Leeds Book Club: Blog Along The Foutainhead

Showing posts with label Blog Along The Foutainhead. Show all posts

Sunday, 1 January 2012

BookElf Reads 2011

I made this: BookElf at 2:15 pm 0 comments

In the tradition of the last two years...

Not published this year, just read this year, savvy?

Discovery of the Year

Ayn Rand/Mary Gaitskill (The Fountainhead/Two Girls, Fat and Thin)

What may initially appear to be an odd choice, seeing as this is also the year I've discovered so many amazing books that haven't made me nearly have a nervous breakdown and doubt my entire life's purpose, makes more sense when you consider just how much of an impact someone has had on my life by writing a book.

The Fountainhead was the medicine, Two Girls the spoon full of sugar. Only by reading Gaitskill's beautifully written and hilariously funny (if extremely odd and possibly hugely triggering) critique of objectivism with her Satire of Anna Granite was I able to stop seeing The Fountainhead as this be-all-and-end-all text and start seeing it for the brilliant fiction book it is.

Again, massive thanks to all those who put up with me throughout the blogalong The Fountainhead challenge, and to Lingmops for making me do it!

Series of the Year

A Song Of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

Had to be really. I love these books, of which I've read the first three (the third being in two parts). Not only is it set in the most complete fantasy world since LOTR, every character is individual, complex and brilliant, and the plot is heart racingly intricate without becoming sloppy or dull... or at least it hasn't become sloppy and dull yet...This series always wins for how accessible it is. On almost every single commute since the summer I've seen someone with one of the books, mostly through scopin' their kindles. I've seen uber nerds and middle aged women (not that middle aged women can't be uber nerds...) reading them and I'd encourage anyone who loves a good romp to get stuck into Game of Thrones. The TV series was superb as well. Winter is coming, baby, winter is coming.

Up All Night Award

The Cry of the Go Away Bird by Andrea Eames.

Bit of a cheat as I read this in a day, rather than a night, but how could I not mention the gorgeousness that is Andrea Eames? This book, set in Zimbabwe in the early naughties, was both educational and moving, and I could not put it down. Simply but evocatively written the power of the subject matter is not hampered down by the emotions clearly running throughout.

Andrea was lovely enough to let N interview her, which you can read here, and my original review for For Books Sake is here. Her next book, The White Shadow is out in February and I've got a sneaking suspicion it's going to be just as good!

Best Debut
Bear Down, Bear North by Melinda Moustakis

Simply one of the best written pieces of fiction I've ever help in my hands, and it is criminal how little press these this short story collection has had in this country; The Guardian haven't even reviewed it for God's sake! This book makes you feel cold. Every emotion it is possible to feel is there, along with beautiful description of landscape and a perfect sense of place. Melinda was also lovely enough (after I massively fangirled her after reviewing it for ForBooksSake) to do an interview with me, which you can read here. This woman deserves success, and should be forced into writing a full length novel set in Alaska. Buy it! Buy it now!

The I-Know-I-Know-It's-Brilliant-But-Award

Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow by Peter Hoeg

My ranging Scando-boner had a bit of cold water thrown on it mid-December when I finally got round to reading this Danish classic and Times book of the year. Didn't get it. The first 100 pages were brilliant, beautifully written and with and instantly gripping mystery I could sink my teeth into. Then it all turned a bit, you know, wank.

It's Smilla. She's a douche. A self obsessed, whiny, 'look at me, look at me', wannabe emo immature douche. By page 250 I was screaming 'YOU ARE 37 GET OVER YOURSELF' at her. Oh, but her amazing mother left her alooooone and she was forced from Magical Greenland by her daddy and oh isn't everything just dreadful.
Except, it isn't. She fucks everything up by being 'individual', also know as 'a knob'. She's had countless opportunities to have a good life, but instead chooses to fuck about. Also, I DON'T CARE WHAT HAT YOU ARE WEARING SMILLA, NO ONE DOES.

Like Lisbeth Salander, this is a fantasy of a woman, not a real one, and the entire book suffered for it. I left it with 80 pages to go, with Smilla running around a ship, for no apparent reason, with the caveat that I had a brand new copy of Pride and Prejudice looking at me and I could no longer be arsed with this drivel.

