Journal: Fountainhead — A Review
My second book of the year is quite unexpected… and the first time for me in the literary criticism genre — especially fiction.
Preface:
Since 2021, I have been writing reviews for the books I read in my medium.com blog.
As I shared my reviews on the ‘Book Speak’ Facebook page and subsequently the ‘Book Gobblers’ WhatsApp group, I received a lot of responses for the reviews.
One such conversation with Anagha Fernandes, one of the most prolific readers I have the privilege of knowing, led to her shipping a paperbound copy of Ayn Rand’s Fountainhead. She said that she looked forward to my insights (given that I write insights and reviews on poetry as well) on this Ayn Rand masterpiece.
Anagha has shipped books from her collection and that has prompted me (call it even obliged) to read at a faster pace. For me, reading is a ritual as I am not a light reader. I like to peep into the author’s mind and relate the creative thought process.
This book is a combination of Anagha’s magnanimity and my review methods coming together. This review, by no means, is a complete commentary. It is an honest and real-time effort to bring together a thoughtful commentary on the masterpiece but I acknowledge its shortcomings around challenging Ayn Rand’s philosophy, the depth of her characters, and the strong philosophical underpinning. As we mature and read the book again, we will infer and relate more about Dominique, Roark, and the likes of Wynand, Keating, and Toohey.
I have included Anagha’s notes on the review itself which lends more authenticity to the work. She is, after all, the true blue Ayn Rand fan. I wish all Ayn Rand fans the best.
Book Blurb:
Fountainhead — A Review is a deep dive into Ayn Rand’s masterpiece, ‘The Fountainhead’. The book is dedicated to Ms. Anagha Fernandes, an avid Ayn Rand fan who inspired it. The book is a compilation of a series of review blogs that I published between May and September 2024. The author reviewed each chapter in real-time, rather than waiting until the end of the book to do so, tracing the analysis and views held at the end of each chapter.. Part 5 of the book analyses Ayn Rand’s approach to the masterpiece exploring her style, philosophy, plotting, and character arcs.
A significant aspect of the book is exploring each chapter from Dominique Francon’s perspective, as the most related character transforms from a cynical to an objectivistic view of this world. The concluding scene of the book offers a comprehensive summary of the entire story. It delves into the character interactions, the use of props, and the psychological traits of the characters, providing an in-depth analysis of each chapter and the progression of the plot. The reviewer’s approach to writing differs from Rand’s in certain aspects.
This book is a much-needed piece of literary criticism of a masterpiece filling the gap felt over the years. The true-blue avid Ayn Rand fan will certainly enjoy the deep dive into Ayn Rand’s notes, enabling a more complete perspective of the masterpiece.
Book Link:
Fountainhead — A Review by Ashok Subramanian (Author) — Link to purchase.
~Ashok Subramanian
Chennai, 3rd October 2024
