The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

I first read the Fountainhead at the tender age of 20yo. It was the 2nd book I had read by Ayn Rand, but the first fiction by her. Since the book was released in 1949(?) I believe it has never been out of print. It literary sells like the Bible, which is paradoxical because its underlying philosophy is a repudiation of religion and the ethics upon which all religions are based. That is one reason to read the book. The others I think are that:
1. Its a story about heroes
2. Its an exploration of what makes humanity great and/or deprave
3. Its clever

This is a book that divides people. They either love it for life or they hate with equal passion. The reason is the philosophical values expressed in the book. Really it divides people between those that give primacy to reason and objectivity from those that emotions and intuition are a more tangible cognitive tool. Its easy to dismiss this book. Most people that read this book rationalise that it doesn't apply to reality. If that is the case, then its hard to understand their hatred for it. You need only read the reviewers comments on Amazon.

The book traces the life of an architect who rises to prominence despite his unique perspective on the role of architecture. He stands alone as an advocate of architectural 'form' when other architects are trying to mimic the traditions and standards of another era. The philosophical mood is developed by the champions and villians who seek to help or destroy him.

This book is perhaps Ayn Rand's 2nd best 'novel' in terms of its literary strengths, but the book is not without its flaws. I found the book to drag on a bit with excessive description. But then I prefer my stories conceptualised rather than in the gritty detail. I prefer to fill in the gaps with my own imagination. For this reason I was tending to skip over the descriptors to read the dialogue between the characters.

Another aspect about the book which people dont like is the 'tinny or 2-dimensional' characters. I think this was intentional by Ayn Rand, as I think she was writing in a romantic or symbolic fashion. A flaw in her philosophy and her books I think is the lack of empathy. I think her books would be better understood if it was there.

This is one of the most important books I have read. It amazes me how many people have been introduced to it, but never read it. Some 10 years after I read it, I discovered it among my mother's books, though she never got around to reading it. Some guy had given it to her whilst she was studying at university 2 decades earlier. What a missed opportunity.

The Fountainhead - Buy It Now!