The Pre-Loved edit from Shopbop
Add Prime to get Fast, Free delivery
Amazon prime logo
Buy new:
-18% $9.89
FREE delivery Monday, December 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$9.89 with 18 percent savings
List Price: $11.99
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Monday, December 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tomorrow, November 27. Order within 15 hrs 38 mins.
In Stock
$$9.89 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$9.89
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Returnable until Jan 31, 2025
Returnable until Jan 31, 2025
For the 2024 holiday season, eligible items purchased between November 1 and December 31, 2024 can be returned until January 31, 2025.
Read full return policy
Returns
Returnable until Jan 31, 2025
For the 2024 holiday season, eligible items purchased between November 1 and December 31, 2024 can be returned until January 31, 2025.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$1.49
This is a paper back book: Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may be missing bundled media. This is a paper back book: Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may be missing bundled media. See less
$3.99 delivery December 5 - 11. Details
Or fastest delivery November 29 - December 4. Details
Only 5 left in stock - order soon.
$$9.89 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$9.89
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by Clickgoodwill.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Ayn Rand
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Fountainhead Mass Market Paperback – September 1, 1996

by Ayn Rand (Author), Leonard Peikoff (Afterword)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 11,241 ratings
See all formats and editions
Get 3 for the price of 2 Shop items
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$9.89","priceAmount":9.89,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"89","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"qQCPIqWRurznZ6ptaTM6HzwZCx0h49Y6dQz4N2TpPlNA6MpFntaLMkbBYabGSTwzhJyHBguWyFFdVheKLFioBJBiC8IZUXTHrtVU%2F%2FKwh9CPA3e%2BNmeVTnwryHX09i8qAY8DpXaPfy8%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$1.49","priceAmount":1.49,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"1","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"49","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"qQCPIqWRurznZ6ptaTM6HzwZCx0h49Y6gyl1H6288G6p05gcX%2BesiclXyphM4zfauNcM3qpJAFWmz05hQ%2FCGe64Xz1S%2Bs%2FfZqRbbF8HCz1ctq%2BsM9v%2Br6Jivga8kCTzOeTPnkkIhHdy9rPbg3X3PD11KpNQikAxwNuFYOdP0RtC2vq3NBRfwFA%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

The revolutionary literary vision that sowed the seeds of Objectivism, Ayn Rand's groundbreaking philosophy, and brought her immediate worldwide acclaim.

This modern classic is the story of intransigent young architect Howard Roark, whose integrity was as unyielding as granite...of Dominique Francon, the exquisitely beautiful woman who loved Roark passionately, but married his worst enemy...and of the fanatic denunciation unleashed by an enraged society against a great creator. As fresh today as it was then, Rand’s provocative novel presents one of the most challenging ideas in all of fiction—that man’s ego is the fountainhead of human progress...

“A writer of great power. She has a subtle and ingenious mind and the capacity of writing brilliantly, beautifully, bitterly...This is the only novel of ideas written by an American woman that I can recall.”—The New York Times
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    720 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Signet
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 1996
  5. Dimensions
    4.19 x 1.43 x 6.88 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0451191153
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0451191151
  8. Lexile measure
    780L
  9. See all details
Next slide of product details
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Frequently bought together

The Fountainhead
This item: The Fountainhead
$9.89
Get it as soon as Monday, Dec 2
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Atlas Shrugged
$6.69
Get it as soon as Monday, Dec 2
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Anthem
$6.84
Get it as soon as Monday, Dec 2
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Treatment
Choose items to buy together.
Popular Highlights in this book
What are popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. When facing society, the man most concerned, the man who is to do the most and contribute the most, has the least say.
    Highlighted by 4,153 Kindle readers
  2. Integrity is the ability to stand by an idea. That presupposes the ability to think. Thinking is something one doesn’t borrow or pawn.
    Highlighted by 4,132 Kindle readers
  3. Reason can be fought with reason. How are you going to fight the unreasonable?
    Highlighted by 3,703 Kindle readers
Next page

