Book Review

The Fountainhead

"The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand is an interesting book that revolves around the life of Howard Roark, an architect. This book summarizes so many topics like architecture. modernism, collectivism. objectivism, independence, patriarchy, money, love, principles, friendship and so many more. It's a fictional story with imaginary characters but somewhere down 200 pages you start living it. Contains too many spoilers so if you don't want the story ruined, come back when you've read the book.

We were assigned to read this book otherwise I wouldn't have come across this book. The book is very thick. It has around 700 pages. Who in the right mind will read this, right? but it was assigned to us and I read it, willingly or not. 

It's a great book to read whether you're studying architecture or not. It's a journey about an architect who only wants to play according to his rules. The book enlightens all the ordeal he faces. All that an architect has to go through while working. It gives an insight on life outside college, in the real world, with real ball busting problems and how one deals with it. 

There are 5 main characters - Howard Roark, Peter Keating, Ellsworth Toohey, Dominique Francon and Gail Wynand. Every character symbolizes something and plays a very important role in Howard's life. Every character brings a new challenge and new aspects to his life. It is so fascinating to read about his relations with each and every one of them. The book explains not only work relations but also love affairs and how they affect him professionally. 

Peter Keating- 

Exact opposite to Howard Roark, while Howard chooses to work by his own rules. Peter works only for money and will produce any kind of shit to make his clients happy. He works to impress. His story starts great with him being liked by everyone, being the college scholar and then also lands a good job at a well established firm. At the start of the book, he is living the best life any architecture student can imagine. He has no principle and I don't say this because I absolutely hate him but he does very questionable things to get better position at his office. He is good at foul play like a Hindi serial's evil aunty. He has no style, no preferences, he will do whatever the client wants. He somewhere down the line realizes that he has no skill when it comes to architecture, he is only good at doing what is been told to him. There are times when he presents Howard's drawings as his own because he cannot think of good designs and then still gloats to Howard when he is doing good because of those drawings. He promises a girl to marry and then marries another girl the previous night. I'm reasonable to hate him. He starts good but then his story ends very tragically when eventually people start noticing that he actually has nothing to offer. Just shows that being teacher's pet or client's pet will only take you this far. 

Ellsworth Toohey-

The drama this character has added to the book, oh my god. He is the aunt who will check on you only to later gossip about it in her kitty party. His character starts as goody two shoes. He is a writer, he donates often, has multiple organizations to help out people, is a motivational speaker, takes care of his orphan niece, and does all the nice things you can think of. He knows everything about everyone. He holds a very high place in society and that's why he becomes a threat when he starts expressing his opinions about Howard. He doesn't like Howard Roark because Howard wants to do something out of the box and that goes against Toohey's policy to only follow what our ancestors did, he thinks whatever good was to come already did, whatever masterpiece was to be created already has been created by our previous generations so we should just follow/copy them. Therefore, Toohey is always bad mouthing Howard and his modern structure for not looking like Parthenon in the articles he writes but Howard doesn't gives a single F. By the end of story, you get to see his true colors, he is a very evil person with such diabolical plans for society. Basically, he wants to rule the world like Dr. Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb but at least Dr. Doofenshmirtz is funny.

Dominique Francon-

The girl who stole Howard's heart. The girl who fell in love with Howard's structures even before she knew Howard. She stands for so much more than just being Howard's love affair. She resents human beings generally who don't live up to her standards. She is an extremely beautiful independent lady. She made her own career and lives by herself. She isn't scared to share her opinions. She is of very unsound but practical mind and strongly believes that corrupt will always win over good. She is scared to like anything because she knows that this world will destroy it sooner or later.. That's why at first when she falls in love with Howard she tries to destroy him herself rather than watch him being destroyed by the world but watch Howard survive that gives her hope that he can survive this oh so cruel world and then marries him after marrying, Peter Keating and Gail Wynand in this order. A little complicated but who is not. 

Gail Wynand-

    Wynand is a very powerful man. He is the publisher and owner of 'The Banner', a very famous newsletter. He was born in slums and no matter what life threw at him, he fought and a made a great career for himself all on his own. Even though he has all the luxury one can afford, he isn't happy. He doesn't loves anything until Dominique walks into his life. The only 3 things Wynand loves are 'Dominique', 'Howard', 'Howard's structures'. Wynand hires Howard to build his dream house. Wynand comes across Howard when he sees one of Howard's building and immediately falls in love with it, by this you can tell what great taste in art Wynand had. He even owns his personal gallery where all his favorite art was stashed and no one was allowed entry except Dominique. We get to witness a great friendship between Wynand and Howard which turns south when Dominique divorces Wynand and marries Howard. He is the most powerful person in town, has exquisite taste in art, has no tolerance for bullshit, is good at heart and it's very tragic when you see him fall at end due to his own mistakes. 

Howard Roark-

The protagonist of this story. Famously mistaken as selfish snob, he is anything but that. He has very strong principles and he breaks them for no one. He is so talented when it comes to architecture. His story doesn't starts great where he is thrown out of his college because he denies to work like previous generations. He doesn't wants to copy paste the works of history but he wants  to create something new and he gets a lot of hate for that. Then, he doesn't works in a well established firm like Peter but he works for his favorite architect who isn't doing so good. No matter the condition, he still works there and that architect turns out to be the best mentor he could ask for. Howard wants to evolve, he doesn't wants to be tied or restricted by the standards that our previous generations set for us. Which I totally respect because they didn't have the same material available for them that we do now, they didn't have the same technology that we do now, if our previous generation respected their previous generation and so on, we'd still be living in caves but no someone somewhere started using hay then clay then stone then concrete then bricks and it keeps evolving and Howard wanted to evolve, he wanted to bring Modernism into structures but the society wasn't ready for that yet. Howard has simple rules when it comes to working, that is I will design the building the best I can but there will be no changes done by anyone else, not even the client, my design will come to life the way I draw it. I wouldn't allow that if my architect demanded this but Howard's work talks for itself, whatever he designs is perfect and there is no need for any changes so yes, if my architect was Howard I'll willingly allow him to do whatever he wants. He doesn't gets much work at first but then after his first house, people start noticing him, he brings a new air into the town, a fresh air. Most people refrain from hiring him but people with same mindset as him hire him, he gives them his best work. All his structures are heavenly stunning, he choses functionality over aesthetic, his structures have plenty natural lighting and good ventilation and everything a functioning building demands but that doesn't mean his buildings don't look good, they look like magnificent canvases put in a chaotic backdrop. He makes such good friends throughout the book, friends that stick with him through the hardest possible situation and he goes through every hardest possible situation. His character development is so vivid. He falls in love with the most beautiful girl in town and the book that starts as a shit show for him ends as a fairy tale.

Personal Note- 

You have to read it once, for the dramatic and enlighting story. The quotes in this books gives you chills, there are paragraphs written so beautifully, makes you teleport in the book. At the same time some paragraphs make you question your own life decisions. It is so much more than about architecture. Wouldn't suggest for light reading but when you have enough time to complete a thick book, go for this. It will change your perspective on so many things, especially for someone who is still figuring their career out, this is the best book you can read. 

By Isha Mutha

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