Scan barcode
readingoverbreathing's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Even after two books and over 2,000 pages in the span of a few months, I really have a hard time articulating what it is that gets me going with Ayn Rand's work. So much of it is about industry, about capitalism, about human nature and human genius. These are not themes which would usually appeal to me. But Rand has an extraordinary talent for master storytelling on the deepest possible level, for creating characters that, despite the archetypal roles they occupy, are somehow so vivid and real. There is such a sense of atmosphere in each and every scene she creates here, from Peter Keating's living room to the edge of the Francon quarry. If I envisioned Atlas Shrugged unfolding like an Edward Hopper painting, this book I imagined against the backdrop of the works of Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, all sweeping lines and sensible design.
The Fountainhead was not nearly at the scale of Atlas Shrugged, but I found I enjoyed the confines of the New York setting and the opportunity to see Rand's skill for storytelling on a more insular level. Dominique and Howard are not unlike Dagny and Hank (same initials even?), nor is their battle against the mainstream that dissimilar, but I found I didn't at all mind these and the other parallels that I picked up on as this book unfolded.
I will say that my primary frustration with this book was that, unlike in Atlas, Dominique and Howard actively self-sabotage in a way that was honestly just exhausting. The principles and the philosophy that hindered them from their own happiness and success were unnecessarily moralistic and just a bit much. That is, I suppose, how Rand's overall message could best be characterized; it was for this same reason that I couldn't bring myself to award Atlas 5 stars, despite how much I loved it.
Overall, however, this is the kind of book that really sticks with you, that you will continue thinking about, that you know even while reading it that you will keep thinking about for a long time to come. After this experience — and an experience is surely is — I think I can definitely count Ayn Rand as one of my new favorite writers.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Drug use
More...