Best Recommended Read

South Riding by Winifred Holtby

I loved the TV series, but would never have thought of reading the book, were it not recommended to me by so many people (thank you @Sewhipfolkie for the lend!). A million times better, more in depth and more revealing of a time, with characters that haven't left me nearly a year later, this very nearly went for Discovery of the Year.

If you love strident female leads, and books set in The Past, read this. Then read Westwood by Stella Gibbons.

Worst Book of the Year
Hothouse Flower by Lucinda Riley.

This is what happens when you try to market Joanna Trollope to Kate Atkinson fans. This book made me gaaaaah at it so many times, and were it not for the one decent part of the back story with Cora in the 1930s and the fact that I was reading it for review I would have thrown it against the wall and had done with it. It is dross, badly written, endless, pointless dross. It also uses a racist paradigm as plot devices which is unforgivable in modern fiction. Thoughtless writing, how the hell this became a best seller is beyond me. Actually, no it isn't, it's the cover. Bloody marketing.

Another cracking year for reading, mostly due to the excellent and wonderful discoveries I've made through the book swaps and book clubs. Thank you to everyone for recommendations and donations and to lovely publishers and agents for sending me books!

Approximately 100 books read, most of them Not Shite. On to 2012!

Happy Reading

BookElf xxx

Monday, 9 May 2011

Blogalong The Foutainhead Part VIII

I made this: BookElf at 1:07 pm 0 comments

So. It is over. It is finished. I never have to read that book again, if I so choose.

Any yet....and yet...

I don't think a fiction book has made me fundamental question myself more than The Fountainhead. From enjoying it as a tract against classicism in favour of modernism, to the brilliantly succinct ripping apart of the actually liberal elite to whom I hope to God I don't belong (though clearly I do, which makes me feel a little bit sick, to be honest. How awful are we?), there were parts of this book that bored me stiff, but the parts that made me jump up and down, and immediately want to have Long and Involved Conversations were so many, I can't not give it 5 stars.

So. What have I come out of this book thinking? I'm going to attempt to break this all down into points. If this makes no sense, bear with.

a) Collectivism, egotism, and me.

I still think that it would be better for everyone if we all worked and lived as one. However. The idea of 'enshrining mediocrity', of a man whose only genius is gathering others together in order to collectively tell the masses what they think today-that’s a very scary concept. In a world of social networking, which I have become heavily influenced by, how many so called 'Voices' are actually Ellsworth's puppets? How many columnists and bloggers and Orwell Prizer's am I reading, and being influenced by, which ultimately mean I have no free thought of my own, no way of achieving greatness because I am taking everything I believe in from a handful of sources, who don't come with bibliographies attached. If we are all just clicking onto links onto links onto links, how do we know we aren't just self-perpetuating a myth we are connected, when we are just Ellsworth's Utopia, a thoughtless pulsing mass? This thought kept me awake all weekend, and I have come to the following conclusion; as long as one is self-aware that Twitter/Blogosphere/Facebook/Whatever is a tool to be used for research in the same way as any good database, as long as we do not sacrifice thought to Google, and as long as I never ever believe anything that anyone says about me, and have no idols, no pedestals to put the Ciffers and the bloggers and the tweeters that I have previously aimed to be one of, I should be OK. I won't end up a Lois Cook.

The major change this has brought; having a Guardian by-line by the time I'm thirty is no longer an ambition, because I don't want to be a 'Voice' of the people, I don't want to be mediocrity enshrined.

b) Altruism

I've already talked about how much the thought of turning into Catherine scares me. I'm now thinking something along these lines; its OK to be selfish, as long as you are honest about it. However. In order to prevent the Worship of the Catherine's (and it happens, I've seen it, and it's horrible), being a Good Person should be mandatory. If everyone used 'From Each According to His Ability to Each According To His Need' as a starting point for the rest of their life, there would be no room for selfishness. And even if some people do naturally feel good after a hard days graft, is there anything really wrong with that? So long as you don't end up with an army of followers because you are behaving in a way that is natural to you and should be normal in any case, then I don't really see the harm. There is far too much of a 'I Will Work Harder' attitude to altruism rather than one of 'this is what I do, because what else would I do?', in my opinion.

