The Fountain Head is a story of one man and the rest of the world. It is a philosophical fiction that entails the story through love, lust, trust, jealousy, care, passion, and enthusiasm of the people and the world.
The story starts with the two architecture students, Howard Roark and Peter Keating; one being expelled from the college for his designing methods that were considered inappropriate by the professors, and the latter being the topper of the same college. The story moves on marking the methods and principles, they adopted in their architectural career, and how it became the reason for their success and downfalls. It also presents a very powerful picture of print media – how it can control the people, the world and their opinions.
There are certain parts in the book which can be read, reread and reread a number of times. While reading it, there were instances, when I lost track of the book, and drove on to the path of my own life, thinking deeply about it. This book is so powerful in its essence, that it can change a person’s view for nature, world, society, and an individual. This is one of the most intelligently written books that I have come across; one lady suffering for her lover, two men wanting to own the world, other people dancing to the tunes of money and fame, and one man living his life as he desired, all this together make this a very energetic and dynamic book.
| Author | Ayn Rand |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Philosophical novel |
| Publication date | 15 April 1943 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 752 |
| ISBN | 9780451191151 |
- Reviewd by Chetan Maheshwari. To read other book reviews of Chetan, Click HERE.
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I read the book long time back and this are the observations that I made over the years about the book:
- I still remember the story only for its pace.
- Girls like the book more than any boy and sometimes it can be a problem.
- I wonder why there is no Hindi Movie yet based on this story as it has all the masala. It is a bliss however.
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Hey,
It is not that girls only like the group, i have many male acquaintances, who liked this book a lot.
-i also agree that,it would make a brilliant movie. But, movie always destroy the main theme of the book
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I have read both ‘Fountain Head’ and ‘Atlas Shrugged’ quite a while before… I for one was not swept away with the book like most of my friends were at that time.
I thought it was too idealistic and did not fit into real world. I will give it a read again to see how I find it now :)
Thanks for the Review.
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It is true that the character of Howard Roark is too idealistic.
But the way it is presented, is just too amazing. The character ‘Roark’ was very clear about his ideals, he actually know what he was was doing.
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Hey Chetan good o see you back with this great book review.
@ pramathesh- well I think you don’t remember much of the book. :giggle:
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I don’t remember the much of the book but only the story that can be summed up in 2-3 lines.
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Thanks mani
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I’ve tried reading Fountain Head but somehow the first 20-30 pages were a complete downer for me. A turn off. I think I should try reading it again for it is one of the defining pieces of literature in fictional history!
Thanks for the brief yet insightful review.
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I think you should at least read 60-80 pages of the book,
and then this book will not leave you.
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I’ll take your word for it. I have my nose buried deep in ‘Marker’ by Robin Cook.
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Yes ..
do tell us about this book..
I have not read any of Robin Cook’s book.
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I had read this book a long time, we have it home and I have been meaning to read it again…
I remember liking it then. It changed the way I think in many little ways… Ayn Rand is strong and hard hitting, I find all her books leave an impact. But I can’t say I liked everything about the book… I loved ‘Atlas Shrugged’ more.
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You are true…
It some how made me also think about how I live or how I do things..
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Equating Fountainhead to a good book is akin to liking Matrix for special effects.
[ in case some one didn't get it - Matrix was to be viewed for the underlying philosophy and concept - not just for the fx]
I wouldn’t dare to review or comment on Fountainhead. it s not a book it is a way of life.
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Good review.
Fountainhead is one of my most favorite books of all time. And like Gyanban above has put it so well, its not just abook, but its a way of life.
@Pramatesh: 1. There are enough men who swear by the book, me included:)
2. I am so thankful Bollywood did not make a film out of it. They would have completely destroyed the soul of the book!
But i do agree that if you don’t like the first few chapters, and can’t relate to it, you won’t end up reading any further. Like all cult movies, the Fountainhead story is something you absolutely love, or dislike, and its hard to be neutral about it!
Cheers!
Vasu
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This is a book which takes you to a world of inspiration, through the genius’ tryst with the fate. My all-time favourite.
