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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...
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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.
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Summary: "Just the Facts"
Review: The hero of this book--Howard Roark--is a man who "sees through his own eyes"--and anyone who likes this book will be the same. I won't, therefore, tell you how much you're going to like this book or how much it's going to change your life after reading it (for, whether it does or not depends entirely upon your judgment of the book itself). Nevertheless, I will tell you some facts about the book so that you can decide if it's worth the investment both in time and in dollars to read the book at all. What, then, are the facts? What is the main character like? And who was this book written for? Well, I'm glad you asked. Let's take each question, one at a time. This book contrasts the difference between an individual and the collective. It's about a man who stands alone against the world--and wins. The plot is moved by this man, Howard Roark, and his struggle to achieve success while keeping his integrity. And, it is this man's dominant virtue that makes the plot suspenseful. To understand this, though, one must first understand Roark. So, we may now discuss his character, i.e., answer the second question. Roark's an arch-individualist--meaning his judgments are determined by an analysis of the facts and the facts alone (as opposed to other's feelings). His primary concern, in other words, is with himself. This does not mean he is without feeling, however. Roark is in love with both Dominique and architecture, for instance, yet (since he knows that the possession of either of them at the abandonment of his soul is without significance), he has to have them on his terms. Wondering whether Roark will succeed (and at what cost), of course, is what creates suspense. This ought to answer the second question leaving the last: Is this book written for you? In the spirit of Howard Roark, however, I'll let you answer for yourself--having enough info at hand to make a judgment. (As for me, my opinion has been included in the five stars above.)
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Summary: To anyone who wrote a review or is thinking about this book.
Review: For everyone who has written a review about this book, you surely must not have read the book, as anyone who reads these reviews to decide whether to read the book in the first place should wonder why he or she wants to read the book anyway. Perhaps I am conflicting with such ideology by writing this review in the first place, but I am no Roark. To all the second-handers out there, I strongly advise you to shell out some dough for this book which you will never understand.
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Summary: An American Classic
Review: If you haven't had the pleasure of listening to this absolutely classic novel, you are missing one of the great works of the mid twentieth century by rebel author Ayn Rand. As you listen to this tape, you realize that you are drawn into the lives of the characters, their beliefs, political views and individual motives. You can't avoid understanding and analyzing their actions, as the author intended you to do. This book is so well written, and did not come into it's own until well after the death of the author. Compelling listening that would be a terrifc addition to your library of classics.
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