However, this is an incredibly privileged viewpoint that completely disregards human frailty and socio-economic circumstance and that brings me to another point.

c) Privilige

This book isn't rich v poor. It does however make sweeping statements about the rich v poor argument. Roark will live in squalor rather than see his ideas warped by classicism, however he cannot see how a family on low income would maybe not be able to do this.
Gail Wynard comes from 'nothing' and ends up full of power and stuff. This somehow means he has 'won'. However, he was in the privileged position of being clever, and not having a family to support. Again, he cannot appreciate why someone who was not as clever as he was wouldn't do as well.
Dominique Francon. Just don't even get me started. It must be nice to be that attractive and rich and clever and manipulative and spiteful and still manage to make that little sense.
This book made me realise I'm not actually that great a feminist, though that never came as such a huge surprise!

d) The Book Isn't Real

I have had to apologise so many times over the last three weeks for letting a fiction book take over my life (despite what I do for a living/what I spend the majority of my time doing, I have still failed in finding enough outlets for my bibliophilia). I am sorry for being really really boring, for having one crises after another, for clogging up timelines, and for generally being a right pain in the arse. I know a hell of a lot of people hate Rand. I don't. I don't like hating. You have to turn over your garden occasionally, and when you do weeds appear. But isn't it better to know the weeds are there so you can get rid of them? Reading this book was more self exploratory for me than acid (not that I take acid, you understand). I have had such an amazing time doing it and thank you to everyone who has been reading the blog updates, and listened to me winge, and to @Lingmops and @CharlotteGore for lending me the book in the first place. Sorry, the spine is a little creased. And I'm going to leave it a good six months before I attempt Atlas Shrugged, if it's all the same to you.

Happy Reading!
BookElf xxx

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 08 

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 07

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 06

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 05

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 04

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 03

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 02

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 01 

The Challenge

Wednesday, 4 May 2011

Blogalong The Fountainhead Part VII

I made this: BookElf at 5:08 pm 1 comments

Part 3-Gail Wynard

Meh, really. Just. Meh.

Mostly Dominique and husband no. 2 Gail Wynard talking in very long sentences that I couldn't really follow due to not caring about them about how much they worship sky scrapers. I'm sure there was some massively important point I was missing but after the drama and excitement of Part 2, meh.

The chapter with les artistes was hilarious though. Having gone through a Creative Writing degree I have very much been in that room on several occasions.

Rand's prose is better than her dialogue. Never mind. On to Part 4- Howard Roark....

Dum Dum DAAAAAAAAAA....

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 08 

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 07

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 06

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 05

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 04

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 03

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 02

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 01 

The Challenge

Tuesday, 3 May 2011

Blogalong The Fountainhead Part VI

I made this: BookElf at 2:45 pm 1 comments

So this weekend I had a bit of a crisis.

Having always considered myself a fairly decent sort, who tries to do her up most to live a fairly decent life, I am suddenly struck with horror and guilt that I might be a Catherine.

Catherine and Ellsworth (hate Ellsworth, hate him) have this long heart to heart (also known as Ellsworth Being a Manipulative Shit) towards the the end of Part 2 of the book, during which Catherine confesses to feeling superior to everyone she works with in social work, hating people who can do stuff for themselves because they don't need her, and needing to be needed. She has tried so hard to help people, and has discovered that this is actually because it makes her feel better about herself, not because she is a 'good' person. Ellsworth calls her a selfish egotist and basically tells her to strap on a pair (which I've been saying from the beginning but never mind).

Now, altruism and me have always had an interesting relationship. Whilst there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing stuff for other people, there is nothing more boring than a leper washer. Also, it isn't really 'doing stuff for other people' when you end up with a cracking CV you flash around at every opportunity, is it?

