The Fountainhead

Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating and Illuminating Character Study
Review: It is almost as interesting to absorb the responses of readers to this text as it is to absorb the text itself. Almost invariably, they fall into two camps: those for whom a weight is lifted and a hateful thing is explained, and those for whom the truth of the text is so unbearable that they feel compelled to somehow diminish its relevance. Therefore, though I think The Fountainhead is one of the most important works of fiction ever written in the English language, I do not necessarily recommend it to others. However, I will say that if you decide to read the text, you will almost certainly receive it with either the relief Ayn Rand writes about in her 25th anniversary introduction when she says that a rare few people will recognize Howard Roark and his struggle, and it is to them that she addresses her work, or you will receive it with the desperation of Peter Keating to justify his existence and his choices.

If you are in the former camp, then I salute you. If you are in the latter, I invite you to read the rest of Ayn Rands aforementioned introduction and continue to freely offer your opinions about the text, so that I might recognize you by your words.

Rating:
Summary: Better than the Bible
Review: Is another wonderful review really necessary? I had to think about that long and hard. I believe it is, but i'll keep it short. I don't believe in giving too much away in a review that will persuade a new reader one way or the other. I'll let the artist do that; although there are several reviews here that do, I will not. However, I couldn't keep myself from promoting somthing that has made such a wonderful impact in my life. Before reading this novel, I had many questions, and the world seemed very confusing to me. I've now found somthing that makes sense, completely, that doesn't beg more questions, or leave me with a feeling of an incomplete explanation. I believe it is universal for man to be curious and have so many questions. Ayn Rand has broken thru a barrier that no other Man/Woman has ever broke through before, and hence shown a world with light and clarity. Many owe much gratitude to her hard work and piercing drive that has created such a brillant masterpiece.
I don't reccomend it, I believe it is a NECESSARY read for a mans' progress.

Rating:
Summary: The greatest American novel
Review: The Fountainhead is Ayn Rand's greatest novel, and in my opinion the greatest American novel as well, surpassed only by the likes of Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo.

It is the story of a man struggling to survive on his own terms, without compromise. Howard Roark, an architect, wishes only to design buildings that are beautifully functional. But he is thwarted at every turn by an establishment that views adherence to worn out traditions, and mediocrity by concensus, as the only acceptable course of action. He fights back with hard work and argument, and ultimately triumphs as a romantic hero should.

The Fountainhead is also a philosophical justification of rational selfishness. Rand understood better than anyone how our culture has perverted the concept of selfishness until it was stripped of all real meaning. In the Fountainhead she will make you see this concept without the tainted lens that we are all taught to view it with. Agree with her philosophy or no, it is radically different than anything else forced down our throats via modern education.

The only flaw in Rand's masterpiece is the character of Dominique. Dominique is too abstract, and her inner struggle is unrealistic. Dominique is more idea than character, and while she works as an idea, some of her actions are simply unbelievable. But read it for yourself, and see if you concur...

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Summary: A Compassionate and Heartbreaking Tragedy
Review: In this humanizing work, Ms Rand, with typical objectivity and lack of hateful editorial voice, explores a maligned and troubled member of modern society - the sociopath. A sociopath, for readers not studied in psychiatry, can lie without any rise in nervousness, has difficulties relating to or empathizing with others, and may be prone to violence. For obvious reasons it is a hard disorder to detect and indeed, many sociopaths are economically successful. Understandably, the sociopath has historically rarely been presented as anything other than the most cardboard of villains, and it is this wall that Ms Rand breaks down in her opus the Fountainhead, where - perhaps relying on the experience of an afflicted brother or aunt - she shows a heterodox, humanized conception of such a person, whose condition causes as much pain to himself as it causes him to, unwittingly, cause to those around him.

