The Fountainhead

I first read this book at 18 (to enter an essay for a scholarship - which I didn't win) and was captivated by the story (even though I disagreed with much of Rand's personal philosophy - and still do). This book should make you think about yourself and what sort of person you are and what sort of person you want to be (whether that's someone Rand would have approved of or not is irrelevant). If you keep in mind that the author was a person who naturally valued autonomy, who was born and raised in communist Russia where she wasn't allowed to be who she wanted to be, where the State controlled every aspect of her life (under the real threat of death) you can understand why she advocated so strongly for the individual self. But that's not why I love this book! In my copy I have this excerpt underlined (page 633) (Roark and Gail are talking)Gail asks, "What have you been thinking about, these past weeks?""The principle behind the dean who fired me from Stanton.""What principle?""The thing that is destroying the world. The thing you were talking about. Actual selflessness.""The ideal which they say does not exist?""They're wrong. It does exist - though not in the way they imagine. It's what I couldn't understand about people for a long time. They have no self. They live within others. They live second-hand. Look at Peter Keating.""You look at him. I hate his guts.""I've looked at him - at what's left of him - and it's helped me to understand. He's paying the price and wondering for what sin and telling himself that he's been too selfish. In what act or thought of his has there been any self? What was his aim in life? Greatness - in other people's eyes. Fame, admiration, envy - all that which comes from others. Others dictated his convictions, which he did not hold, but he was satisfied that others believed he held them. Others were his motive power and his prime concern. He didn't want to be great, but to be thought great. He didn't want to build, but to be admired as a builder. He borrowed from others in order to make an impression on others. There's your actual selflessness. It's his ego he's betrayed and given up. But everybody calls him selfish.""That's the pattern most people follow.""Yes! And isn't that the root of every despicable action? Not selfishness, but the absence of a self."That sums up the world we live in. Clambering hordes running to stand on a stage and be the next big this or that...hordes of people, most of who don't know themselves. People devoid of self awareness, or understanding of what they are or are not good at. People who want to be "A Star!" as if being famous for being famous was some sort of pinnacle of accomplishment. We're living in a Narcissistic age with millions of people all wearing masks pretending to be what they think people want them to be so that others will think they're special because deep down the mask wearers don't feel special and have no intention of putting in the effort to develop themselves until they become something special. For me, The Fountainhead encourages us to tear off the mask, look in the mirror and be whoever that may be. The world doesn't need a million clones of this singer or that actor. It needs individuals who will put in the hours, blood, sweat and tears to become the best they can be as individuals so they can then help build a better society by doing what they do well.

Monumental book. Huge characters.

Ayn Rand started her literary exploits as a screenplay writer, but it was her prose that made her famous. Despised by some for her fierce defense of human creative spirit, she has been one of the key social influencers, particularly in the US.Whilst her magnum opus – ‘Atlas Shrugged’ - was published 14 years later, even in ‘The Fountainhead’ she displays a deep understanding of human nature, and the picture of human society that she paints is not pretty. People who want to create and make real contribution to the well-being of their fellow man all face uphill battle and Howard Roark is no different. Their challenges rarely come from the task they undertake, but rather from their fellow man. They are noble characters fighting for what’s right despite all odds.The only criticism of Rand’s protagonists must be that she has made them righteous. I mean: being right in the wrong place. Rand would prefer all people to be constructive and noble – this is what her heroes expect and they are not prepared to work and engage with those lacking their drive and energy. They just want to have freedom to do what they believe is right. The fact that they actually are right doesn’t help, as part of their difficulties come from failing to engage with the real world as it is, rather than as it should be.‘The Fountainhead’ is a great novel and together with ‘Atlas Shrugged’ it should be a part of every school’s curriculum, because it shows what the society could be like if more people committed themselves to achieve great results – for others and to get deep personal satisfaction. It also shows why those less fortunate should support the wealth creators rather than be jealous of them, as without their great inventions, discoveries, architecture and art most of us would have quite a miserable life.

Originally bought it because it was featured in the classic movie "Dirty Dancing" I had no idea what I was getting into but I'm glad I did! Highly recommend if you haven't read any of her stuff before!

El libro no es de fácil lectura, algunos personajes son complicados, pero este antagonismos lo que le da esencia al libro y la profundidad de los diálogos y monólogos de y entre los personajes llevan al lector a comprender la filosofía del Individualismo y su valor Vs su antagónico Colectivismo

Sollte jeder Mal gelesen haben. Sehr gutes Buch. Sehr lehrreich, sehr gute Autorin.

The story portraying a Man how a Man should be.. In the form of a creative thinker and an innovator, self joyous, independent from the second hand opinions and desires, self sustained and free of all kinds of second hand suffering..The protagonist is a individual architect who designs a building with all his spirit, unaltered by second hand opinions and thought process.. A man who knows only to give the best of himself to the cause he is best at.. To not surrender to the world in manner of winning hearts of the mob, but to keep his soul out for the cause.. For the cause of betterment of mankind and its progree forward..He is best at what he does..The world opposes him just as it opposed all the innovators through ages.. Wheel, Sun, Fire, and so on... All the first hand thinkers are made to suffer by this world...People make him suffer.. but the Man is beyond all the suffering the world can impart on him.. He knows the best what to expect from this majorly unworthy world..He sticks around till the end with his selfless integrity and soul..And he wins just as such person should win through time.. He is not dependent on any other man for his joy or other's acknowledgement.. Just keeps on doing what is best for the Mankind.. Just what a Man should be..Other few like minded people stick along his crusade.. Giving meaning to their own lives..The Man wins just as a Man with such callibre and attitude towrds Life should..Wonderful story with a wonderful philosophy.. Must read..

Do you want to be a creative independence individual or a person who just lives by being afraid of what others might think of him?This book brilliantly describes these kind of attitudes towards life and its consequences.