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Comment by saheb37 | Hacker News Reader

I will take the bullet and suggest Ayn Rand's Fountainhead.

If you are a teenager it will definitely make you think and likely leave an impact on you. It's not a typical novel, more like philosophical ideas presented in the form of a novel. Ideal characters placed in real life. You will also understand why the world is divided into Ayn Rand lovers and haters.

It questions how the world works, how it should work, how people live their lives, and how they should live their lives, etc, etc.

Warning you, it's not filled with plots twists.

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Great suggestion. This is one of my favorite books, and I enjoyed it more than Atlas Shrugged because I found it a bit more subtle.

Rand has a very distinct philosophy and is quite black-and-white, but even if you don't agree with everything hopefully you can appreciate the writing and storytelling in The Fountainhead (and others). It seems that a lot of the discussion about Rand is focused on her philosophy and if it's right or wrong. This is probably justified but also obscures the fact that she was a master at writing.

I read this book in my early 20s and loved it. Even though I've become much more liberal on many issues (proponent of universal healthcare, tax-payer paid higher ed, etc.) I can still appreciate the themes in her work.

Also just finished Anthem last night- I recommend checking it out. Super short but really gripping read.

Is the book better than the movie? I just watched the 1949 film last night. It seems complete, does it miss any details?

I haven't got around watching the movie yet, is it any good? I will give it a try.

It's similar to your description of the book, ideal characters doing ideal things. Some scenes feel like they could be trimmed down and convey the same information. The web of characters gets more rewarding to watch past the halfway line as the conflicts start to blossom. The film builds over time and comes to a powerful and satisfying end.

The 1940s emphasis on tall verticality in its art style is on full display. The strict adherence to command in speech seems foreign to me, not having been through the fighting forties.

Yeah its good. Cant say it will have any surprises left for you.

The biggest problem with Ayn Rand's thinking is that skilled, intelligent, and talented people are always moral people in her universe. This is not always the case.

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