Is it worth reading... Ayn Rand's "the Fountainhead" What have I gotten myself into?

Question

I just started reading this book. Like I sometimes do, I chose it because i'd heard of it a few times and that its one of those 'must reads' ,and picked it up spontaneously.

I've also recently heard that Ayn Rand is a crazy *** bltch, Her philosophy is insulting to almost everybody, and disturbing, and that Laura *******-wack-job Schlessinger is a huge follower.(that last part is enough to make me not want to read it anymore) I have also been told that the only people who like Ayn Rand are 16 year olds and assholes.

For anyone that has read it, Is it really as distasteful as some say? Is she really a rape apologist?
OR are some people who recommended strongly against it making a big deal out of nothing?
Tell me if you agree or disagree with her philosophy and is it at least a good read> will I be entertained?

I dunno, I'll probably read It anyway, I don't want to be defeated by a book (or waste my 10 dollars)
No matter what I think I'll still want to see for myself.
I'm just really curious what others think. The book seemed to be very controversial. I wonder what I'm in for.

Answer 1

Well, darling, I read some Ayn Rand when I was 16, and even back then, I wasn't a big enough asshole to like it. I thought her ideas were pretty appalling - cold, selfish, brutal, and kind of nauseating. I also found her writing to be so obviously self-impressed that I found it quite off-putting.



It reminded me of those psychology experiments where they compare the attachment of baby monkeys fed by cuddly and soft stuffed animals with that of poor little baby monkeys "raised" by figures made of wire. Her writing was the wire figure...not approachable, not engaging, not in anyway remarkable - just kind of dull and strident at the same time.



I think you should read it, but I have to say that I didn't exactly enjoy it - more like I endured it, just to get to the end and see if anything changed (it did not).



On the plus side, it was the first time I was really aware of how much an author's philosophy influences the whole work.



(((Cloots)))

Answer 2

I didn't read Fountainhead, but I did recently read Atlas Shrugged. I am a very well read person, and I am just about the opposite of a right wing trickle down economic tax slashing conservative, but I really enjoyed the book, and the ideas where fresh and interesting to me on some levels. I didn't sit and try to pick them apart and show how they were wrong as I read it like some of the contributors below ( if they did read the book) but rather tried to understand it and then critiqued it after finishing. There are plenty of places that I disagree profoundly with her philosophy, but there are also a few ideas that I respect a lot and have integrated into my worldview. The writing wasn't particularly brilliant, but the story telling was fantastic and besides for a few overly long rants it was highly enjoyable to read.



Conclusion, there is no way it would be a waste of your time unless you are the type that gets upset when people have values different than yours. If you are the type that can respect ideas that are different from your own then I would really recommend reading some Ayn Rand. Best case scenario you like it; worst case it will help you understand 16 year olds/assholes/Schlessinger/and others you've head bad things about :)

Answer 3

Your misgivings about Rand are well founded. She's a shallow thinker and an incredibly bad writer. Her characters are cardboard cutouts with no real human depth and complexity.



If you read her crappy novel all the way through, fine. You'll know first-hand how bad she is. If you toss it aside unread, you needn't feel that that you've been defeated. Instead, you can congratulate yourself on deciding not to waste your time on a writer who isn't smart enough or talented enough to merit your attention.

Answer 4

Ayn Rand is a total crock of sh*t. Atlas Shrugged sucked balls and so did everything else she wrote, she only gets credit in modern society because a group of morons believe her writings are a metaphor for modern issues.

Answer 5

truth always hits u hard ... her English was beginner level in fountainhead so it like an apple pie with chilly hidden in it(when u read its simple when u analyze u blow ur mind away)