NewThe Fountainhead
A Visionary Architect’s Battle for Integrity
by Ayn RandNovelPhilosophical FictionModernist Fiction
The Fountainhead
Originally in English1943
59 chapters1,250 pages23h read
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About This Book
The Fountainhead plunges readers into the bold world of Howard Roark, an uncompromising architect whose radical designs defy convention and ignite controversy. Set amidst New York’s soaring skyscrapers and smoky newsrooms, Roark’s journey unfolds in stark opposition to a society demanding conformity. With vivid prose and dramatic moral clashes, Ayn Rand explores the fierce struggle between creative individualism and the pressures of collective approval. Through dazzling cityscapes and unforgettable characters, this philosophical epic invites you to witness one man’s fight to shape his destiny—no matter the cost.
Characters
View all 211 charactersAbout the Author
Ayn Rand
1905–1982
Ayn Rand (1905–1982) was a Russian-American writer and philosopher born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum in St. Petersburg, Russia. She witnessed the Russian Revolution before emigrating to the United States in 1926. Rand studied history at Petrograd State University and briefly attended the State Institute for Cinematography. After arriving in America, she worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood before turning to fiction. Overcoming initial financial hardships, Rand established herself as a novelist and thinker, marrying actor Frank O'Connor in 1929 and becoming a U.S. citizen in 1931.
Places and Terms in this Book
New York— A major city, home to Guy Francon's firm and where Howard Roark plans to seek employment.
Enright House— A proposed new type of residential development—an apartment building with isolated units—commissioned by Roger Enright.
Connecticut— The U.S. state where Guy Francon owns a thriving quarry of gray granite, which he prefers to use in his building designs.
Cosmo-Slotnick Building— A proposed skyscraper in New York for Cosmo-Slotnick Pictures, intended to house a motion-picture theater and offices, subject of a world-wide architectural competition.
Stoddard Temple— A small building of gray limestone designed by Howard Roark for Hopton Stoddard, intended to celebrate the human spirit.
Banner— A publication where Guy Francon's daughter writes a column on home decoration.
Vocabulary
penthouse— A luxurious apartment or dwelling located on the top floor of a tall building.
preposterous— Utterly absurd or ridiculous.
bromide— A trite, unoriginal, or soothing remark or idea, often used to calm or placate.
girders— A large iron or steel beam or compound structure used for building bridges and the framework of large buildings.
masthead— The title of a newspaper or magazine, typically at the top of the first or editorial page.
pilasters— Flat, rectangular columns projecting slightly from a wall, serving as decorative architectural elements.
