The fountainhead

My ex-colleague and a good friend Hariprasad has given me the book that I have been intending to read from a very long time. That book is "The fountainhead" by Ayn Rand.

This book is one of the finest books written by anyone. This book should be read by everyone who is an egotist (like me. In fact like many people I know). 

This book deals mainly with 5 people. 

1. Howard Roark : The protagonist. The best a man could be. He lives by his own terms in both his personal and professional lives. Actually, they aren't that different to him. 
2. Peter Keating :  Loser all the time. He copies the work of Roark to grow in his career. Ultimately loses everything both professionally and personally.
3. Gail Wyanand : Dear friend of Roark. A total contrasting personality compared to Roark. But Roark loves him, almost equal to Dominique Francon
4. Dominique Francon : Love of his life for Roark. A woman for a man like Roark (I have read this sentence somewhere. Forgot where). She marries Peter Keating and then Gail Wyanand. Only towards the last of the novel does she marry Roark
5. Ellsworth Monton Toohey : The antagonist. You wouldn't feel him to be a standard antagonist. His aims are common. Ways are totally different.

This novel isn't just a story. In many places, Ayn Rand tries to talk philosophy. Many things have an importance much later in the book. However, it sometimes gets little dragging. The same book for about 75-100 pages less would have been much more fast paced. Of course, this is my thinking (Isn't this my blog??).

The book might have been much more interesting if there were pictures that show the exact nature of the buildings which Roark has built like the Enright house, Cortlandt housing project, Wyanand towers and Wyanand's home at Connecticut. I am neither and architect nor a critique of architecture like Ellsworth to understand how each house is built.

If it were that I had an interaction with Ayn Rand (of course, she passed away more than a month away before I was even born), I would have asked her to have a book that's illustrated with all the buildings mentioned in the book (not just that of Roark).

Overall, this book gave me a satisfaction that I have indeed read a very good book. It was totally worth spending my time reading this book. I should thank Hari who has gifted me this book as a farewell gift. Another advantage (on a side line) of reading this book in public is that people think that you are an intellectual (which helps!!!).

If you are in a stage where you are deciding to read this book or not, don't think. Just go read the book. If I have to talk the way Roark does: If you have that question, you aren't fit to read the book. But I am not Roark. So, I recommend (very strongly, though) reading this book.