Most B-schoolers discover Ayn Rand classic during their MBA preparations. In fact it is probably a matter of prestige for B-schoolers to have 'The Fountainhead' as their favorite book. But I have met quite a few people who call 'The Foutainhead' their favorite just because everyone else does so. By doing so they go against the very philosophy that this book tries to teach. Such people are the living copy of the character - 'Peter Keating'.
Relievingly, I have found many people who have a mind of their own and do not feel ashamed to confess that they either do not understand Rand or the book itself is complete bullshit! I just completed my 3rd reading of the book. I had failed to complete it 2 times and had to restart every time. After completing the book I felt that the core of the book is the testimony given by Howard Roark (the protagonist of the story) in the court at the end of the story. However, Roark's (or rather Ayn Rand's) ideas are so fundamentally challenging to the dogmas of the society that Ayn Rand had to create a story filled with extremely unnatural characters to explain it.
This is one reason why many people start reading the book but give up in the middle finding the story too absurd or extreme. I myself came very close to being one of such people and know at least two of them. I think that such people can read the above mentioned speech and try to understand the concept presented here. I had earlier pasted the text of the speech on my blog but it was too long to be posted here. So I have made good use of my Yahoo! ID which works on all Yahoo! affiliates like geocities by creating a webpage dedicated to Howard Roark's Testimony.
Relievingly, I have found many people who have a mind of their own and do not feel ashamed to confess that they either do not understand Rand or the book itself is complete bullshit! I just completed my 3rd reading of the book. I had failed to complete it 2 times and had to restart every time. After completing the book I felt that the core of the book is the testimony given by Howard Roark (the protagonist of the story) in the court at the end of the story. However, Roark's (or rather Ayn Rand's) ideas are so fundamentally challenging to the dogmas of the society that Ayn Rand had to create a story filled with extremely unnatural characters to explain it.
This is one reason why many people start reading the book but give up in the middle finding the story too absurd or extreme. I myself came very close to being one of such people and know at least two of them. I think that such people can read the above mentioned speech and try to understand the concept presented here. I had earlier pasted the text of the speech on my blog but it was too long to be posted here. So I have made good use of my Yahoo! ID which works on all Yahoo! affiliates like geocities by creating a webpage dedicated to Howard Roark's Testimony.
Hmmm ...Fountainhead....
ReplyDeleteWell, i think it is one of those books which you can love or hate but you cant ignore.
Personally, when i completed this book (all in one and a half days),I was totally shaken. That does not mean i agreed with Roark, but then his views had a profound effect which seemed like negative at that time on me.
However it has led me to retrospect and develop something of my own ....something that works for me :)
Thats it dude! "develop something of my own ....something that works for me" - I guess Ayn Rand was sucessful in getting her message across to you!!
ReplyDeletei read atlas shrugged before fountainhead... though i liked the philosophy, i found it a bit impractical ... however, both the novel did inspired the creative instinct within me! ;)
ReplyDeleteganesh rightly said - u love it or hate it... but can't ignore it!!!
if you had (or will paste) pasted any part of the book without any prior approval from the author (here, her sucessor, or whoever has the legal right to decide eitherways), you didn't have the right to do that. But the main thing is - that if you did/ even thought of doing so - you have not understood what Rand communicated in her masterpiece - or you understood and yet ignored to acknowledge it - if you are the latter - then you are more evil than the former
ReplyDeleteAs you are a fan of Ayn Rand, We are pleased to announce a special screening of the film "We The Living", and Live interaction with the producer Duncan Scott at 3 p.m. on Saturday, 21 August 2010, at the NCUI Auditorium in Delhi.
ReplyDeleteThe detailed program for the evening is as follows:
Venue: Committee Room Alpha, National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI),
3 Siri Fort Institutional Area, August Kranti Marg, New Delhi 110016
Date and Time: 21 August 2010, 3 pm
RSVP:
Liberty Institute, New Delhi
Tel: +91-11-28031309, Email: info@AynRand.in
http://aynrandindia.blogspot.com/2010/08/special-event-screening-of-ayn-rands-we.html