Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... The Fountainhead (original 1943; edition 1996)by Ayn Rand, Leonard Peikoff
Work InformationThe Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (1943)
» 19 more Female Author (268) Libertarian Books (27) Favorite Long Books (195) Overdue Podcast (375) Unread books (524) 1940s (221) Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. The epic clash between individualism and conformity, "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand is an excellent portrayal of her philosophy of Objectivism, which emphasizes individualism, rational self-interest, and the pursuit of one's own happiness. In it, Rand explores themes of creativity, integrity, and the struggle between the individual and society, and offers a warning for those tempted to sacrifice one's principles for societal approval. I’ve read it and Atlas Shrugged several times, and whether one loves or loathes "The Fountainhead," it undeniably remains a thought-provoking and influential work that continues to stimulate intellectual discourse. ( ) Honestly, this book was kind of terrible. The only thing saving it from a worse score was that the prose was incredibly easy to follow (read at about a 7th grade reading level I'd guess) and the plot wasn't too bad to read. So even though it wasn't particularly enjoyable, it was an easy read. The characters were terrible. Every time we got into the thought process of one of the characters, I thought to myself "Is this what it's like to be a psychopath?" Almost none of the characters had any empathy or remorse, and the ones that did, were painted as pathetic and weak. I cheered for the downfall of almost every single character in the book. I generally don't have to "root for" a character to enjoy a book, but dang. It sure makes it easier. The themes were shallow and childish. Painting selfishness as a virtue and empathy as a weakness is such a hilariously cringy, childish theme, and I can't believe anyone other than misguided teenagers would get anything philosophical out of this crap. I understand why incels are drawn to Rand now. I will say, I really enjoyed the discourse on architecture and structural engineering of houses and skyscrapers. I found that legitimately interesting to read about, which makes sense, given that I am a Civil Engineer.
[Miss Rand] has written a hymn in praise of the individual and has said things worth saying in these days. Whether her antithesis between altruism and selfishness is logically correct or not, she has written a powerful indictment. Belongs to Publisher SeriesNew American Library (AE 5823) Signet (AE3319) Signet: New American Library (AE 5823) Is contained inContainsHas the adaptationHas as a commentary on the textHas as a student's study guideDistinctionsNotable Lists
Here is the story of an intransigent young architect, Howard Roark, of his violent battle against a mindless status quo, and of his explosive love affair with a beautiful woman who worships him yet struggles to defeat him. In order to build his kind of buildings according to his own standards, Roark must fight against every variant of human corruption. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.52Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1900-1944LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
|