Review: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

Review: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

There are two schools of logic that I’ve come to know of. First, that of common sense driven by practical life, default human behaviour and musings of our society; one that hails selflessness to laud altruism which is solely indulged in for the viscid cameras. Second, that professed by Ayn Rand – the completely impractical solution to every trammel in life driven by an unemotional sense of objectivism and selfishness. If you haven’t read the book this is as fair a warning as you’ll get - this was my attempt to save you from the philosophy of Ayn Rand – quite nefariously in contrast with Dominique Francon’s attempt to save Howard Roark from the world.

The Fountainhead is not about one person avowing good against another avowing evil. The most beautiful part of this novel is how the six main characters (Howard, Peter, Catherine, Dominique, Ellsworth and Gail) portray completely disparate personalities sufficiently symbolic of multi-dimensional labyrinth existing in our society’s beliefs and value system.

The book traces the life of a few individuals revolving around the quest for fame, money and power – such people coined as “second raters” by Ayn are akin to parasites – they thrive on the response of others. People want to be famous because they want the attention of other people – their happiness is dependent on other people. Such people believe in showing rather than doing, destinations rather than journey. They collaborate amongst themselves because a collective group is seldom considered wrong by the society. They do this without realising the cost of bargain that they make with their individuality and intelligence.

Then there are other people like the protagonist – Howard Roark. A man who is selfish and egotistical about his work – unwilling to work with anyone else. A man that showed the highest level of emotional intelligence throughout the two decades covered in the book by acting unemotional. Ironical, one may say but that’s only because of the common definition which we have assigned to ‘emotional’. A man against all odds of the society.

Then there is Dominique and I wonder if she was the dissembled portrayal of Ayn Rand herself. I found it a challenge to understand her and failed at it for a major portion of the book. Perhaps what’s spellbinding about her is her mystery and unpredictability.

The book was first published in 1943 and it’s astonishing how not even a cent of it seems outdated even 74 years later. Readers are recommended to be like wet cement and let the philosophy proclaimed fall on their souls to make a lasting impression – though I can’t say the same for the erotic romanticism of this book since it nosedives into rape and adultery. It’s a book full of breath-taking chemistry and intensely powerful dialogues. What’s riveting is the response of these characters to the vexations of life. They all had their own mechanisms, each tested by the trials of time. And the sunset of the book emblazons the value of integrity, objectivism and character by throwing at us a stark but certifiably symbolic ending.