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born February 2, 1905, Ayn Rand published her first novel, We the Living, in 1936. Anthem followed in 1938. It was with the publication of The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957) that she achieved her spectacular success. Rand’s unique philosophy, Objectivism, has gained a worldwide audience. The fundamentals of her philosophy are put forth in three nonfiction books, Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, The Virtues of Selfishness, and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. They are all available in Signet editions, as is the magnificent statement of her artistic credo, The Romantic Manifesto.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Signet; Anniversary edition (September 1, 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 720 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0451191153
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0451191151
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 780L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 1.43 x 6.88 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 11,241 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Ayn Rand's first novel, We the Living, was published in 1936, followed by Anthem. With the publication of The Fountainhead in 1943, she achieved spectacular and enduring success. Rand's unique philosophy, Objectivism, has gained a worldwide audience and maintains a lasting influence on popular thought. The fundamentals of her philosophy are set forth in such books as Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, The Virtue of Selfishness, Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal, and The Romantic Manifesto. Ayn Rand died in 1982.

(Image reproduced courtesy of The Ayn Rand® Institute)

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
11,241 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book interesting, delightful, and thought-provoking. They describe the storytelling as engaging, masterful, and inspiring. Readers praise the characters as gripping and amazing. However, some find the length unnecessary. Opinions are mixed on the writing quality, with some finding it eloquent and well-written, while others say it's unduly wordy at times.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
ReadabilityThought provokingStorytellingCharacter developmentWriting qualityLength
425 customers mention "Readability"388 positive37 negative

Customers find the book worth reading, interesting, and delightful. They say it explores the nature of humans and helps them appreciate the design and effort that goes into the buildings they enter every week.

"...This is a very enjoyable way to read books and the transition between reading and listening is so seamless that it begins to feel very natural...." Read more

"...Still, there is so much good in this beautiful book that I consider it one that everyone should read." Read more

"It is extremely timely and it's worth a read. One of my favorite parts of the book was at the very beginning...." Read more

"Very good read. The ending builds to both an expected finish but also a somber reminder that there are those people who will not change." Read more

215 customers mention "Thought provoking"211 positive4 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, compelling, and well-written. They say it's deep and complex, with a heavy dose of philosophy. Readers also mention the book adds much to their understanding of concepts like creator, second-hander, and independent.

"Very interesting book" Read more

"...that were later found in Atlas Shrugged but it is an amazing worship to the human individualism and might...." Read more

"...Fascinating for its ideas about self determination and great if you are becoming interested in architecture--as I am...." Read more

"...It is lengthy and it was not always a fun read. It did provide much fuel for thought...." Read more

167 customers mention "Storytelling"148 positive19 negative

Customers find the story engaging, masterful, and inspirational. They also describe the book as daring, poignant, and incredible. Readers mention that it's a great love story and one of the most influential works of our century.

"...34;The Fountainhead's lasting appeal: it is a confirmation of the spirit of youth, proclaiming man's glory, showing how much is possible."..." Read more

"...The story is gripping and becomes a struggle of good against evil...." Read more

"...sense, she is rather unique because not only did she create an amazing story, as many authors have, but she went a step beyond and used the book..." Read more

"...And I like the ideas of upholding personal integrity, as well as the commentaries about how people behave in ways that ultimately work against their..." Read more

110 customers mention "Character development"82 positive28 negative

Customers find the characters compelling, gripping, and amazing. They appreciate the poetic wording and elegant character creation.

"...There are no unnecessary scenes, no irrelevant characters and no ad nauseum descriptions of sunsets and waterfalls...." Read more

"...With characters that are gripping, settings that are par excellence, and dialogue that displays incredible depth, the book is a well rounded..." Read more

"excellent character development. Describes characters in vivid terms" Read more

"...Yes, the characters are unrealistic caricatures of the philosophies they represent. The book is an allegory - it's supposed to be that way...." Read more

182 customers mention "Writing quality"122 positive60 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book. Some mention it's eloquently written, well-written, and highly readable. However, others say the book is unduly wordy at times and hard to read.