Howard Roark is the protagonist of this tale, and the author never wavers from he strict first-person viewpoint, so much that she never explicitly mentions sociopathy. Howard Roark is - at least by his own dubious account - a brilliant architect screwed by The Man, and views himself as misunderstood, hardworking, and honorable. This is the supreme tragedy of the work - isn't full of just the smug self-assurance we expect but a desperate, burning desire to know of his own moral rightness. Possessing an adolescent's desire to buck the authorities, be original, and simply be a badass all-around, the reader also comes to realize that Roark, although he will never admit it, also possesses the child's need for parental approval of his being good, in the right. But since he does not believe in God and refuses to admit his vulnerability to any other person, he has only one way to turn - himself. Science has yet to validate whether complex psychological causes like this, or some defect of genes, or a chemical imbalance is responsible for sociopathy but this implicit explanation is certainly sufficient for literary purposes. There are overtones of paranoia as well, and some of the most heartrendering scenes involve his imagining his percieved "enemies" conspiring against him in the most cardboard of manners - "Blast that Howard Roark! His architectural originality threatens our plans for world domination!", etc. - while Roark's train of thought, as represented by the text, is unable to waver from this. Although he initially grates, the sheer annoyance and/or hatred one holds against him eventually gives way to sympathy, much like the sympathy any decent human being feels for Gene Ray, the troubled founder of Timecube.com.

Unlike many of the clichéd novels which chronicle some person's descent into depravity, Roark is neither aware of, nor in control of, his actions and the harm that they cause, and so even as he proceeds from mere rudeness, to raping a woman, to blowing up a building, he is fundamentally innocent. He is not evil, merely just another victim of his own disease - for instance, when he rapes Dominique, he sincerely believes that she wants him to, even as she explicitly says "no" and he physically overcomes her. Milton's Lucifer invented elaborate intellectual justifications for his narcissistic rebellion, and so does the windy Roark - indeed, his most common act of unconscious sadism may be in the boredom-inducing speeches he is prone to give, and that Rand forces the reader to endure these is an ultimately rewarding experience as it personalizes the pain that he causes. But Milton was never so fully (perhaps for his own sanity; Rand has unselfishly cast off such concerns in pursuing her compassion for all persons) committed to the character, but neither does it romanticize or try to give crecedence to its narrator's justifications, and that may be why the Fountainhead is the righteous successor to Paradise Lost. For one of the most courageous and complex literary acts of the century - as well as a call for greater public commitment to the treatment of our most vulnerable brothers and sisters, the mentally ill, and if the tragic "not guilty" verdict was any indication, reform the legal system to ensure that sociopaths are not allowed to slip through the cracks of the legal system but find a safe home in publicly-funded institutions - I heartily recommend the Fountainhead.

Rating:
Summary: Review from an Ordinary Reader
Review: This book goes to No.1 on my list. I have read this book 6 times and it has inspired me in ways that lead to what I am now.
To Ayn Rand: Thank you for giving us Howard Roark.

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Summary: A radical Philosophy
Review: Since the first man who could think conciously the human race has been searching for the elusive philosophy of life. I think in every twenty years or so there emerges some radical new line of thought which is against everything which was thought true uptill then. Ayn Rand by some stroke of genius has atleast for me opened up a new line of thought.

The book is essentially based on the glorification of the human race and more specifically we as concious individuals. It deals with the struggles and aspirations of a young architect who is determined to do things the way he knows is right. The power of one against his thousands of detractors.

But actually this book transcends all boundaries like age, career etc and caters to the basic human being in us and urges to realise our selves and our dreams.

But like all other philosophies Ayn Rand's one isnt totally complete. It is a bit extreme in its approach but the book is extremely useful in the sense that it opens the door to a new line of thought rather than takes you to utopia. It gives you the crucial push needed to complete and augment your philosophy.

Any reader who reads this book with an open mind will understand the virtue of this book and if possible adapt himself. It takes us one step closer towards perfection.

