The Fountainhead

        I've been reading this book for the past two days now and it's really quite riveting. The Fountainhead is so different from the other books I've read because the author has come up with her own philosophy that has a clever logic to it. The whole idea of men living for themselves, men that surpass convention and success with innovation, with their creative thought and individuality. The book's protagonist Howard Roarke is developed so explicitly and with a complexity that only pushes us to rejoice in all his achievements. Roarke is an aspiring young architect that struggles to make big in a society where fresh and absolute new talent is met with scorn. People refuse to acknowledge those who create new standards, those who don't built upon what's already been done. Throughout the novel Roarke is denied the right to thrive as a modern architect because of the passion he feels for his work and his innocent selfishness. Roarke has concrete principles that are consistent throughout the story, and is inability to compromise for the sake of pleasing others is quite understandable when one sees his reasoning. Ayn Rand has created a diverse set of characters raging from the self-assured and unrelenting. As well as the insecure who depend on praise and feel the need to be put on a pedestal to be assured of their self-worth (cough cough* Peter Keating). Then there's Dominique Francon, a beautiful woman who astounds and chagrins others with her stark sincerity and her way of thinking.Dominique and Roarke are have parallel ways of thinking which consequently leads to their ambivalent relationship. I call them the perfect match. Society finds it expedient to have Roarke beg for absolution for not conforming, when really his blatant and polite indifference serves as a virtue for his character. I love the fact that Roarke's character is so austere and unyielding, he holds true to one of the many quotes I liked from the book, " An honest man, had to be of one piece and one faith; what constituted the life source, the idea in any existing thing or creature, and why- if one smallest part committed treason to that idea- the thing of the creature was dead". His character denounces all communist and altruist principles, for they are characteristics of the second-hander, not the fountainhead.
    I'd recommend this book to the truly open minded reader, due some ideals of the author has manifested through her characters that could be met with grim expressions or strong objections. Quite brilliantly written if  I do say so myself.