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The Fountainhead

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About this listen

 The Fountainhead studies the conflict between artistic genius and social convention, a theme Ayn Rand later developed into the idealistic philosophy knows as Objectivism. Rand's hero is Howard Roark, a brilliant young architect who won't compromise his integrity, especially in the unconventional buildings he designs. Roark is engaged in ideological warfare with a society that despises him, an architectural community that doesn't understand him, and a woman who loves him but wants to destroy him. His struggle raises questions about society's attitude toward revolutionaries. Since this book's publication in 1943, Rand's controversial ideas have made her one of the best-selling authors of all time.©1943 The Bobbs-Merrill Company, renewed 1971 Ayn Rand (P)1994 Penguin-HighBridge Audio Classics Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Science Politics & Government Fiction

What the critics say

"Ayn Rand is a writer of great power. She has a subtle and ingenious mind and the capacity of writing brilliantly, beautifully, bitterly." (The New York Times)
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I loved Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, so had been looking forward to The Fountainhead for some time. It was excellent. The narration was great and matched the tone of the book perfectly. I dozed off during a plot twist about 3/4 of the way through, so may come back and relisten, to make sure I haven’t missed anything.

Excellent

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I chose this version because its read by Edward Herrmann, who did an incredible job. it is disappointing that it's abridged, a lot of the story is lost, but Herrmann makes it worth it.

Perfect narration

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I'm not one for leaving a commentary of praise, typically I leave a 5 star if the subject is of interest and well done, but something about both the presentation and the book itself caused me to want to leave a bit of me behind, which I must say feels almost out of character if one was to think modeled after Howard Rourke.
The book itself causes one to begin to question both their place in the world and their purpose. To never compromise for anyone or anything is truly a mark of real character. So during the tumultuous times of early 2025, world events unfolding as they are, belief in self and one's purpose is more important than ever. This book was well timed in my life, as all works of creation which strike an audience upon the moment of discovery, a something new, but had always existed both within and beyond the individual.
long story short, great book.

A Fantastic Creation

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