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The Fountainhead (Audio CD)
by Ayn Rand
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Fiction |
| Market price: ¥ 368.00
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¥ 348.00
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| MSL Pointer Review:
A true masterpiece in the realm of philosophy and ethics. Oh yes, a manual for being a real human being, as a bright mind put it. |
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Author: Ayn Rand
Publisher: Highbridge Audio; Abridged edition
Pub. in: July, 2003
ISBN: 1565117875
Pages:
Measurements: 5.8 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BB00061
Other information: ISBN-13: 978-1565117877
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- MSL Picks -
The Fountainhead is a story about one man's (Howard Roark, architect) struggle to maintain the integrity of his work and self against a society that tries to destroy him and his accomplishments by subscribing to a collective mentality of so-called altruism and selflessness. Roark pays again and again for his unyielding honesty and refusal to compromise. In time, he is sided with two allies who struggle with Roark until he is vindicated by his courage and truth.
This is a wonderful work of fiction, by a wonderful author. Be warned, however, that Rand's philosophy (which she introduces in this book) while brilliant and original, is extremist and close-minded. To put it another way, Rand believed in The One Truth, and she thought that this was The Only Truth, and held it above all other truths. Moral issues like abortion, religion, gay marriage, etc... they all fade against the background of the objectivist philosophy. It's a philosophy about one thing, really: man and his right to be free, as an original, individual being. Therefore, this book preaches selflessness. Many people find it offensive, so be warned.
Ayn Rand weaves her philosophy of objectivism into this novel. The philosophy rejects (as being incompatible with man's greatness) mercy, altruism, charity, sacrifice, and service. These proclaimed virtues are portrayed as either weaknesses or as tools of subjugation. Consequently, objectivism must likewise reject all of the world's religions, as well as the possibility of the existence of a God.
Altruism, Rand argues, forces men to keep others subservient, so that they may make themselves feel righteous; it has been the root of the greatest evils in the world (commonialism, Nazism, etc.); but egoism has resulted in creations which have alleviated the sufferings of man for generations to come. Her philosophy is most succinctly expressed by her architect hero Howard Roark, who says, "All that which proceeds from man's independent ego is good. All that which proceeds form man's dependence upon men is evil." He argues that "only by living for himself" is man "able to achieve the things which are the glory of mankind" and that "no man can live for another… The man who attempts to live for others is a dependent. He is a parasite in motive and makes parasites of those he serves."
And yet Roark is himself the quintessential intellectual, who shares the same failing of the intellectuals who created commonialism, Nazism and the other "altruistic evils"; that is, he is capable of loving man in the abstract but incapable of loving him in the particular: "One can't love man without hating most of the creatures who pretend to bear his name."
The Fountainhead expresses an individualism that is uniquely American, and it is therefore surprising that it, as far as I know, has never been in the running for the title of "The Great American Novel." Of course, although it emphasizes that individualism has made our nation great (and it has), it must of necessity ignore and dismiss another progressive force in our nation's history-American Christianity. Rand's philosophy stands in stark contrast to the collectivism which was then sweeping the world in an ocean of blood. "It has reached," says Roark, "a scale of horror without precedent. It has poisoned every mind. It has swallowed most of Europe. It is engulfing our country."
So what about the story? Despite the copious philosophical dialogue, the story is not sacrificed to create an ethical treatise. The characters are fascinating, very well-developed, and the story is at times gripping. However, the relationship between our hero and heroine is never fully convincing to me, and I find it highly disturbing that Rand felt it necessary to make rape an essential and positive element of their union. The story drew me in at first, and then began to lose me for several chapters, as Rand breaks one of the rules of good structure and does not begin developing a main character until over half way through the novel. By then, I did not feel invested enough in the character of Gail Wynand to learn in detail about his past life...but as Wynand was more fully developed and his life tied into that of the hero's, he became to me the most interesting character.
The Fountainhead is a tale of both defeat and triumph. It is depressing and exalting, inviting and repugnant. And its philosophy, like all great lies, contains an enormous amount of truth. We can't recommend this book enough.
