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Sunday, December 11, 2005

Transcending life


I finished reading a book and for once i wouldn't say that i enjoyed reading it. That's because you can't ENJOY reading THE FOUNTAINHEAD. I have heard a lot about this book. The elusive Mr. Howard Roark. People claimed that this was one book that had influenced their life and their thinking and i never had the time to finish this book. So when i had finally picked up the book with the intention of finishing it, little did i know that it would leave me with a feeling which is non-descriptive.
You can't pen the words of what its like to read FOUNTAINHEAD. Without u realising it, you start doing an introspection from a viewpoint that you dint know existed. You approach life with a different perspective, you work with a new commitment and purpose. You realise the significance of other people's opinion or the lack of it. Your life is your own and you define its principles. You would understand that failures can reach you only to a certain point and then it doesn't matter.Such is FOUNTAINHEAD, you can't enjoy reading it. It simply opens that door in your mind, a door which never existed. It lifts you to a new level of reasoning. Its a book that needs to be read to be understood or you would be reducing its significance.
FOUNTAINHEAD preaches the one important philosophy of objectivism -
My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.
— Ayn Rand

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

i would call this a smart review. very good.

Pip Pip,
Arvind

catch 22 said...

I agree with u , u just cant pen the words of what its like to read FOUNTAINHEAD . That was the first book i read of rand and latter atlas shrugged. After I finished reading that book i wanted to scream to the entire world saying that 'I am Alive and am happy because I live'. I wanted to go to every person I knew and entreat them to read the book. But over the time I realized that one needs courage to read that book and many people lack that courage, hence I stopped suggesting that book to people who i feel wouldn have courage to see what it implies. I knew a person who said that it was a nice love story, I wanted to shoot him right there. But anyways such people exist and will continue to exist. If u have not read atlas shrugged then pick it up as soon as possible and am sure u would love it.

Meera said...

@Arvind: Tx start bloggin
@catch 22: I agree, you can't do a promotional run for this book. As a rule i dont read two books from the same author at the same time..so it would be awhile before i read atlas shrugged. But i wud read it :)

The Man Who Wasnt There said...

Alright whatever I say now might sound like exactly the epiphany which Rand "warns" against in the book...because you are still in the mmm-that's-an-interesting-way-to-lead-a-way. I would call this book "dangerous" because it is akin to anyone reading a critique on a book titled "WHY CRITICISMS PERSE ARE INVALID". I mean the book would definitely serve it's purpose...

Isnt it ironical when the precise objectivistic analysis of an idea called "Objectivism" would result in some serious flaws? The problem is it will take some time to realize that inherent paradox....and in the initial phase it is that much more difficult....

And I am astonished you used the adjective "pragmatic" to describe Howard Roark..he was anything but that!!

Ellsworth Toohey is the man who could come anywhere near "pragmatic" and a fascinating charcter at that...and dont even get me started on the characterization of Dominique Francon...

If you want to be really analytic I suggest perusing thro' this thread
http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/your-interests/2710-any-ayn-rand-fans.html

But then again it is your choice....and do you know why i feel FOUNTIANHEAD is dangerous/ it is because it makes one inevitably come to such a conclusion..
"...You realise the significance of other people's opinion or the lack of it"

Ofcourse ATLAS SHRUGGED is a much better read and "almost" brilliant but with a neutral perspective and clarity of thought one cannot help but perceive the pop philosophy even it....

If I may suggest get hold of Albert Camus's "The Stranger"...

Yes sure Ayn Rand is good but hey one has to lead a life....unless you want idealism for the sake of idealism....there is always a choice....

Girish...!

Meera said...

@Girish: If ur familiar with the English language one word has different meanings..so i would use one which best suits the character i perceive. Its a bad thing that you dont view it in the same line of thought.
"Yes sure Ayn Rand is good but hey one has to lead a life....unless you want idealism for the sake of idealism....there is always a choice...."
If you start reading books and following their philosophies,your life would be nothing but a library.. rather if u decide to take a leaf out and then think abt it and start living by it, it would make you life better.
There is always a choice in ur life ,its whether u make it or not that makes the difference.Be wise and make the right choice ;o)
Keep visiting.

Arjun.C.N said...

somewhere similar to mine!!! i couldnt get past the 100th page though... dont think i read even that much!!!

anyways.. nice review. Stands out from the usual ones!!!

keep rocking!!!

Adios.

The Man Who Wasnt There said...

ha ha...well well what do we have here now? a lesson on semantics no less!! if you are going to use the word which "you think" best suits the character according to your "perception" last heard there is a term for that in english..it is called "subjectivism"!! :P:P


If you start reading books and following their philosophies,your life would be nothing but a library.. rather if u decide to take a leaf out and then think abt it and start living by it, it would make you life better.

Huh? where did that come from? Or should I go the Roark way and say "I define my philosophy not the other way around!" :P

Like i said you are still in the initial phase....;)

Kumari said...

Hi. Don't read Atlas Shrugged. IMHO, it is just a diluted version of The Fountainhead. Her best by far is "We the living". That is definitely awesome.

And i do have to agree with girish, Roark was definitely not pragmatic.

Good post :)
Keep reading.

Meera said...

@arjun: Tx..almost thot u had stopped blogging.Nice to see you back.
@girish: Am prob in the initial phase..only time will tell!;o)
@kumari: Changed pragmatic on popular demand :oD. Keep visiting.

Anonymous said...

looks like up too much of "novelish" reviews in this blog...something different..something new..that makes readers read twice...

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Anonymous said...

Excellent, love it!
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