History YMMV / TheFountainhead

** In the wake of events such as the Oklahoma City bombing and 9/11, Roark could convincingly be branded a domestic terrorist (even back then, blowing up a building was ''very much'' treated harshly. [[OlderThanTheyThink Terrorists had already done so]] by that point).
** Whether or not Roark was a [[TheSociopath sociopath]] is fuel for countless {{flamewar}}s. Much like Creator/AynRand herself, in fact.
** Toohey on the other hand is definitely a sociopath.

** Ellsworth Toohey writes an editorial decrying Roark for blowing up the Cortlandt project. Apart from insinuating that Roark deserves the death penalty for this act, Toohey doesn't really say much that the average person would disagree with about a terrorist act. Destroying a thousand people's chance for a better life because his design was slightly altered is really not a great way for Roark to make himself look like a hero.

* SpiritualSuccessor: As Objectivism is often seen as drawing heavily from Nietzsche's philosophy he novel can be seen as one to ''Literature/AlsoSprachZarathustra'', and an attempt to imagine how the archetypal situations that Nietzsche describes in broad strokes might play out in practice. Howard Roark's creative genius and independent spirit embody the ideal of the {{Ubermensch}} that Zarathustra urges his disciples to strive towards, while each of his foils can be compared to one of the types of people that Zarathustra warns them to be wary of -- Peter Keating can be seen as the "last man" whose sight makes everything small, Toohey as the tarantula that bites its superiors in the name of equality, and Gail Wynand as the performer in the marketplace, with his readers being the poisonous flies that the performer attracts. It should be noted that Rand denied any direct influence of Nietzsche's philosophical ideas on hers, although she did admit to admiring his writing style.

* SpiritualSuccessor: As Objectivism is often seen as drawing heavily from Nietzsche's philosophy he novel can be seen as one to ''Literature/AlsoSprachZarathustra'', and an attempt to imagine how the archetypal situations that Nietzsche describes in broad strokes might play out in practice. Howard Roark's creative genius and independent spirit embody the ideal of the {{Ubermensch}} that Zarathustra urges his disciples to strive towards, while each of his foils can be compared to one of the types of people that Zarathustra warns them to be wary of -- Peter Keating can be seen as the "last man" whose sight makes everything small, Toohey as the tarantula that bites its superiors in the name of equality, and Gail Wynand as the performer in the marketplace, with his readers being the poisonous flies that the performer attracts.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Whilst this book is nowhere near as anvilicious as ''Atlas Shrugged'', the book is not subtle about its message, except possibly for a reader that has almost no familiarity with the ideas and debates Rand is dealing with.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Whilst this book is nowhere near as anvilicious as ''Atlas Shrugged'', the book is not subtle about its message, except possibly for a reader that has almost no familiarity with the ideas and debates Rand is dealing with. Remember that [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Tropes Are Not Bad]], however, and it is quite arguable that at the time ''The Fountainhead'' was published, [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped it was dropping anvils that needed to be dropped]].

** Toohey's little monologue about his true aspirations. I dare you to read that and not feel a chill.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: Ellsworth Toohey writes an editorial decrying Roark for blowing up the Cortlandt project. Apart from insinuating that Roark deserves the death penalty for this act, Toohey doesn't really say much that the average person would disagree with. Destroying a thousand people's chance for a better life because his design was slightly altered is really not a great way for Roark to make himself look like a hero.

** There is a very good reading of it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppgg_vF3Z-0 here]]. One of the best {{Hannibal Lecture}}s you'll ever hear.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Whilst this book is nowhere near as anvilicious as ''Atlas Shrugged'', the book is not subtle about its message, except possibly for a reader that has almost no familiarity with the ideas and debates Rand is dealing with. Remember that [[TropesAreTools Tropes Are Not Bad]], however, and it is quite arguable that at the time ''The Fountainhead'' was published, [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped it was dropping anvils that needed to be dropped]].