Target readers:
General readers
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Born February 2, 1905, Ayn Rand published her first novel, We the Living, in 1936. Anthem followed in 1938. It was with the publication of The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957) that she achieved her spectacular success. Ms. Rand’s unique philosophy, Objectivism, has gained a worldwide audience. The fundamentals of her philosophy are put forth in three nonfiction books, Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, The Virtue of Selfishness, and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. They are all available in Signet editions, as is the magnificent statement of her artistic credo, The Romantic Manifesto.
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From the Publisher:
The Fountainhead has become an enduring piece of literature, more popular now than when published in 1943. On the surface, it is a story of one man, Howard Roark, and his struggles as an architect in the face of a successful rival, Peter Keating, and a newspaper columnist, Ellsworth Toohey. But the book addresses a number of universal themes: the strength of the individual, the tug between good and evil, the threat of fascism. The confrontation of those themes, along with the amazing stroke of Rand's writing, combine to give this book its enduring influence.
This centennial edition of The Fountainhead, celebrating the controversial and enduring legacy of its author, features an afterword by Rand's literary executor, Leonard Peikoff, offering some of Ayn Rand's personal notes on the development of her masterwork, and a Reader's Guide to her writings and philosophy.
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The New York Times (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-26 00:00>
A writer of great power. She has a subtle and ingenious mind and the capacity of writing brilliantly, beautifully, bitterly. |
Lonnie Holder (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-26 00:00>
The Fountainhead is a great rarity; a well-written and successful philosophical novel. Though Ayn Rand becomes occasionally too didactic, I realize that she was concerned that some readers would be unable to see the points she was making. I did find this novel humorous at points, as Rand placed Howard Roarke, her protagonist, in contrast to his environment so that Roarke appeared to be in control of his environment. Those who understand this novel will find humor in many places. I am unsure of how much of the humor was intentional and how much was unintentional.
There are several principal characters in this 700+ page book. Howard Roarke is an architect. Roarke believes in himself and is a creator. Rand uses Roarke as her example of the "perfect" man. Rand contrasts Roarke primarily with Peter Keaton. Keaton is an adapter of technology. He "borrows" his architectural concepts from historic styles rather than focusing on the practical and having form follow function. Keaton panders to popular styles. Roarke designs plans that are functional and fit within their environment. The beauty of Roarke's designs is in their functionality and how each design fits its environment. Unfortunately, repetitive design is valued, and creativity is not.
There are several other significant characters in this book. Ellsworth Toohey is a newspaper columnist. Toohey exemplifies mediocrity. Toohey is manipulative and power hungry, but is so subtle in his machinations that few people recognize Toohey for what he is. I was fascinated that Toohey seemed to want a worthy opponent and lamented that his opponents were unable to see what Toohey was doing. Toohey's comments and actions imply that Toohey seeks socialism or communism, but he wants to be the absolute dictator. Toohey seems to have all the worst characteristics of communism and fascism.
Gail Wynand is the owner of a chain of newspapers. Wynand is a self made man. Wynand is quite similar to Roarke in many ways, though it takes us a long time to discover the similarities. Both men eventually come to admire each other.
Dominique Francon is very important to the novel. She appears cold-hearted, though she is not. She becomes a connection between Keating, Wynand and Roarke. However, Dominique realizes that she will likely destroy nearly everyone she contacts. Rand uses Dominique as a tool for continuity throughout the novel and to aid in contrasting the characteristics of the three men in Dominique's life.
What is The Fountainhead about? It is about one man pursuing his quest for what he believes to be right, regardless of what most of the world thinks. Rand hypothesizes that if that man is correct, and has an objective ideal as his goal, that eventually the rest of the world will recognize the validity of that man's (or woman's) viewpoint and follow along. The Fountainhead is against the average, against mediocrity, against collectivism, against rule by committee, and against the manipulation of people by those whose only purpose is to seek power over other men. The Fountainhead is for individualism, for creativity, for following your own path and for objective truth.
Ayn Rand tried to keep her explanations relatively simple. She characterized people as those who lived through others and those who lived for themselves. However, I think there could be a third category, which Rand likely classified as the second category. As we know, not every person is highly creative. But, an average person may well recognize the creativity of a person such as Roarke, and admiring such creativity, does what they can to bring that creativity to realization. I would call this third category a person who facilitates the creator.