However, I very much aspire to be a Decent Sort, and for me that includes Doing Shit For Free (ie voluntahing), and what have you. Hence the TSL (actually, that's bollocks, the TSL was started because I was bored and boys like girls who like boys, right (ha! bit of a backfire there!) and it's only since starting it that I've had to say its because I'm a Decent Sort as opposed to a very Regular Sort with a slightly boring hobby in order not to come across as Odd. Thus is the world we live in).

So how can I possibly do anything ever if everything is ultimately selfish? And then as soon as you say 'I am self-defining as selfish. I am OK with this' you have the world at your back going 'but you're not, you do so much good, oh I want to blow your goodness'. Its like the whole 'fat girl' thing but worse. Heads up-I am self-defining. I don't need your permission to be something. OK? Good.

Anyways. See. This is what I'm talking about! Crisis! Turns me into a right cow-bag!

I had a horrible horrible waking-up-at-eight-on-a-weekend-damn-it cannot stop thinking about what it all means-er of a time, before deciding to try and not to think about it anymore, because I was going round in hideous circles and boring the the tits off everyone on Twitter. (sorry, twitter).

As many have pointed out, this is Not The Real World. Rand's New York is superficial and stylised, and she uses extremes that would never work in real life in order to make broad sweeping judgements. A lot of people hate her for this. I don't. I think its brilliant. How uncomfortable was I made by this device? How much did it make me think? How big an emotional response has her writing made me have? You can't knock someone for that; writing fictional prose in a way to evoke both a decent plot, an emotionally challenging theme and complete characters that embody everything and nothing at the same time is hard. I am loving the book in the same way I love watching a really powerful film that makes me sit up that little bit straighter. Sometimes you just want to think, really think. And Rand is letting me do that.

Of course she's also making me question my very existence to the point where I was seriously contemplating quitting my job, and the TSL, and twitter and blogging and working in pubs again just to make sure I wasn't being like Catherine. I'm not. But if I hadn't had people to listen to me rant off for a bit I very nearly could.

Scary times.

Anyway. Dominique has for some weird reason married Peter Keating, who is cracking up massively (honest to God i understand AV* more than I understand Dominique). Roark is once again broken after Ellsworth treacherously got him a job, only to persuade the guy to sue him (bastard, bastard) and along with his Collection of Emos appears to have hit rock bottom. What could possibly happen next? We begin Part 3 with a new enemy, the newspaper oligarch Gail Wynard. I know this enemy, and so feel a little bit more like my feet are on solid ground. Knowing Rand though, they won't be for much longer...

*Yes. I think. Errrr

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 08 

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 07

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 06

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 05

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 04

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 03

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 02

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 01 

The Challenge

Friday, 29 April 2011

Blogalong The Fountainhead Part V

I made this: BookElf at 6:20 pm 0 comments

Stephen Mallory

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMOOOOOOOOOOOO

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 08 

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 07

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 06

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 05

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 04

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 03

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 02

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 01 

The Challenge

Thursday, 28 April 2011

Blogalong The Foutainhead IV

I made this: BookElf at 1:10 pm 0 comments

Part 2 Chapters Vi-X

In which rather a lot happens in a very short space of time...

In this post I want to talk about two things. There are many other things to talk about, but in order to stop myself from becoming too derailed I shall stick to two.

1) Roark and Dominique-what the hell is that all about?

2) Ellsworth Toohey-what a dickhead.

1

After the heart pounding lust fest that was Dominique and Roark's first encounter in the granite quarry/next to the marble fireplace, I was jumping up and down in excitement over the drinks party meeting-mostly at the Howard Roark-in-a-tux thing (fictional, Jess, fictional) but also cos I had this vision of eyes meet across crowed room full of insufferable boors 1940s black and white film noir style. And I was not disappointed. Although it all did turn a little 'What a swell party this is' with the New Yorkers trying to out-knob each other (it's a good job I don't get invited to that sort of party any more it really is) whilst Roark and Dominique are smouldering was really thrilling and well done.

When Dominique turns up at his flat and does the whole 'I want you' thing- snarf snarf. See, that could never ever ever happen in my life because I Have Self Respect, apparently, and according to The Law Of Now, turning up at a man you fancies house and being straight with him makes you some sort of pariah. In Rand world, being honest about how someone makes you feel, instead of making you look ridiculous, gets you laid. I'm starting to like Rand world.

