The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Leonard Peikoff Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Fountainhead
Book Review: A Philosophic Mirror
Summary: 5 Stars
The literary value of The Fountainhead can be questioned. It's fundamental theme cannot. The story of a brilliant creator refusing to lower his standards to please the mediocrity worshipping herd stands as a classic. For those readers who simply abhorred this work, I would not be surprised to learn that upon discovery of the character of Peter Keating, you saw yourself exposed for the second-hander that you are.Book Review: A Slow, Downward Crawl
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm just going to say, Don't read it. It's not worth it. The first four hundred pages are fantastic; Ayn Rand describes the characters beautifully, as well as the places, their feelings, everything. The dialogue, though, gets to be a little unrealistic...But I didn't live in the thirties, how would I know? It seems, though, that during the last half of the book she just began to give up. Everything becomes glaringly obvious and a giant sermon for Objectivism, complete with lengthy monologues from the characters that span over several pages...
The characters were well developed, and the story too, but it's just a slow downward crawl to the end; it was hard for me to finish.
Book Review: A Stunning Literary Achievement
Summary: 5 Stars
The first time I read "The Fountainhead", I was deeply impressed with the plot, characters, and events it portrays. Howard Roark is one of the few fictional characters I've encountered that I would definitely want to meet. His capacity for sheer joy is almost unequaled in literature. Yes, the characters are abstract, but that's infinitely preferable to yet another novel about yet another damsel in distress, or poor man crushed by the evil capitalists. In my opinion, Dominique Francon was the least "believable" of all the characters, but one of the most interesting...her motivations may not have been realistic, but she is fascinating from a philosophical perspective. After reading "The Fountainhead", you'll be amazed how many Peter Keatings you see in everyday life.After reading reviewer after reviewer complain about the book's lack of realism, I want to say that I was amazed at the number of events in this book that rang true for me. The description of Gail Wynand's schooling still stands out in my mind, along with the contest held by Wynand's Banner to see whether they could raise more money for an unwed mother or a struggling scientist. I've said this before, in my review of "Atlas Shrugged" - Rand's minor characters are incredible. Mrs. Keating is exactly what she needs to be, and she is such an accurate picture of so many well-meaning but intervening parents! The description of Mrs. Wayne Wilmot, a potential client of Roark's, is just staggering - it so perfectly characterizes so many people.
I'm currently in the middle of my second reading of the book, and I'm surprised how many little details I'm noticing now that I skipped right over before. This is definitely a book you have to read twice. Rand had such an acute sense of contrast and irony, and it's such a shame to miss all the little details she put in for the reader to find. It's like an irony gold mine. Just compare the descriptions of Roark and Keating walking down the same street and you'll see what I mean.
There's just one thing missing from this book - illustrations. I would give anything to see a building that Howard Roark could have designed, and the movie adaptation's models were so bad I cringed when I saw them. I'd love to see someone design the Stoddard Temple, or the Enright House, or the Wynand Building...basically any of the buildings Roark did. Even the gas station. It would be great if the Ayn Rand Institute or some other Objectivist institution sponsored an architectural contest for a design for one of these buildings.
The first time I ever heard of this book was in an essay about Objectivism which called "The Fountainhead" poorly written and awkward. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Say whatever else you like about Ayn Rand, she was a phenomenal writer (that English wasn't even her first language still amazes me). I highly recommend "The Fountainhead" to everyone - even if you don't agree with the philosophy, the story and the writing are sheer delight.
Book Review: A Timeless Paranoid Fable
Summary: 3 Stars
It's hard not to be swept up in the fervor of The Fountainhead. It reminds me of the challenge a film professor gave to an anxious audience moments before screening Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi propaganda masterpiece "Triumph of the Will." "Try not to tap your feet to the music," he said. I found I could not resist turning the pages of The Fountainhead despite its flaws. Take the premise. No one in their right mind should believe that the fate of America rests in the palm of a liberal New York art critic named Ellsworth Toohey who nurtures a conspiracy so broad-reaching that intelligent people will eventually be reduced to a pack of drooling, slack-jawed socialists. But that is precisely what Ayn Rand proposes. She believes that you and I are all dolts - idiots - who have succumbed to mediocrity based on altruism. The hero who can save us is an egotistical architect named Howard Roark. As heroes go, there is nothing warm and cuddly about Howard. He doesn't really give a damn what you think about him or if you like him. Given Howard's prickly disposition, the ludicrous premise on which this book is based, and Ayn Rand's contempt for her readers, why is this book so damn popular? What gives? The answer is obvious. It's a timeless, paranoid fable that grabs at the emotions, negates the intellect, and reduces everything to absolutes. Perfect in other words for the red-baiting 1950s of Eugene McCarthy or the modern Bush era. Try not to tap your feet.Book Review: A Timeless Read
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Fountainhead" is as relevant, if not more so, today than it was when it was published decades ago. Still controversial in numerous ways, understanding the philosophy and thoughts conveyed through strong characters and an engaging plot provides for a good book.
While dates from the 1920s and 1930s are mentioned a number of times in the book, there is a certain timeless quality to this publication. The personalities of the well-drawn characters and the action flow seem as if they could be found in a book published just last month.
The philosophical underpinnings found in "The Fountainhead" may not appeal to everyone, but reading this book should provide insight into a particular way of thinking and acting via an engrossing read.
Read in conjunction with "Atlas Shrugged", also written by Ayn Rand, one can witness an emerging view of how one author saw the world.
Highly recommended.