The Fountainhead

Ayn Rand

Dec 1994 · Blackstone Audio Inc. · Narrated by Christopher Hurt

About this audiobook

One of the century’s most challenging novels of ideas, The Fountainhead champions the cause of individualism through the story of a gifted young architect who defies the tyranny of conventional public opinion.

The struggle for personal integrity in a world that values conformity above creativity is powerfully illustrated through three characters: Howard Roarke, the genius who is resented because he creates purely for the delight of his own work and on no other terms; Gail Wynand, the newspaper mogul and self-made millionaire whose power was bought by sacrificing his ideals to the lowest common denominator of public taste; and Dominique Francon, the devastating beauty whose desperate search for meaning has been twisted, through despair, into a quest to destroy the single object of her desire: Howard Roarke.

Dramatic, poetic, and demanding, The Fountainhead remains one of the towering books on the contemporary intellectual scene.

Ratings and reviews

I have enjoyed listening to the works of Ayn Rand. Her works speak to me and remind me of truths that the world has never ceased to try to drown out. In listening to this work, I encountered one notable error in the playback where the reader seemed to stop mid-sentence and then resume at another point. This error did not contribute to my rating because permitting it to do so would be anti-social, and I'm sure that the reader and the publisher and all other persons involved legitimately tried their best (what more can be asked?) and need a good rating and deserve it for their efforts &c. &c.

A very profound read. Although it is a little bloated in spots, it was a pleasure to listen to. It describes Rand's philosophy of objectivism, the virtue of selfishness and the evil of collectivism. The characters are interesting, although come off as autistic because of the highly idealistic nature of the book. I love Howard Roark, he is a man that sets his own standards, and lives for no man but himself, and doesn't ask any man to live for him. This book argues that he is man at his best. 4/5

One of the greatest books in American literature. I found the story inspirational and the characters deep and references for people i have met in real life. It's amazing how these archetypes apply to people. It is like seeing a window into their futures.

About the author

Ayn Rand (1905–1982) was born in Russia, graduated from the University of Leningrad, and came to the United States in 1926. She published her first novel in 1936. With the publication of The Fountainhead in 1943, she achieved a spectacular and enduring success, and her unique philosophy, Objectivism, gained a worldwide following.

Christopher Hurt is an accomplished narrator with a lengthy résumé of popular titles for Blackstone. A graduate of George Washington University’s acting program, he currently resides in New York City.