Rating:
Summary: The Fountainhead
Review: I thought the Fountainhead was the most compelling and fascinating book I have ever read. However, it is somewhat uneventful at times, and a difficult book to plow through. I would recommend this book to you if you are an intellectual who is interested in being introduced to thought provoking material, and concepts which will enhance your insights. I suggest that if you decide to read the Fountainhead, skim through the speeches and extra information which is not pertinent to the plot, so that you will not become bored. Then, after you have finished the book, go back and read the parts you didnt give your full attention. This way, you will get a lot more out of Rand's ideas, but not lose interest.

Rating:
Summary: Simply Brilliant
Review: A lot of people who die hard "collective responsibility" types are threatened by Rand's ideas in her masterwork The Fountainhead.

Some fools actually are naive enough to believe Ayn Rand would have been a fan of America's new batch of hard right conservative commentators and talk radio and TV news pundits. Are you guys high? Here's a quote from Ayn on an old Donahue interview, "I'm not a conservative, today's conservatives are worse than today's liberals". Amen.

Howard Roark is the ultimate individualist. Strong, content, creative, very much alive, and with a deep love for his flawed America. The latter trait is something that eternally baffles the majority of the collectivists. Many of them passionately despise America and can't tolerate anyone who believes otherwise.

The book seems to have a love affair with the way the world was before FDR's Great Society programs and his skyrocketing of American tax rates. A time where you had to sink or swim on your own merits without government help. And if you sunk it was your responsibility and your alone to get back up again. There's a certain appeal in this. The tough individualist, living under a bare bones government, no government programs, having a government flat tax where everybody pays the same, etcetera, where government doesn't interfere in your pocketbook or your private life. But, sadly, many who espouse this view such as the Christian Reich are simply a kindler, gentler version of the Taliban. Ayn Rand would point out that today's conservatives are all in favor of big government programs such as faith based initatives, idiotic government witch hunts to root out homosexuals in the Armed Forces, tell people who they can sleep with, what movies they can see, what books they can read, what music they can listen to, what drugs they can put in their body, and on and on.

But I digress. The Fountainhead is marvelous book. I liked Atlas Shrugged but found it about 200 pages too long, John Galt also needed more characterization. But check out the Fountainhead, it isn't perfect, but it's close!

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Summary: Really disturbing...
Review: I have just finished reading "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead" back to back, and man, am I glad I'm finally finished. I had to check them out to see what all the hype was about, and it's clear that many of the comments here about Rand being a bit mentally afflicted were definitely true. You actually feel dirty reading some of this stuff. It's that sick.

What disturbs me most about Rand's novels is her twisted idea of romantic love. The heroines are frigid, emotionless robots who only enjoy sexual encounters if they're being treated like garbage the whole time. They're slapped, shoved and snatched around, their arms are being twisted, and they love it. They wouldn't have it any other way. It's disgusting. Dominique Francon seems to only enjoy it if she's lying completely still and unresponsive the whole time. The heros are also cold and robotic, except they enjoy knocking the women around. It's completely joyless. If Rand was trying to create erotic love scenes, she sure missed the mark. When the couples are just spending time together outside of the bedroom, they talk about how the woman enjoys being treated as the man's property because the man is just so perfect and godlike. Otherwise each one seems to just intuitively know what the other is thinking. There is no playfulness, no laughter, no anger or tenderness or any other genuine feeling involved, as you'd have in an actual relationship. They feel no actual need for each other, because that would be weak, so they drift in and out of each other's lives over periods of several years. This is Rand's idea of being in love? Obviously she never experienced the feeling. Because of this, you can't bring yourself to care whether the two "soulmates" get together in the end or not.

