Fountainhead by Ayn Rand - * * * * 1/2
“Howard Roark laughed”
“Then there was only the ocean and the sky and the figure of Howard Roark.”
These are the first and last lines of the novel “Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand. These lines almost summarise the essence of the story, which is about the spirit of creator, the attitude of an egotist and the victory of an ideal man.
After reading this book, I wikied Ayn Rand. I wanted to know whether she is still alive or not. But, I fell almost 3 decades short to let her know how much I loved her novel. Hence, I am writing about this incomparable book of hers. She had died but had left a treasure to unravel. Fountainhead is a book which deals with the emotions, mindsets, ambitions and feelings of different people. It is about 4 different personalities who create the crux of the book and hence the book is divided into 4 parts under the names of these people: Peter Keating, Ellsworth M. Toohey, Gail Wynand, Howard Roark.
The book’s main protagonist is Howard Roark and the antagonist is Ellsworth M. Toohey. It travels through a period of almost two decades which sees the rise and fall of all these 4 men. Every person in the world can be expressed as a Keating, a Toohey, a Wynand and a Roark. Rand has wriiten this to so minuscule details that one can feel each motion, emotion and every word spoken. This book boasts of very strong and detailed characters. Keating is a person who wants success to show off, whose life is derived from others’ opinions, he is like a parasite living off others. Then there is Toohey, a person who tells people what they want to hear, moulds people according to his needs, wants to destroy originality and wants to throw the world into hands of collective. Gail Wynand, this character enters the fore only after half of the book gets over. He is initially projected as a person who has sold himself and his principles to make money. He runs a press which gives a voice to the strong feelings of the crowd. He has grown from the nadir, full of adversaries and has reached the zenith of power. He thinks that he can control lives of other people and derives joy from this, but in the end he wants to redeem himself of all the evil his paper “Banner” has spoken of). Then there is Roark, a person of ideals. He would never compensate for his originality. He worships his work and lives for the sake of it. He is an egotist, he does not care what people say about him and his work. He just gives his full dedication for the advancement of architecture and derives pleasure from his own work.
These are people who have mindsets like chalk and cheese, but they are all connected by a common thread, i.e. pursuit of happiness. All the 4 main characters have done everything for their own happiness in their own unique and distinct ways. There is one more character that runs as a common thread to these 4 lives. Dominique Francon, the female protagonist of the book who is described as an ideal match for the ideal man (Howard Roark). She is a woman of substance, she is not afraid to speak her mind but she feels that Roark’s work should not be for public. She feels that his work is the work of gods and if it is seen by any mere mortal, his work would get degraded since no one would understand the spirit and essence behind his designs.
The book starts with Howard Roark standing on a cliff in retrospection of the morning’s events and introspection into what follows him next. He is expelled from the Stanton Institute of Technology in his pre final year because the professors didn’t understand his architectural designs and according to them, he didn’t deserve a place in this prestigious institute. He goes to work under an architect who was in his prime 20 years ago, Henry Cameron. Cameron was an architect who was way ahead of his times in terms of designs and structural analysis, but he was too adamant and egotist to give in the ways of the times. Peter Keating was an year senior to Roark and had topped the college. He went to work with the topmost firm in architecture, Francon & Heyer and walked up the stairs of success by evil tactics. He used to go to Roark for getting his designs amended. He was too under confident, he could not ever picturise himself as an architect. His best works were all redone by Roark and Keating kept on feeding all the laurels and made an envelope of false praise and security around him. As the story evolves, Roark sets up an independent office after death of Cameron and Keating becomes partner in the firm. Roark gradually keeps ascending and Keating starts declining after the end of 2nd half.
On another note, Fountainhead is also a unique love story between Howard and Dominique. Their chemistry is one which is beyond spoken words. It is like everything between them goes on between their eyes. After Roark is held guilty in one of the trials when his client sues him for not giving him what he wanted, Dominique tries to get all the commissions away from Roark because she thinks the world will only hurt him and the world is not ready for him. Roark on the other hand, derives his ultimate satisfaction when he is working and has never complained of people. He does not think of anyone except architecture. Their love is about sacrifice for the sake of happiness.
Toohey and Wynand are characters who are poised against each other to exercise power over others. Wynand on one hand is flamboyant in showing off his power, where as Toohey is more of a silent striker. He keeps on building his strength with his ever growing public image.
The final speech given by Howard Roark in his defence in the court room embodies the true spirit of creator and condemns the “second-hander”. He explains the value of ego and the need to remain to true to oneself. The author has represented the struggle of Roark as the triumph of individualism against collectivism. Roark in his final speech denounced Toohey’s ideas which were destroying excellence and promote altruism as the ultimate goal.
The book is one gem if one wants to exercise his mind and if a person wants to understand the deep psychology of various people. The plot sometimes becomes too lengthy and seems to drag at points. But, when one finishes the novel, even those random pieces seem to fall in place like a puzzle being solved. The book though written in 1943 is bestseller for all these decades because of its universal and intellectual theme which is true in any society, any era and any circumstance.
PS:- A must read if Dan Brown and Jeffrey Archer are among your favourites.
PS:- Please don’t read this book if the only book you have read is Chetan Bhagat’s.
