The Fountainhead 1st Edition

A wonderful book. It is great to know that such a person like Howard Roark existed at least in the imagination. A spectacular portrayal of the the characters and their stories. You'll may not see a building the same way again after finishing this book. This is a story of a Hero. A keeper for sure. My personal 'the best book ever'. A brilliant piece. I go back to reading this book again and again and derive great joy in doing so every time.

After reading fantasy for a year, I was looking for something more real...(Yup there you go I said it!) First thought of picking up a biography or a comedy, then some of my Internet friends suggested this book, "The Fountainhead". I started it expecting nothing but an easy, simple read....but Boy! It just blew me away!! The characterization in no other book I read til date has matched the depth or complexity(how different people can be!) displayed by Ayn Rand. It will show Life in different perspectives and well beyond one's beliefs at times. Howard Roark and Dominique Francon are two characters that will always stand in my thoughts and each time I have a tricky situation in life I wonder how they would react to it (try it if you've already read the book, else once you read it!). Don't fret over 'Huge No. of pages', it's one book you'd wish had some more to read so you could stick with it for long. I wouldn't just recommend, but INSIST you read the book. It's been 68 years since the 1st print came out and here I am going Gaga over it!!!

Happy Reading!!!

Not very often do you come across a book, so enigmatic that it makes the other work of art fade into the hindsight. I am yet to read something as immaculate as The Fountainhead. I am yet to see a character as heartbreakingly honest as Howard Roark. I salute the lady who thought light years ahead of her time. A book that changed the world for the better. A world wherein people of fibre still exist!!

First time I read this gem was almost a decade back. two weeks back, it was second turn. This is not very easy for weak hearted people. I remember one of my co-worker in Florida where he read the book and later after a year was scolding that because this book had so much influence on him, he retracted his personal relation and only focused on work resulting in poor appraisal and poor recognition in project.

well I can just laugh at that kinds of foolish conclusion. It ask you to believe in your work. How will you believe in your work - when you are brilliant at it and follow thru your heart. If you are looking for performance appraisal and bonuses, this is not your cup of tea. This is for w=those, who can take on the world.

Not an easy piece. Taking on to the world, can also be refined. In-fact Roark does not have any issue with the world. He just love his work and execute on his own term.

It reminds me of one another novel recently finished.

"I do not have issue with world. I just follow my way and they come in-between. I do not chase problem, but if problem come, I can not turn away." This is quotation from a recent novel "A Maverick heart between love and life".

Rahul in A maverick heart between love and life is Howard Roark of The Fountain Head. Obviously language is very different. anyway review on that sometime later.

Belief in your work does not come so easily. You need to be superb at it, then only natural belief comes. Looking from another angle, even if you are not perfect, just follow your work diligently what you love, you will enjoy it. You have to give comparison that my another friends earn this much. he own million dollar house or he goes three times in year to europe for vacation. comparison kills life.
you need to know your world, where you belong and be there. do not try to emulate somebody else work for sake of glamour and money.

In one way, Ayn Rand is hard core capitalist but from different angle - she is maverick who just follows her heart. Roark is not doing nything for money. he just does what he loves but he does on his own term. Way to execute his term - may be really different though.
I do not want to spoil your reading if you have not read it even one time by telling what is Roark way of executing. You need to read and feel his way.

This is not for teenager but for very matured people. I need to revisit The night of 6th January also. That's another brilliant play by Ayn Rand.

If you like this, do not miss A maverick Heart between love and life. Need to write review for that also.

This book is based on the concept of Romanticism. It exalts the single person as the source of creativity and genius.

After reading this book you may find yourself being afraid socially - sometimes impervious to superior ideas just for the sake of originality. Know the difference between reality and the concepts mentioned in this book. Reality is not so black and white as mentioned in this book. However once you realize there are people like the protagonist of this book you will be amazed, awestruck or utterly dejected.

This is a great book written in a great style. It'll keep you occupied for days on end.