I also love love love how honest they are with each other. Or at least how honest Dominique is with Roark, Roark doesn't really say that much apart from "Take Your Clothes Off" *le sigh*.

I'm not going to even pretend that I understand the dynamics of the relationship, but I'm fascinated by it. "I fancy you, but I hate you, and I want to sleep with you, but I also want to destroy you" I understand, but Dominique becomes almost possessed by her obsession for Roark. Don't get me wrong, I've been there, but only in an unrequited tiniest-violin-in-the-world way. To have someone on your mind that much and for them to want you back. Fuck me, that sounds like something I could be interested in. Oh yeah, it's fictional. Once again, the world spits on my dreams.

2

What a complete and utter knobend this man is. Apparently he's a 'socialist'. Now, I've met socialists like him before, usually talking at me at some lefty do. I cannot stand to be talked at ever, especially by self-promoting bell ends like Toohey, that use their natural gift for leadership and oratory skills to bend people to their will. You don't bring about equality by being famous, and making no sense, and talking long windedly about nothing at all, you bring about equality by opening up information access and education systems so that people may research themselves about the oppressions others experience, and form their own conclusions.

His childhood did not surprise me one iota, and props to Rand for creating a complete character. What is sad is that I recognise the 'Voice' of the lefty movement in so many modern 'Voices' that apparently represent me and my generation/viewpoint. There are a few people I now want to shout 'Toohey!' at, and might start to do so. It is good, as a lefty, to read books like this that caricature our leaders and our movement so we may learn how the world sees us, and how we can change.

As I leave them, Ellsworth has just manipulated a Decent Sort into giving Roark a commission, on some sort of vendetta of his own against Dominique, Keating has disappeared in a floundering pool of self love and Roark is gradually making his way- though would obviously be disgusted to see creating buildings as a 'way'- in the architectural world.

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 08 

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 07

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 06

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 05

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 04

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 03

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 02

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 01 

The Challenge

Tuesday, 26 April 2011

Blogalong The Foutainhead Part III

I made this: BookElf at 10:42 am 0 comments

End of Part I- Part II chapter V

Apologise in advance for ranty incoherent nature...

Oooo Dominique Francon. I kind of love Rand for creating such a lovely set up, you think the book's all about a couple of men's lives, one who follows the rules one who is morally obliged to break them, then suddenly she turns it all on it's head with the introduction of a single character.

As you may have gathered, I'm not that into Dominique. I have very little sympathy with the 'spoilt-little-rich-girl' type in general, and less still when their so bloody clever, manipulative, brutish and cruel. Don't tell me Dominique doesn't know exactly what she is doing to Peter Keating (who's anti-hero status I am getting shivers over it's so Shakespearean). She's a cow, I would have spotted her for what she was and hated her on sight in real life.

However....

The first chapter of Part II ( Ellsworth M. Toohey, who reminds me a bit of some of the political "maverick" intellectual types my Dad used to hang around with in the late eighties/ early nineties Labour Party stage. Bit of a bastard, and far too clever for his own good. In fact everyone in the book, except for Roark, is so up themselves they're licking their spleens. Its like what I would imagine some New Left parties are like after a rather successful 'promotest' these days. No you're so clever, no you're so clever, no you are, no no you are OH SHUT UP).

ANYWAY...

The first chapter of Part II. Oh the first chapter of Part II. After what has been quite a sexless book, the first chapter of Part II Blew Me Away. Damn Rand can write lust, can't she. Every single metaphor was there, from the ridiculously phallic drilling into granite, to the sensual placing of hands on rock, to the rather pathetic site of Dominique trying to crack open her marble fireplace which Roark smashes through...the contrast between the delicate Dominique and the grrrr Man Roark; have to confess I read this alone, in bed on a Saturday night and yes I did have to watch Disney's Enchanted/have a cold shower afterwards as was having a bit of a middle-aged-lady flustered moment which for woman of 26 was rather pathetic.

