Here is the story of an intransigent young architect, Howard Roark, of his violent battle against a mindless status quo, and of his explosive love affair with a beautiful woman who worships him yet struggles to defeat him. In order to build his kind of buildings according to his own standards, Roark must fight against every variant of human corruption.
AWFUL, except the first 2 chapters: a libertarian grocery list
1 star
I knew in advance that I disagreed with Rand's political views (nothing I shy away from), but after listening to somewhere between 25% to 50% of the audio book, I found the writing so awful (except for the first chapter or two that were actually pretty well written) that I returned the audiobook for a refund... and it is not at all in my nature to ask for refunds. After chapter 2, the book reads like a libertarian grocery list. Read "Puerto Paz" instead.
I knew in advance that I disagreed with Rand's political views (nothing I shy away from), but after listening to somewhere between 25% to 50% of the audio book, I found the writing so awful (except for the first chapter or two that were actually pretty well written) that I returned the audiobook for a refund... and it is not at all in my nature to ask for refunds. After chapter 2, the book reads like a libertarian grocery list. Read "Puerto Paz" instead.
This book is great. I can't believe I wasn't sure if I should buy it or not. Thanks God I did. I felt like this book was written only for me. I couldn't believe someone could have so many ideas just like mine. It was incredible for me to find, again in literature but in a whole new way, that I wasn't alone with some ideas that will only make me different.
Howard Roark. This main character is just perfect. He is what every man should want to be. He is what I want to be. I know nobody really can't. I couldn't imagine how. He is a person whose ideals are more valuable than his soul. He won't give up. Ever. He won't settle for anything but what he wants and knows it's best. He won't be hurt by others. He doesn't live in the same 'world' everyone else …
This book is great. I can't believe I wasn't sure if I should buy it or not. Thanks God I did. I felt like this book was written only for me. I couldn't believe someone could have so many ideas just like mine. It was incredible for me to find, again in literature but in a whole new way, that I wasn't alone with some ideas that will only make me different.
Howard Roark. This main character is just perfect. He is what every man should want to be. He is what I want to be. I know nobody really can't. I couldn't imagine how. He is a person whose ideals are more valuable than his soul. He won't give up. Ever. He won't settle for anything but what he wants and knows it's best. He won't be hurt by others. He doesn't live in the same 'world' everyone else does. He lives only for himself and therefore he is free to do anything he wants. He doesn't lie to himself like most of the people. He has a personality of his own and he won't ever aknowledge something which he knows is wrong. Howard is proud, selfish, kind and powerful. Powerful because nothing can ever break him. He's just marvellous.
I loved so much his relationship with Dominique. I found her a beautiful character. She was the broken girl, she couldn't feel anything, she was empty and hollow. She broke my heart, to be honest, even when she did a lot of bad things for Roark. But thanks to Roark she began to feel. She began to care. To love. Everything she does is for a reason regarding Roark and I found her love for him so powerful and out of this world, it was incredible. I loved their love/hate relationship at first and the evolution of it afterward.
Peter Keating. His character always made me sick. He was, like he himself admits to be, a parasite. He fed on Roark's beautiful mind. He was nothing. He was like so many people in this world and I pitied him even though he chose his own life, even though he did a lot of cruel things toward Roark, I pitied him. He sicked me. He was so like everyone in this world it revolted me. His character reminded me of most people's main weakness: their hunger to be just like everyone else. To fit in. He was pathetic.
Ellsworth Toohey. Well, I hated this character so much but I loved how good he was written. He was despicable. He was exactly what Roark wasn't. He was everything bad with society. He was the one who fed people like Peter Keating, ruining this world. He wanted to destroy those who could make some good. He just wanted to detroy hope. Just because of that, he knew he had to destroy Roark. I won't ever forget someone so keen on destroying just to be the puppeteer. Even though he knew his whole life would be just to make the puppets believe they had some power, he accepted it. He wanted to have control even when he actually was another idiot more. He couldn't even see how stupid that was. Incredible, really.
I loved the philosophical ideas of this book. I agreed with a lot of them, I disagreed with a lot others. But those ideas -that referred to how men always think they have to act together, they have to go with the current, and that if they didn't they were bad, they were despicable human beings- I think those ideals were stunning.
This whole book was stunning. It really blew my mind. I want to make a change in this world, I want to know what I want and stick to the end with it. Just like Roark did his whole life. I want to be strong and capable like him. And I don't want to be broken by the world like Steven Mallory -who broke my heart in a thousand pieces-, but to be encouraged by it even when it'll hurt me, just like Dominique did all along to become what she wanted to become. Just like Roark did. I hope I have the strenght just like Howard always did.