"...The language and style are quite pedestrian; a 5th grader should be able to get through the novel quite easily though the "message" would likely..." Read more

"...are gripping, settings that are par excellence, and dialogue that displays incredible depth, the book is a well rounded synthesis about the nature..." Read more

"...There are some simplistic parts of the book: all capitalists are good, all socialists are bad, wanting to help people and do good is described as an..." Read more

"...Anyhoo great read and highly recommend it. Rand is a great, gifted writer." Read more

46 customers mention "Length"13 positive33 negative

Customers find the book too long. They say it's much too long for their comfort. Readers also mention the story is not fast-paced and is a bit of a slog.

"...It required a real commitment. It is lengthy and it was not always a fun read. It did provide much fuel for thought...." Read more

"...It is also a little lengthy though not quite so daunting as a Tolstoy or Hugo work." Read more

"...Although it is long, it is very tightly written...." Read more

"...but Rand's writings and speeches appear monotonous and repetitious after a while." Read more

Horrible book quality
1 out of 5 stars
Horrible book quality
The book can barely be read. Such small text print and the quality is just so poor. Pages are already on the verge of coming out of binding and I’ve not even finished the book yet, seems by the 2nd read it will just be pages everywhere. Do better pls
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

JCB
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, fascinating message
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2024
Verified Purchase
Very interesting book
Helpful
 Report
Paige Turner
5.0 out of 5 stars The WhisperSync feature is nearly perfect and the only glitch that occurs is when there ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2015
Verified Purchase
For the review:

The ability to read this book across devices is invaluable! I can read this book on my kindle, on my iPhone while waiting in line, on the PC on my desktop, and even listen to the audible version while I stand on a crowded subway. The WhisperSync feature is nearly perfect and the only glitch that occurs is when there is no coverage in the subway. This is a very enjoyable way to read books and the transition between reading and listening is so seamless that it begins to feel very natural. You can read a long book like this much more quickly this way.

The novel is one of ideas, ways of looking at life, and a story of characters who live those ideals.

Quotes:

First, from the introduction:
"This is the motive and purpose of my writing: the projection of an ideal man."

"IT is a sense of enormous expectation, the sense that one's life is important, that great achievements are within one's capacity, and that great things lie ahead."

"The Fountainhead's lasting appeal: it is a confirmation of the spirit of youth, proclaiming man's glory, showing how much is possible."

"It does not matter that only a few in each generation will grasp and achieve the full reality of man's proper stature - and that the rest will betray it. It is those few that move the world and give life its meaning. The rest are no concern of mine, it is not me or The Fountainhead that they will betray: it is their own souls."

First sentence:
"Howard Roark laughed."

"My dear follow, who will let you?" "That's not the point. The point is, who will stop me?"

Roark:
"I can find the joy only if I do my work in the best way possible to me. But the best is a matter of standards - and I set my own standards."
"I don't propose to force or be forced. Those who want me will come to me."
"You've made a mistake already. By asking me. By asking anyone. Never ask people. Not about your work. Don’t you know what you want? How can you stand it, not to know? How can you let others decide for you?"
"One can't collaborate on one's own job. I can co-operate, with the workers who erect my buildings. But I can't help them to lay bricks and they can't help me to design the house."
"I don't believe in government housing. I don't want to hear anything about its noble purposes. I don’t think they're noble."
"The only thing that matters, my goal, my reward, my beginning, my end is the work itself. My work done my way."
"When you suspend your faculty of independent judgement, you suspend consciousness."
"Every form of happiness is private. Our greatest moments are personal, self-motivated, not to be touched. The things which are sacred or precious to us are the things we withdraw from promiscuous sharing."