Now. The actual sex thing upset me, but only afterwards. During it was all snarff snarff but then thinking on he raped her. And this obviously instantly regrades him to the level of Bastard...but...this is when my feminist head and my stupid head start to split in two in the form of a hydra and begin to try to kill each other off. My feminist head now hates Roark, my stupid head fancies him even more. This is rubbish and sucky, but also the mark of a very good book in that it makes you think. And I love thinking.

And now we're back in New York, and Keating is Golden Boy 2.0, Catherine is still being remarkable blah, and Ellsworth is beginning to become even more unlikeably smug. Roark has just designed something that is dividing the city and its all a bit exciting, really. I still hate Dominique but, and this is when my stupid head starts talking, maybe she just needed a good shag?

Right, I'm now going to flagellate myself for even thinking that. Bad feminist. No points for you. Fish/bicycles etc etc grrrrr.

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 08 

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 07

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 06

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 05

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 04

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 03

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 02

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 01 

The Challenge

Thursday, 21 April 2011

Blogalong The Foutainhead Part II

I made this: BookElf at 10:54 pm 3 comments

Some Basic Rules

1) Do Not Read This Book Whilst Pissed

2) Do Not Shout At This Book After Reading This Book Whilst Pissed. It Is A Book. The Characters Cannot Hear You. They Are Fictional.

So yeah, Dominique's a cow-bag, isn't she? "Oh I'm going to make no fucking sense, I'm going to lead you round and round in ridiculous circles whilst crossing and uncrossing my perfect skinny ass legs, I'm going to drop priceless artifacts that some poor sod probably gave his LIFE rescuing from obscurity because I can. Worship me here." Knobber.

Also, Catherine, strap on a fucking pair already. Strong female characters my business class sized ass.

Nuff said.

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 08 

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 07

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 06

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 05

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 04

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 03

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 02

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 01 

The Challenge

Blogalong The Foutainhead Part 1

I made this: BookElf at 9:35 am 0 comments

Introduction, and Chapters I-VIII

Not knowing that much about Ayn Rand apart from what I could find through google/wikipedia (no librarian points for Jess), I was surprised how much I found to empathise with in her introduction to The Fountainhead, written 25 years after its publication. One particular sentence stood out for me; when she is despondent about the failure to get published her husband convinces her

'one cannot give up the world to those one despises'.

Now I'm sure those that myself and Rand despise would be very different (though as an idealist, I know that people are a product of their social conditioning, no one is really 'bad' and that to despise someone for their political views makes no sense when you can educate and illuminate them into changing them), but the passion with which she conveys her opinion is something I can identify with respecting.

The book opens with possibly the most off putting first paragraphs I've ever read. I had to re-read it several times to understand, and then I realised something; I was reading it too quickly. Instead of reading this book like a fast-paced feminist tract, like I did with The Golden Notebook, for example, I have to let the language wash over me, wallow in it. Because you can say what you like about the content, this is a beautifully written book, so far at least.

Roark and Keating, two apparent opposites, both leave Stanton Institute of Technology; Roark as a dismissed maverick, Keating as a graduating Golden Boy. Both wind up in New York City, both working in architecture.

Keating is everything you're 'supposed' to be. He pushes himself to be in with the most important people, or at least those his capitalistic world view deems as important. Deep down Keating hates himself, he recognises what he is; a smarmy little Yes-Man, who will do anything to get to where he wants to be. The product of a pushy mother (my inner feminist is screaming 'he's living her life for her, she was denied this life by token of her gender and class'), Keating uses people, including(is naive the right word? More hero-worshippingly thick)Catherine, the niece of the great art critic Ellsworth Toohey (great name!).

Keating however still relies heavily on the talents of Roark. At the start of the book, I though Roark perhaps a little emotionally unintelligent, however, he isn't he is just one of those people who is 'right'. Because he is 'right' he will not do things he considers 'wrong', no matter how much this leads him away from the line of what you're 'supposed' to do. He ends up renting a room with no roof, for example, rather than work for a firm who produces work he does not agree with.

Keating is more socially powerful that Roark, in so much as he has the power to get him a job with the firm of Francon and Hayer (Francon! How much to I hate Francon! What a knob!) but Keating also relies of Roark's creativity (though I'm sure he'd hate it to be described as such) as he has so very little of his own.

