The Fountainhead (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

~ Andrew Bernstein (Author) "Ayn Rand was born Alisa Rosenbaum in 1905 in St. Petersburg, Russia..." (more)
Key Phrases: collectivist dictatorship, vulgar tabloids, mediocre architect, Ayn Rand, Howard Roark, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The novel that made Ayn Rand famous, The Fountainhead is perceived as a modern classic. Taking place in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s, it chronicles the efforts of architect Howard Roark to achieve success on his own terms. It is Rand's first book to carry forth her anti-communist ideals, that individuals should think and believe independently and not allow their lives or careers to be dominated in any way by the beliefs of others. And as Roark's designs create a rub against the acceptable styles of the day, he continually is faced with selling out to the masses. But continually he refuses, and his career becomes one marked by his capacity to hold fast to his own intellectual and artistic innovation.

From the Back Cover

39 New and Revised Titles. The Best Just Got Better! Plus Glossary from Webster's new world™ Dictionary Anthem Atlas Shrugged Beowulf Brave New World The Canterbury Tales The Catcher in the Rye The Contender The Crucible The Fountainhead Frankenstein The Grapes of Wrath Great Expectations The Great Gatsby Hamlet Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer Huckleberry Finn The Iliad Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Inherit the Wind Jane Eyre Julius Caesar The Killer Angels King Lear The Lord of the Flies Macbeth 1984 The Odyssey The Oedipus Trilogy The Once and Future King Othello The Outsiders Pride and Prejudice The Red Badge of Courage Romeo and Juliet The Scarlet Letter A Separate Peace A Tale of Two Cities To Kill a Mockingbird Wuthering Heights See inside for the complete line-up of available CliffsNotes! Check Out the All-New CliffsNotes Guides To AOL®, iMacs™, eBay®, Windows® 98, Investing, Creating Web Pages, and more! More Than Notes! CliffsComplete™ CliffsTestPrep™ CliffsQuickReview™ CliffsAP™ Over 300 CliffsNotes Available @ cliffsnotes.com Downloadable 24 hours a day Free daily e-mail newsletters Free tips, tricks, and trivia Free online CliffsNotes catalog Free self-assessment tools Freeware and shareware downloads

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Cliffs Notes (June 20, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764585584
• ISBN-13: 978-0764585586
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #113,228 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A huge surprise, July 18, 2000

By	Michael Raveling (St. Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have read the Fountainhead many times and I was pleasantly surprised by this cliffs notes summary and analysis of the book. It includes a short biography of Ayn Rand but the bulk of the book is spent on detailed going over of Ayn Rand's plot, theme, and characters. It is fascinating to read an intelligent analysis of the characters I love. The gems of the book are the two critical essays; The Literary Integration of the Fountainhead and Ayn Rands Writing Style. This book is written by an Objectivist author and is definately worth buying.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful, December 27, 2002

By	"rickzuma" (New York City) - See all my reviews

Bernstein clears up many misunderstandings or deliberate distortions by unsympathetic critics. Rand's style of writing may be jarring to those who prefer Naturalism. It is worth reading or re-reading Rand with a guide and/or commentary. However, don't deprive yourself of the experience of entering and immersing yourself in Rand's world, which requires reading the novel. Use the guide sparingly as clarification is needed. Unfortunately, Bernstein sometimes refers to future events in chapters not yet read - be forewarned.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Penetrating Insight, November 19, 2007

By	Ronald W. Satz (Trevose, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bernstein provides a penetrating insight to this brilliant novel of ideas. Included are: a brief synopsis, a list of characters, a character map, critical commentaries on each of the four parts (with glossaries of important terms), detailed analyses of the major and minor characters, and an essay on Ayn Rand's writing style. There are even review questions, essay questions, and practice projects. The only complaint I have is that Bernstein doesn't describe the differences between the novel and the movie script--and there are differences. In some respects, Objectivist philosophy is an outgrowth of (and considerable improvement over) Nietzsche's philosophy. Bernstein points out on p. 59 that Rand kept a quote from Nietzsch at the head of her manuscript which says that there is "some fundamental certainty that a noble soul has about itself, something which is not to be sought, is not to be found, and perhaps also, is not to be lost."