Book Bearings
Cover of The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

The Fountainhead

Ayn Rand

  • 724 pages · about 12 hours
  • First published 1943
  • 61 editions
Buy on Bookshop.orgView on Open Library

Bookshop.org links may earn us a commission. It supports independent bookstores and costs you nothing.

1 About this book

The Fountainhead is a 1943 novel by Russian-born American author Ayn Rand, her first major literary success. The novel's protagonist, Howard Roark, is an intransigent young architect who battles against conventional standards and refuses to compromise with an architectural establishment unwilling to accept innovation. Roark embodies what Rand believed to be the ideal man, and his struggle reflects Rand's belief that individualism is superior to collectivism.

Roark is opposed by what he calls "second-handers", who value conformity over independence and integrity. These include Roark's former classmate, Peter Keating, who succeeds by following popular styles, but turns to Roark for help with design problems. Ellsworth Toohey, a socialist architecture critic who uses his influence to promote his political and social agenda, tries to destroy Roark's career.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Good for readers who want: a love story and a long read.

  • Relationships
  • Psychology
  • Romance
  • Architects
  • Philosophical literature
  • Didactic fiction

2 About Ayn Rand

1905–1982

Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; February 2 [O.S. January 20], 1905 – March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand , was a Russian-American writer and philosopher. She is known for her fiction and for developing a philosophical system which she named Objectivism. Born and educated in Russia, she moved to the United States in 1926.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

3 More by Ayn Rand

4 Similar books

Find a book that fits your moment