Ayn Rand: A Biography
Ayn Rand was born on February 2, 1905 in St. Petersburg, Russia. She decided to become a fiction writer at age nine. While in high school she witnessed Russian revolutions including the final communist takeover. She was introduced to American history in her last year of high school and decided to use America as a model of a free nation. She came to America in 1926. Soon after arriving she moved to Hollywood to begin a career in writing. (ARI 1)
The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand’s book The Fountainhead is the book to read if you want to know what a real architect is like and what the true spirit of architecture is about. Ms. Rand captures the essence of the emotion and ideals of what architecture has stood for for thousands of years. Some call it the most noble of all professions (you can decide for yourself). Whatever you feel about that, The Fountainhead is a real pleasure to read, especially, if you have ever been interested in architecture. Architecture is not understood overnight. She really did her research, and well enough to be able to express it in literature form. It can be one thing to understand a subject. It is another thing to be able to teach or express it well enough for others to really learn from you. The main character, Howard Roark, is presented as an ideal architect.
Always Enjoyable
I do not feel offended, at all, that Ms. Rand considered herself an atheist. Her work in many ways expresses, very clearly, and honestly, the true human spirit, which I have always considered to be deeply spiritual. I do not know the path that led her to atheism but I must respect anyone that so clearly, honestly, and respectfully expresses their views. It is interesting how we can read the same pages and in some ways each have our own interpretation of the human nature behind her character’s actions. Man does have the will to exercise his own destiny but the urge to do so is the will of his soul and not just an intellectual concept, I believe. I mean this in the most respectful way to Ms. Rand and her fans, which includes me. Whether an atheist or spiritual person, reading her work is fulfilling and enjoyable. I would recommend her work to anyone.
References:
Ayn Rand Institute (ARI). “A Brief Biography of Ayn Rand” www.aynrand.org