One of the century’s most challenging novels of ideas, The Fountainhead champions the cause of individualism through the story of a gifted young architect who defies the tyranny of conventional public opinion.
The struggle for personal integrity in a world that values conformity above creativity is powerfully illustrated through three characters: Howard Roarke, the genius who is resented because he creates purely for the delight of his own work and on no other terms; Gail Wynand, the newspaper mogul and self-made millionaire whose power was bought by sacrificing his ideals to the lowest common denominator of public taste; and Dominique Francon, the devastating beauty whose desperate search for meaning has been twisted, through despair, into a quest to destroy the single object of her desire: Howard Roarke.
Dramatic, poetic, and demanding, The Fountainhead remains one of the towering books on the contemporary intellectual scene.
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"4.5 I have to say I honestly enjoyed this very much. I was incredibly skeptical when I started reading, and I don't necessarily agree with everything Rand says (eg altruism) but I do think there is a lot of truth in this book. Not a lifechanging book but certainly a very enjoyable one. My only qualm is with Dominique's character and the depiction of rape in the book."
— Georgia (5 out of 5 stars)
“Ayn Rand is a writer of great power. She has a subtle and ingenious mind and the capacity of writing brilliantly, beautifully, bitterly.”
— New York Times Book Review“The Fountainhead has become an enduring piece of literature, more popular now than when published in 1943…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.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review" One of the most important books you can read. Narrator reads clearly. This book is one of the most potent anti-suicide books ever published. That's at a personal level; and at a cultural level. "
— AnObjectivist, 6/16/2020" Highly intense and heavy for me! "
— Anitha, 2/20/2014" The best book ever ....! "
— Sonia, 2/11/2014" Nicky This should be a required read by every graphic design program! "
— Nicky, 2/10/2014" This is one I read again and again. "
— Chelle, 2/8/2014" Passion,commitment and being true to oneself. A perfect read! "
— Gail, 2/2/2014" I read this in high school as required reading. It was my first exposure to Ayn Rand. I was instantly hooked. My copy of this book is missing...It's a book I would like to read again. "
— Josh, 1/29/2014Ayn Rand (1905–1982) was born in Russia, graduated from the University of Leningrad, and came to the United States in 1926. She published her first novel in 1936. With the publication of The Fountainhead in 1943, she achieved a spectacular and enduring success, and her unique philosophy, Objectivism, gained a worldwide following.
Christopher Hurt is an accomplished narrator with a lengthy résumé of popular titles for Blackstone. A graduate of George Washington University’s acting program, he currently resides in New York City.