FountainHead- novel by Ayn Rand

Published in 1943, the story is relevant even today having mantras which our modern day Gurus recite

A few days back there was a competition announced by Times of India, Bangalore edition. It wanted the book worms to tell about the tastiest book they had gorged on---oops no sorry, it was about the best book the readers had read and found gripping, life changing, enlightenining, unputdownable .

I sent my entry but did not make it even in the top fifty but I feel that the book I love to read again and again is really a book which is Book worm within me gorges on books. Having read many books which are gripping, life changing, enlightenining, unputdownable, including Heidi, Little Women, Papilon I still feel these adjectives were specially created for FOUNTAINHEAD by Ayn Rand's. Published in 1943, the story is relevant even today having mantras which our modern day Gurus recite. "We are poisoned by the superstition of the ego. We must destroy the ego first... Only when you learn to deny your ego, completely, only when you learn to be amused by such piddling sentimentalities as your little sex urges-only then will you achieve the greatness.

I love calling this book as " Mavericks Bible" when suggesting someone to read it.

In passionate defense of individualism , the novel presents an exalted view of man's individual creative potential. "Independence is the only gauge of human virtue and value...There is no substitute for personal dignity."

Individualistic and idealistic architect Howard Roark the central charecter of the book is expelled for his designs which fail to fit with existing architectural thinking. Seemingly unemployable he lands a job with like-minded Henry Cameron, who drinks himself to death, warning Roark that the same fate awaits unless he compromises his ideals." May God bless you-. You're on your way into hell, Howard."

Roark is determined to retain his artistic integrity at all costs. "Sometimes, he was asked to show his sketches; he extended them ... feeling a contraction of shame in the muscles of his hand; it was like having the clothes torn off his body...and the shame was that it was exposed to indifferent eyes",

Inapt schoolmate Peter Keating’s ability to flatter and please brings him instant success yet he feels empty..."he did not care so long as his clients were impressed, the clients did not care so long as their guests were impressed, and the guests did not care... Don’t allow men to be happy. Happiness is self-contained, self-sufficient. Happy men have no time and no use for you... kill their joy in living."

Insecure Keating instigates Roark’s social indictment. At the trial, "they were not faces but only empty ovals of flesh " Doomed Roark extols the value of selfishness and the need to remain true to oneself describing the triumphant role of creators and the price they paid at the hands of corrupt societies. Jury’s verdict-not guilty.

Vindicated, Roark designs a skyscraper testifying to the supremacy of man. "When I look at the ocean...I think of man's magnificent capacity that created this ship to conquer all that space".

Read it and you will thank god for making you literate... read it to take a journey within yourself...and the most read it to understand what it means by masterpiece a magnum opus.

Some day we will talk about "theory of Objectivism" as coined by Ayn Rand.