Fountainhead

Her first major literary success, Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead is an exalted view of her Objectivist philosophy, portraying a visionary artist struggling against the dull, conformist dogma of his peers. It is a book of ambition, power, gold, and love, published in Penguin Modern Classics.

The Story

Architect Howard Roark is as unyielding as the granite he blasts to build with. Defying the conventions of the world around him, he embraces a battle spanning two decades against a double-dealing crew of rivals who will stop at nothing to bring him down.

These rivals include, perhaps most troublesome of all, the ambitious Dominique Francon, who may just prove to be Roark's equal. This epic story of money, power, and a man's struggle to succeed on his own terms is a paean to individualism and humanity's creative potential.

A Philosophical Triumph

First published in 1943, The Fountainhead introduced millions to Rand's philosophy of Objectivism:

• An uncompromising defense of self-interest as the engine of progress.
• A jubilant celebration of man's creative potential.

About the Author

Ayn Rand (1905-1982), born Alisa Rosenbaum in St. Petersburg, Russia, emigrated to America with her family in January 1926, never to return to her native land.

• Her novel The Fountainhead was published in 1943 and eventually became a bestseller.
• In 1951, still occasionally working as a screenwriter, Rand moved to New York City.
• She published Atlas Shrugged in 1957.

Her novels espoused what came to be called Objectivism, a philosophy that champions capitalism and the pre-eminence of the individual.