The first time I read The Fountainhead, I considered the book profound. I looked at the world, and myself, in a different perspective. This book is easy to read, but it is not light reading. The book requires a lot of thought, and you may find that you disagree with Rand or you may be disappointed. If you are a potential Howard Roarke, it is unlikely that you will read this book at all. For the rest of us, The Fountainhead is a great work of fiction that embodies what many of us like to believe is the basis of the United States. While there may be a little cowboy in us, there is a lot of pioneer spirit, which was founded on a strong sense of individualism. We can only hope that these ideals remain with us in the future.
I hope you find this book as incredible as I did. Enjoy! |
Kevin Kingston (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-26 00:00>
I arrived at The Fountainhead by reading the books mentioned in the Berkshire Hathaway letter to shareholders by Warren Buffet, one of which was, When Genius Failed about the rise and disastrous collapse of Enron. That mentioned The Fountainhead, which I read first, then Atlas Shrugged. The Fountainhead was less focused on the economy and more on the individual and how the group consciousness, collectivism and the expectancy to live ones life for others affects society, whereas Atlas Shrugged takes it a bit deeper to show the effects on an economic level.
Both approaches clearly and convincingly point out the dangers of irrational thoughts, beliefs and actions. Ayn Rand, both in this book and her others rejects the belief that man is or can be a victim of forces beyond his control, such as God, fate, upbringing, genes or economic conditions. She shows through the beliefs and actions of the lead character Howard Roark how rationality is man's basic virtue and his main fundamental values are: reason, purpose and self esteem. She illustrates that man must live for himself, not for anyone else and to live for one self takes self esteem to believe in ones own ideas, dreams and visions.
I applaud her strong burning belief in a hands-off government and laissez-faire capitalism. I read someplace that Alan Greenspan is a big Ayn Rand fan as can be seen by his hands off approach and reluctance to interfere with capital markets and security market regulations.
The book illustrates that thinking for one self is of the utmost importance in life and how not thinking for one self turns you into a helpless victim of the thoughts and plans of others.
The books theme, be true to one self is a biblical concept mixed with a modern day society to illustrate as clear as day the difference between self thinkers and those that live for others. It will just about terrify you into becoming your own person. |
Johnny Verbeck (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-26 00:00>
Like Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead is one of the finest peices of literature ever written. This book emphasizes the importance of individualism over collectivism, and of sticking to principals. Howard Roark, the hero (arguably modeled on Frank Loyd Wright), is a hard working architect who learns not to compromise with his ideas on architecture. He doesn't believe in designing with architectural styles of the past - Classical, Gothic, Rennasaince - and instead uses a new modern style that hasn't been done before, using new concepts and new technology to create unique buildings.
Although he is a brilliant architect, he refuses to build anything in a historical style, resulting in his expulsion from his college, and later making it difficult for him to get any contracts. Even when faced with closing his business, he still refuses to do work he doesn't believe in.
Peter Keating, on the other hand, is a talented architect who at first becomes wealthy and famous designing buildings in historical styles. He quickly rises to becoming a partener in a great architectural firm, and designs many buildings that are praised by the public. However, he has no talent for designing anything new, and often has to ask for help from Howard Roark. Much of the story revolves around the conflict between the two - Roark would rather create a magnificent builing, but Keating would rather get credit for creating a magnificent building that he didn't design.
The story takes twist with the involvement of Elsworth Toohey, an architecture critic who preaches altruism, and despises any form of sucess, like the buildings of Roark. Dominque Francon, a manipulative woman, gets involved with both Roark and Keating. And Gail Wynand, a very wealthy a powerful man with no principals, becomes great friends with Roark, although eventually he will learn why his lack of principals will ultimately be his demise.
Hoard Roark constantly struggles against the general population, who view him negatively for being selfish and stubborn. He goes through expulsions, bankruptcies, betrayals, but because of his determination he eventually ends up on top - above Keating, Wynand, and Toohey.
The great thing about The Fountainhead is that it still applies to modern life, as individualism and principals are just as important. For instance, John Kerry, like Peter Keating, based his policies on what the public thought was good, and not what he felt was good. And like Peter Keating, John Kerry ended up as someone who will never be on top, and who will soon be forgotten (I'll remove this review if he somehow does get elected in 2008). On a more positive note, many people throughout history, like Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King, had strict principals on what was right, and they did not compromise with their principals, which is why we achieved gender and racial equality. The Fountainhead will continue to be a commonly read book, and the principals of it will continue to be true. |
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