Initial thoughts- love it. It's really well written and apart from the first paragraph (I wonder how many other people that has put off) easy to read. I hate Keating, but also feel very sorry for him. Roark I kind of love in the same way I loved Henry in The Secret History-he would annoy the shit out of me in real life but as a character is fascinating. I also identify with his principles-before-personal-gain philosophy as its one I try to live my life by (without that much success to be fair, but still...).

Catherine is a bit of a tit, but the rest of the cast of characters represent nearly every part of human nature going. I especially loved the relationship between Roark and Cameron, the renegade architect who ends up employing Roark. Considering I've only read 100 pages Rand has managed a complete story, and I'm really looking forward to continuing.

I also love her constant crapping on classical architecture. Now I love my flouncy tat, marble/plaster cherubs etc but sometimes it is all a bit too much. The Parthenon as a metaphor for all that is staid and unexciting is a very brave, but well executed move. To say that I know nothing at all about the history of architecture or building, I'm following it all quite well. I think.

Parts are also hilariously funny. When Roark applies for the job looking for something 'new' and 'new' means a grain silo crossed with the Parthenon I did do a little chuckle, and the fact I got that made me feel all intellectual, which made me do an even bigger chuckle cos I'm not.

I'm also spending a lot of time going 'Mad Men! Mad Men!', (of which I have seen one season, but thought marvellous) especially comparing Keating to Pete Campbell. Talks on twitter with Mad Men geeks have revealed that they used Rand as an influence a lot in making the show. Again, my figuring this out all by my self made me do a little smile.

As I left them, Keating is now a high-up in Francon's office, and Roark is unemployed. This seemed a natural place to pause. I shall carry on this evening. Tally ho!

BookElf xxx

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 08 

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 07

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 06

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 05

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 04

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 03

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 02

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 01 

The Challenge

Monday, 18 April 2011

Blog Along The Fountainhead

I made this: BookElf at 3:39 pm 1 comments

In which a self-identifying Marxist Feminist is dared to read Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead and blog about it...

So one Bettakultcha, Many Moons ago, a Man Called Simon struck up a conversation with me in which my political views came up. Regular readers will know I'm hardly shy about my opinions and my beliefs are incredibly important to me, and how I see the world.

This man asked me if I'd ever read Ayn Rand. Now, I've heard of Rand's work, especially since the rise of the New Right in America since Obama won. I've heard that she has influenced individualism and was very much opposed to any political belief where people help and live for each other, as opposed to just themselves.

As you might have figured out, this ain't how I go.

It was suggested, by Simon and others (I'm looking at you @Lingmops) that the resulting anger and frothing rage that would result upon me reading Rand's first best seller, The Foutainhead, would amuse them.

I am not one to shy away from dares, and I am categorically not a Book Snob; if something is recommended to me, I Will Read It. Therefore I accept this challenge. (also, I've run out of money and have nothing on this week, so might as well!).

I'll label each post, and start probably Wednesday, if not before. I ain't holding back though, but remember this is my opinion of, not an academic response to a book.

If anyone would like to read the book along with me, please do, we can rant together!

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 08 

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 07

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 06

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 05

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 04

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 03

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 02

Blog-Along-The-Fountainhead - Part 01 

The Challenge

Sunday, 1 November 2009

Table of Contents - Completed Challeges

I made this: Unknown at 11:36 pm 0 comments

Another #WSwanLBC member has decided to set herself the Man Booker Shortlist 2012 Challenge; reading every book that could potentially win the prize this year.

Say hi to @WoodsieGirl on twitter or visit her awesome blogs HERE and HERE

Shortlist 06 - Umbrella - Will Self

Shortlist 05 - Bring up the Bodies - Hilary Mantel - WINNER

Shortlist 04 - The Lighthouse - Alison Moore

Shortlist 03 - Swimming Home - Deborah Levy

Shortlist 02 - Narcopolis - Jeet Thayil

Shortlist 01 - The Garden of Evening Mists - Tan Twan Eng

LBC can't thank WG enough for this!

* * * * *
Cooksonathon