The Fountainhead

By: Ayn Rand

Narrated by: Christopher Hurt

Length: 32 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the 20th 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.

©1943 The Bobbs-Merrill Company; 1968 Ayn Rand; 1993 Leonard Peikoff (P)1994 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Ayn Rand is a writer of great power. She has a subtle and ingenious mind and the capacity of writing brilliantly, beautifully, bitterly." ( New York Times Book Review)

I just want to give a star rating. If you force me

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I just want to give a star rating. If you force me to say more, I will give you this tripe.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I just want to give a star rating. If you force me to say more, I will give you this tripe.

What about Christopher Hurt’s performance did you like?

I just want to give a star rating. If you force me to say more, I will give you this tripe.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I just want to give a star rating. If you force me to say more, I will give you this tripe.

Any additional comments?

I just want to give a star rating. If you force me to say more, I will give you this tripe.

Timeless Great Read

Absolutely fantastic book!
An excellent look at individualism vs the collective mind!
it'a a MUST read !!!

Long, but interesting

I read this book every 20 or so years and every time, I find something different that makes me think. This is the first time I have listened to it, and again, I heard things I seem to have missed before. Some of the characters are vapid, superficial things, while others I find more interesting .
The reader was excellent, but the editing was not. You can tell where he stopped and restarted. There are pauses and gaps in odd places, and chapter announcements seem to randomly pop up, never giving you, the listener, a chance to reflect on the last one.
In general, it’s one of my favorite novels, so I put up with it.

triumph of literature

the author's philosophy is beautifully and expertly integrated through riveting prose. the characters were given life through the narrator's voice.

Loved it!

I was a huge fan of Atlas Shrugged and it made me want to read more Ayn Rand. Christopher Hurt did an excellent job narrating, although I would have loved a little more variety in the character of the voices. I will be looking for more in the future!

Want is old is new.

This is as relevant today as when it was penned. You will have a glimpse of the early 1900s, and realize you are reading about today.

One of the best novels I've ever "read".

Would you consider the audio edition of The Fountainhead to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version, but the narrator, Christopher Hurt, does a sublime job of bringing the characters a verisimilitude.

What other book might you compare The Fountainhead to and why?

Atlas Shrugged, simply because Ayn Rand's formula for story telling and characterization through internal monologue and dialogue is so exquisite.

Which scene was your favorite?

I can't decide, as there are so many scenes where two characters engage, or one engages and the other listens, in which Rand's characters espouse her philosophy, which is deep and provincial.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I felt an extreme sense of connectedness to Ayn and her characters, Roark, Dominique, Tooey, Keating, and Gale. It didn't make me laugh or cry, just feel a deep sense of oneness with them, and her.

Any additional comments?

I have read many books, though not as much as others, and without a doubt, Rand, in my mind, is the foremost authority on writing and character development.

A Must Read.

I knocked it out over a long weekend in Humboldt walking amongst the Redwoods. A timeless classic for one and all. I found it soothing yet relatable to the current times.

excellent read of libertarian classic

well done from start to finish. captured the tone perfectly. unabridged and worth having in your collection

Great book with horrible timing

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This book was amazing, it was the way it was read. There were long pauses where there was no reason to pause in the first half, sometimes up to 8 seconds between paragraphs. Then in the second half I had to constantly rewind because there was no distinction between the characters lines. I could not tell if it was Rourke or Dominique speaking, or Toohey.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rourke. No explanation needed.

How could the performance have been better?

better timing, more character distictions.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Faith that not everyone is a knuckle dragger.