On Dominique Francon and her first relations with Roark:
"the sensation of a defiling pleasure."
"the exaggerated fragility of her body against the sky."
"He stood looking up at her; it was not a glance, but an act of ownership."
"She thought of being broken- not by a man she admired, but by a man she loathed. She let her head fall down on her arm; the thought left her weak with pleasure."
"He did it not as love, but as defilement. And this made her lie still and submit."
"The act of a master taking shameful, contemptuous possession of her was the kind of rapture she had wanted."
"She had found joy in her revulsion, in her terror and his strength. That was the degradation she had wanted."
"Through the fierce sense of humiliation, the words gave her the same kind of pleasure she had felt in his arms."
"when they were in bed together it was - as it had to be, as the nature of the act demanded - an act of violence. It was surrender mad the more complete by the force of their resistance."
She even wrote: "Howard Roark is the Marquis de Sade of Architecture."
"He defeated her by admitting her power."
"She felt no thrill of conquest; she felt herself owned more than ever."

Roark's apartment:
"His new home was one large room in a small, modern apartment house on a quiet street. His room contained a few pieces of simple furniture; it looked clean, vast and empty; one expected to hear echoes from its corners."

Roark's office:
"His staff loved him. They did not realize it and would have been shocked to apply such a term as love to their cold, unapproachable, inhuman boss. But working with him, they knew that he was none of these things, but they could not explain, neither what he was nor what they felt for him."
"He responded only to the essence of a man: to his creative capacity. In this office one had to be competent. But if a man worked well, he needed nothing else to win his employer's benevolence: it was granted, not as a gift, but as a debt. It was granted, not as affection, but as recognition. It bred an immense feeling of self-respect within every man in that office."
"They knew only, in a dim way, that it was not loyalty to him, but to the best within themselves."

Ellsworth Toohey:
"Reason can be fought with reason. How are you going to fight with the unreasonable?"
"To write a good play and to have it praised is nothing. Anybody with talent can do that- and talent is a glandular accident. But to write a piece of crap and have it praised - will, you can't match that."

Gail Wynand:
"The man humbled his own wealth."
"When I look at the ocean, I feel the greatness of man."
"I would give the greatest sunset in the world for one sight of New York's skyline."
"The sky over New York and the will of man, made visible. What other religion do we need? Is it beauty and genius they want to see? Do they seek a sense of the sublime? Let them come to New York, stand on the shore of the Hudson, look and kneel."
"I never meet the men whose work I love. The work means too much to me. I don’t want the men to spoil it. They usually do. They're an anticlimax to their own talent."
"Anger made me work harder."
"The walls of Wynand's office were made of cork and copper paneling and had never borne any pictures."
11 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Ritesh Laud
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read but egoism = genius?
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2009
Verified Purchase
Well, I have to say that I was expecting more philosophizing and less drama here. But in the end, The Fountainhead is a drama. A drama with a message, but a drama nonetheless. This drama features characters unlike any I've ever met before, so I'm not sure that such personalities exist here in the real world. Perhaps the characters are meant to represent hypothetical extremes of pesonalities. But characters that I cannot relate to unfortunately make the message more difficult to relate to as well.

Because it's a drama, the ~700 pages actually read fairly quickly. The language and style are quite pedestrian; a 5th grader should be able to get through the novel quite easily though the "message" would likely not be fully appreciated by one so young. The story is gripping and becomes a struggle of good against evil. Good is represented by the egoists, evil by the mundane and mediocre whose agenda is to stifle genius and promote collectivism. A bizarre love story is intertwined through the greater plot. The novel is set in early 20th century New York, which was the most modern city in the world at the time, so even now in the 21st century there's nothing really outdated about it. And the New York setting lends greater dynamism and pace to the plot.