The characters in this book are completely unlikeable, except for Gayle Wynand, and of course anyone who's read this knows how he ends up. I thought there was much more depth to his character then anyone else in the book. You got an idea of what made him the hard-nosed guy that he was, and you saw that he had genuine feeling for Dominique, even though the part where he builds a house in the country to keep her away from other people was a little much. I didn't understand the appeal of Roark at all. By the description given, he didn't seem all that physically attractive (not that that matters, but he IS supposed to be the perfect man, right?), and his so-called individualism didn't inspire me at all. It seemed like most of the time he was just doing completely illogical things in order to be difficult. He didn't strike me as very bright or charismatic, and I certainly don't understand why anyone would worship him. Dominique basically has no personality that I can tell, except that she also does silly and illogical things, like dumping a basically decent husband because he wouldn't let his business be run into the ground to save her hero Roark. As for Keating, one minute you loathe him, the next you feel sorry for him. But you never actually like him. Toohey is just ridiculous with his "I'm going to take over this newspaper...and RULE THE WORLD!!" speeches. He's not exactly a villain who strikes fear into the heart. I wasn't even sure he WAS the villain until halfway through the book. Not that I need to have it spelled out for me right away, but I do like to have some sense of who I'm supposed to be rooting for or booing, especially when I'm 400 pages in. The characters were just so flat for the most part that I really couldn't be sure. Oh, and Roark's big speech with the "not guilty" verdict at the end? Total cheese. Some of the dialogue throughout the entire novel is so cheesy that you can't help laughing (Like Roark saying the guy who discovered fire was put to death? How did he know that?).

I feel sorry for Ayn Rand, because it seems she was just a massively insecure person, with no ability to connect with other people. So, to make herself feel better, she decided to throw together a so-called philosophy justifying her complete lack of love or empathy for anyone at all. Unfortunately, she attracted a lot of other miserable people who have decided to worship her as some sort of all-knowing sage. I also feel sorry for them. I'm no student of philosophy, as you can probably tell since I have focused on the novel aspect instead of the idealistic one. But it seems as if most people would be level-headed enough to see that the very principles that Rand constantly condemns, are in fact the principles that make life in a hard world bearable. They're an undeniable part of mankind's being. If you take away man's love for his fellow man, you take away the part of him that makes him man, and he becomes an animal. If every man (and woman) lived only for himself, it would not be a pretty world. If you don't realize that, you need to grow up. Or get some therapy and medication, quickly.

Rating:
Summary: A Bible for the Religion of Objective Positivism
Review: It would be very easy to reject this massive work as a simplistic product of yet another humanistic evangelist. The worldview is more black and white than the Koran. Parts of the plotline don't work. The romantic dynamics are silly. And there are other pretty transparent weaknesses (more below). But the truth is that buried in almost a thousand pages, and underneath some laughably cardboard characters, there is an absorbing story here.

First off, not all the characters are weak. The protagonist, an unorthodox architect, is a sensible and dedicated hero worthy of respect. His fundamentalist dedication to Reason is strange, and in some ways robotic, but he is a likeable fellow. Be warned: his expressions of the Reasoning Self are disturbing and sometimes criminal and they inevitably place him in conflict with society as a whole. But not to worry, reassures the author, it's all for a good Reason.

Mr. Objectivist is surrounded by some pretty fascinating supporting characters as well. The character problem becomes evident about half way through the book when we recognize that most characters are not so much persons as caracitures of a various ideological perspectives. Their interactions often become predictable and irritatingly pedantic.

This problem is amplified in the climax of the novel, a scene in which our rational hero is confronted in a courtroom by the legal implications of his behavior choices. This scene degenerates into a sophomoric lecture on the moral superiority of rationalism and the human spirit. Which isn't a spirt, it's a consciousness. Except it's a Reasoning Consciousness. With Purpose. And that's what makes it Good. You get the idea.

There are other baffling odddities. The symbol of objective purity is ... architecture and building design. Hmmm. That's a pretty subjective starting point.

Still, I didn't mind the book. It's written at a level for thinking adults, worthy of the priorities of its author. The plot isn't predictable. The key areas of architecture and New York elite culture are treated with humorous sophistication. Perhaps the best thing is that the worldview is not hidden, which allows for some critical evaluation if that's your bent. Just be warned, this isn't light reading and doesn't pretend to be.