I only accept books as birthday presents, so way back in 2015, my boyfriend gifted me ‘The Perks of Being A Wallflower’ by Stephen Chbosky (it was the first book he gave me, so it’s special). Anyway, it is from that very book that I first learnt about ‘The Fountainhead’ by Ayn Rand. But I was oblivious to the magnificence of this masterpiece. (Yes, masterpiece. You heard me right!)

Three years later when I finally got hold of the book, I grimaced at the size and the small font of the book, but once you start it, you just cannot stop. It would be like you are in a trance and you would end up finishing the book in the shortest time possible. The theme, the plot, the five characters, and their growth throughout the story-line along with Ayn Rand’s excellent writing craftsmanship make it a story that will remain with the reader forever.

“Civilization is the process of setting man free from men.”

The Fountainhead

‘The Fountainhead’ is a story of desperate struggle and survival of the free and creative mind against the society, and common beliefs and ideology. It is a story of love, lust, greed, power, betrayal, and ultimately Life. It’s the story of denunciation by an enraged society with pre-fixed ideas against a brilliant creator. It is also the story revolving around the lives of a young architect, Howard Roark, whose integrity is as strong as iron, and Dominique Francon, a most desired woman who loves Roark passionately but still ends up marrying his worst enemy.

“But you see,” said Roark quietly, “I have, let’s say, sixty years to live. Most of that time will be spent working. I’ve chosen the work I want to do. If I find no joy in it, then I’m only condemning myself to sixty years of torture. And I can find the joy only if I do my work in the best way possible to me. But the best is a matter of standards—and I set my own standards. I inherit nothing. I stand at the end of no tradition. I may, perhaps, stand at the beginning of one.”

The Fountainhead

End Verdict

‘The Fountainhead’ made me re-evaluate my moral principles and also altered them to a great extent. It made me realise that we can be as great as we want to be and achieve everything we have ever wanted to achieve. All in all, it’s an excellent book!

Recommendation: I would recommend people to definitely read this masterpiece and gift it too! (As I said books are the best gifts ever!)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Buy the book on Amazon: Link

Review By:

Pratyasha Bhowal
Junior Research Fellow
Department of Biotechnology & Dr B.C.Guha Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Calcutta
Kolkata, India.

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