reading The Fountainhead kids will come away parroting Ayn Rand's polemics. Kids who read The Fountainhead remind me of kids who used to study the works of Karl Marx in the 60s and 70s: they put down the book thinking they now have all the answers to life. Most kids abandon objectivism (like kids in the 60s and 70s abandoned socialism) after they experience life. But, oh, how annoying they can be until then! The book still wields a cult-like trance with the young which is why The Fountainhead will always remain (after the Bible) the book most kids claim changed their lives. Happy reading! --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title
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Summary: The Power of Crazy Ideas
Review: Ayn Rand was not a remarkable philosppher but a rather a pathetic demagouge who lacked an education, a knowledge of history, and any well-formed, decent ideas. By all means, read this book if you are interested in the development of right wing ideas, but understand that this is not the work of a woman who knew much about what she attemptedto describe. Influenced not by reason and truth, but by absurd fascist Ubermensch philosophy, Atlas is terrifyingly devoid of clarity. That it has become a holy book of a cult movement for 40 years is a testimony to the unholy persuasive powers of the author and to the dreadful pathology of her followers.
Rating: 
Summary: It makes you think
Review: Sure the characters are idealized that is a major tool of fiction. I read The Fountainhead with no knowledge of who Rand was and knew nothing of her philosophy. This book is her masterpiece. Atlas Shrugged does not try to hide her massiah complex, and suffers for it. I could not put this book down, I missed a day of work because I called in sick to finish it. This book as a novel is better than every book I have read(except old man & the sea). If you want a book that will grab hold of you and make you think, this is it. I can see how she may have created a cult like following. It took me a few days to adjust my thoughts back to the real world.
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Summary: Static Characters
Review: Rand's characters are critisized for being too static, and it is true, they are static, but purposely so. If all the characters in the novel went around contridicting themselves in all there actions, then the whole point of Rand's books would be loss. Roark can't be dynamic because he encompasses an ideal. If he contradicted the ideal, he would not be Rand's hero of the novel. I would also like to add that just because a novel is plain stated does not mean it is intellectually inferior to so called complicated novels. The whole philosophy is plain stated because it has to be in order not to contradict the philosophy. Any one who makes the above argument is intellectual inferior.
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Summary: A wonderful book; but hints at dogmatism to come
Review: I have not done a comparison of other books rated at this site, but a total of 195 customer comments thus far appears to indicate, at the very least, that this enduring work has had much influence, positive or otherwise. I read the book many years ago, and it impacted me personally in both positive and negative ways. All in all, I cannot say I'm worse off on account of it, but who can really say? From a literary perspective, you will find few books written with more eloquence or passion than this one. Ms. Rand was, in my view, a very talented woman, perhaps a flawed genius . . . The plot is intricate, fascinating and tightly woven. As a lawyer, I recall the courtroom scenes as being somewhat naive and "Hollywood", but most people are not attorneys, so one can live with that minor discrepancy. Ms. Rand eventually became dogmatic, as did her philosophy and later novel; seeds or hints of this can be seen in the Foutainhead. The book is very appealing to the young--with its passionate idealism and black and white view of things; therein lies a material danger that young minds can be drawn in to the dogmatism and "judgment"-- against themselves and others--causing significant psychogical harm. By the same token, if not turned into a cult or inflexible system, if read with an instruction of caution (perhaps from a teacher or parent), the book can give some sense of insight, direction and meaning to the "abyss", the world of an adolescent. I understand that Ms. Rand and her philosophy became so dogmatic so as to become almost a cult, or, at the very least, a religion. People who disagreed with her were even excommunicated, as though Ms. Rand was the Pope and her detractors were errant followers. This has happened with many influencial systems throughout history (e.g., Freud and his followers). Too bad. The book, and to a lesser extent, her philosophy, has many wonderful qualities. Depite the foregoing concerns and cautions, the book, all in all, is a classic. Give it to your children and students, but teach them to be strong and think on their own.
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Summary: Which end of the spectrum is "right"?
Review: Followers of Rand note here that reviews of this book are either great or terrible, and claim that is evidence of its character as a book of challenging ideas. These guys are rationalists? Look at the emotionalism of the comments: "changed my life" or "I model my life" after the characters or "the greatest novel ever written." Many books (other than this one) have moved me, given me inspiration, or made me rethink my perspective: none has ever served as a blueprint for my life - the very claim reeks immaturity. In fact, the claims made for this book are the same ones made for religious texts: that is why the reviews hit one end of the other of the spectrum. You're a believer or you're not. And belief has little to do with rationalism or individualism. I have dipped into Rands nonfiction as well. Before you judge her philosophy, it is advisable to read some real philosophy, or perhaps Durrant's History of Western Philosophy. Why? Even Rand's supposed objective work is mainly occupied with trashing everyone who came before her as an "irrationalist" or "collectivist." Before you dismiss Descartes, Kant, and Sartre, you had best gain some familiarity with their works. Of course, it takes TIME to read real philosophy and it is difficult to understand - which is something that can't be said for Rand. When her followers say her books are "challenging" they mean that they had difficulty living up to her ideals; not that they are difficult to understand. Intellectual challenge it's not.
Rating: 
Summary: Rand's second most important fictional work
Review: The followers of Rand are a rowdy bunch. In her books they find justification for behaving in an anti-social manner that is slowly destroying the fabric of the societies of the Western World. This egoism is supposedly derived from "reason". In the real world however there is no reason for people not to find fulfillment and meaning from helping others and caring for their family and friends. The accusation that "altruism", i.e. decency and goodness, leads to tyranny is nothing but products of a very paranoid mind. The craziest thing about this though is the fact that Ayn Rand has been raised to a saint-like status by her followers. No disagreement with her writings is ever accepted and if you disagree you are an evil communist/collectivist. To be a true individualist you must agree with everything she has ever written. Isn't this collectivism in a true sense? No, says her followers, those views are derived by reason and must therefore be share by all intelligent human beings. Pretty scary!! Note that Objectivism, like Marxism, Freudianism and Jungianism, is a closed system of thought in the sense that any critisism of the system is automatically seen as a symptom of unreason. This is what makes Objectivism a religion rather than a philosophy or scientific method. And this is also the reason for the fanatical behavior of her disciples. At best her books are useful self help guides, but this is also true of for example the Bible or the writings of Jung.
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Summary: A true masterpiece of modern literature.
Review: None of us can aspire to be Howard Roark, just as none of us can aspire to be Jesus. They are both ideals in their own respect. Rand creates an ideal that challenges conventional thinking - and conventional religious philosophy. She challenges the concept of altruism and gives new meaning to the concept of "self". When one considers that every action we take is self-motivated and every relationship is based on "value for value", one would have to agree with her premises. I first read the Fountainhead in 1970. I have re-read it four times and still believe it is one of the most important pieces of modern literature ever written. It is only eclipsed by her masterpiece, Atlas Shrugged. P.S. The more I read the criticisms, the more I hear Ellsworth Toohey. When Toohey, Roarks most ardent critic, finally approached Roark and asked him what he thought of him, Roark replied " I don't".
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