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The allure of Howard Roark in “The Fountainhead” is a false promise of Nirvana through “selfless” selfishness. Ayn Rand desires to brainwash us that by pursuing one’s personal agenda fanatically regardless of societal norms and consequences to others, one is true to “Oneself”. The truth is that the extreme consequences from following a single-minded path can lead to disharmony, unhappiness around you and eventual self-destruction ( a theme richly portrayed in literature; also see “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”.)
Unfortunately for Rand’s thesis, humans are a species which stayed alive and achieved dominance by the application of mind and societal organisation to overcome the inherited puny body structure in comparison to other animals. Any attempt to follow Ayn Rand’s worldview before the advent of the modern world would have resulted in a speedy extinction of the individual. Only the technological progress and highly evolved society of ours permits the old, the weak, the sick, the deformed and the nutcases like “Roark” to survive.
The highest form of existence is INTERDEPENDENCE and not INDEPENDENCE. INDEPENDENCE postulates an unwillingness or inability to cooperate while INTERDEPENDENCE does not exclude the possibility of INDEPENDENCE as a way of life.
In that sense, Ayn Rand’s philosophy may be tolerated as yet another flavour in a pluralistic democracy of ideas but should not be considered as the “Enlightened Path” or even a “Good Path” for mankind to emulate.
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Thanks Ashwin for sharing your thoughts, and I am sorry for replying so late..
The character Howard Roark is the ideal character, who in the book portrayed only one thing, that there is no comparison between any two man, in any thing in this world.
He thinks(of course Rand thinks) that one should have the independence to do anything as per one’s own thought process; because it is almost impossible to harmonise the thought process of various persons, without any compromises.
This is the ideal case, of a person like Howard Roark, but if you try to emulate that character in the real life, then only one thing would happen, either you will move the world or you will be ruined. These are the two extreme cases, which I believe what an ‘ideal’ symbolises.
Now, if you think practically, then one can only be in between these two extremes, and this depends upon an individual’s capability to deal with the nature and the things around, and this applies to each and every thing, that you can never achieve or reach any of the extreme, and in fact Ayn Rand in her after word about the book, also accepted that, the character of Howard Roark is the most ideal character that she can thought of.
Talking about interdependence and independence, both are important, because this world drives in one round cycle, like a ‘food chain’, and also each individual enjoys one’s independence, and because of this dependability, only that one can not reach the two extremes.
This is my view about the character ‘Roark’, just thought to share with you.
and once again thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Keep Smiling!!!
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Thank you for your considered reply! My basis for arguing was that mankind has already too much self-interest and individualism. Not that this is a bad thing but we need a certain amount of engagement with our fellow men. We need cooperation and coming together to build things and co-exist harmoniously. There is a thin dividing line which has to be walked upon with delicate balance. An example of this is Wikipedia where you are free to do your own thing but along the established ways and practices of building. I wish man was more mindful of others – the extreme, greed and corruption one sees in society sickens me and indicates the cancerous nature that distorted individualism can lead to.
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Yo man
you are absolutely right.
Man has to be mindful of others, but also considering the fact that, his ideas should also be considered.
When one doesn’t take others into account, then that marks a inharmonious step against nature.
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Anyone of you heard of Objectivism?
That’s Ayn Rand’s ‘religion’ (so to say). She ‘founded’ it, in a manner of saying.
AND.
Objectivism an atheistic philosophy. The same old laa-da-laa-da-da about no cause required for ‘existence’ and that we ‘simply exist’.
That doesn’t count in favor with me.
There is one other author who is so taken by this philosophy. The name is Terry Goodkind and he wrote the “Sword of Truth” epic fantasy series. The storyline and creativity, I admired and enjoyed reading (only up to 6 or 7 books. After that it became too ‘preachy’, and repetitive).
Some of the philosophical assertions, I can agree with. But mostly, it is just over-glorification of “human magnificence” and “human spirit” (whatever that is).
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I have only heard of Objectivism, but don’t know much about it.
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