Comments on: Latest Book: “The Fountainhead”

By: robert soley

robert soley — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:19:01 +0000

i believe that i have read that, at least in fountainhead, that this was NOT taking place in our world but rather an ideal world where the following equation is true:

perspiration=success

there would be no room for churches or charitable organizations if everyone was equal. I’m pretty sure that in the fountainhead world everyone is exactly equal, roark just tortures himself to a higher degree than the others in the ideal realm where everyone is a peer and an equal. roark is supposed to be the only one who doesn’t take the easy road.
unfortunately, looking back my comment is non-linear but i hope others can harvest it in my place.

By: elisita

elisita — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 07:16:32 +0000

wow. My thoughts on this book eXACTLY. SOCIOPATHS. I dind’t understand/relate to one social interaction in the entire book! I felt like I was reading a book written by a complete sociopath. Strange experience.

By: chris b

chris b — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:21:49 +0000

the fountainhead was fantastic. i have one disagreement…its never too late to start at what you ‘should have done’ earlier. its never too late to find your ‘calling.’ perhaps if your goal is popular acclaim, then it can be too late. for ex: if keith richards were to start in rock n roll today…ya, not gonna happen. but an old man can still learn to play the guitar to please himself and find satisfaction.

By: Bill

Bill — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:26:16 +0000

1984 and Brave New World are much better than The Fountainhead, but even those two I think I enjoyed more as a teenager than I would now. The Fountainhead movie is a guilty pleasure, however. To answer Keith R., for some philosophical novels that are actually serious works of art you may like The Sleepwalkers by Hermann Broch, or The Man without Qualities by Robert Musil.

By: Mark D.

Mark D. — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:03:38 +0000

For some reason I think that if you said that about me Iâ€™d wear it like a badge of honor.

When I say “extra points for sheer audacity”, I mean that looking at a point of view taken to its logical extreme can be unusually informative. The rationale sustaining moderate points of view have a greater tendency to be lost in the muddle.

My number one problem with Rand is her failure to distinguish between coercive and non-coercive forms of communitarianism. In Rand’s world there would be no churches, no scholarships, no benevolent organizations of any kind. That sort of overweening distaste for voluntary charitable activity poisons her much more persuasive account of the downside of all-encompassing government regulation and the accompanying suppression of individual initiative and creative activity.

By: Ziff

Ziff — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 00:44:43 +0000

I would say that is throwing out the baby with the bathwater but that probably doesnâ€™t do justice to Rand. Iâ€™d say she blows up the entire house with the baby in the tub in an effort to get rid of the bathwater.

I love this! I only know of Rand–haven’t read her–but this seems like a nice summary point on her. :)

By: Keith R

Keith R — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:44:53 +0000

I’ve read both Atlas Shrugged and Fountainhead, in that order. Both page-turners (except in Atlas where Rand basically gives her manifesto in a 150 page or so speech by character John Galt, I had to skip that part) Overall, IMO these are great books. I don’t agree with all the philosophy, but for free-market guys like me, she makes some blood-boiling points. It’s from the humanistic part of her thinking that she and I part ways.

Fountainhead can be an inspiring book for creative types who need a push over the edge into the “this is who I am and what I do” freefall.

Are there other philosophers that write in this fictional manner to spell out their grandiose philosophies that I might enjoy reading?

By: TStevens

TStevens — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:14:18 +0000

I have only read Atlas Shrugged but will probably get around to this eventually. It seems a little more engaging than Moby Dick was. I did like this though:
â€œAnyhow, I found the book worth reading. I recommend it to all. If for no other reason, so you can recognize all the pop culture referencesâ€
David Plotz gave that same reason (among many) for reading the bible.

By: Kent (MC)

Kent (MC) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:36:09 +0000

I never read any of her books except for Anthem, which I really enjoyed (and it’s short). I read Terry Goodkind for a fantasy world based on Rand’s philosophy, which I give a solid B for the most part.

By: BrianJ

BrianJ — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:04:26 +0000

a solid D with extra points for sheer audacity

lol! For some reason I think that if you said that about me I’d wear it like a badge of honor.