This is not, as you may often hear, a story about the field of architecture. It just so happens that the main characters work in that field, but the story (and message) could have been nearly the same if written about any other field. In fact, when reading the many architectural discussions throughout the book it became painfully obvious to me that Rand did not have an architectural background, and I'm not even an architect. Some of those discussions should have been omitted as they didn't really add value to the story or the message.

The message seems to basically be that only people with great ambition for personal success or perfection generally advance technology or the arts and thereby our standard of living. By nurturing such "egoists" and not obstructing their way, we allow the fruits of their work to be integrated into our culture, and this ultimately betters society as a whole. The implication is that humanity would be much farther along after, say, 500 years of nurturing egoism than after 500 years of stifling it.

It's a compelling theory and I will not speculate on the long-term benefits to society, but I seem to see an obvious and major downside to the theory: Because an egoist could easily be a power hungry madman with no good intentions, short-term trauma on a massive scale could be a possible outcome. Is theoretically faster progress worth that pain?

I don't think it's as simple as Rand makes it out to be. Throughout history, egoists have arguably led the advance of technology and the arts. However, they have also started wars resulting in appalling levels of bloodshed, sponsored attempts at genocide, stolen peoples' retirement nest eggs through corporate crime & scandal, etc. The problem is, egoism does not necessarily connote genius and good intentions. Egoism could just as easily come with cunning and a thirst for money & power without regard for who is injured as a consequence.

A good read. I would not call it brilliant as many have. In fact I did not find it particularly well written from the standpoint of style. However, I can see that if the message were to ring true for someone then the book could be seen as brilliant.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Adam
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book to open your mind!
Reviewed in Canada on March 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
Originally bought it because it was featured in the classic movie "Dirty Dancing" I had no idea what I was getting into but I'm glad I did! Highly recommend if you haven't read any of her stuff before!
Report
Benito
5.0 out of 5 stars Un libro que eventualmente todos debíamos leer
Reviewed in Mexico on September 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
El libro no es de fácil lectura, algunos personajes son complicados, pero este antagonismos lo que le da esencia al libro y la profundidad de los diálogos y monólogos de y entre los personajes llevan al lector a comprender la filosofía del Individualismo y su valor Vs su antagónico Colectivismo
Report
Thamage
5.0 out of 5 stars Sehr gutes Buch
Reviewed in Germany on September 28, 2024
Verified Purchase
Sollte jeder Mal gelesen haben. Sehr gutes Buch. Sehr lehrreich, sehr gute Autorin.
Report
Mohit Kr
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant story around a Man how a Man should be..
Reviewed in India on January 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
The story portraying a Man how a Man should be.. In the form of a creative thinker and an innovator, self joyous, independent from the second hand opinions and desires, self sustained and free of all kinds of second hand suffering..

The protagonist is a individual architect who designs a building with all his spirit, unaltered by second hand opinions and thought process.. A man who knows only to give the best of himself to the cause he is best at.. To not surrender to the world in manner of winning hearts of the mob, but to keep his soul out for the cause.. For the cause of betterment of mankind and its progree forward..

He is best at what he does..

The world opposes him just as it opposed all the innovators through ages.. Wheel, Sun, Fire, and so on... All the first hand thinkers are made to suffer by this world...

People make him suffer.. but the Man is beyond all the suffering the world can impart on him.. He knows the best what to expect from this majorly unworthy world..

He sticks around till the end with his selfless integrity and soul..

And he wins just as such person should win through time.. He is not dependent on any other man for his joy or other's acknowledgement.. Just keeps on doing what is best for the Mankind.. Just what a Man should be..

Other few like minded people stick along his crusade.. Giving meaning to their own lives..

The Man wins just as a Man with such callibre and attitude towrds Life should..

Wonderful story with a wonderful philosophy.. Must read..
Report
Carlos Ruivo
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential to understand life
Reviewed in Italy on July 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
Do you want to be a creative independence individual or a person who just lives by being afraid of what others might think of him?

This book brilliantly describes these kind of attitudes towards life and its consequences.
Report