The Fountainhead is the second novel written by Ayn Rand. It was first published in 1943, and it was her first work to receive significant attention and success. It tells the story of young architect Howard Roark, an "innovator who battles against a tradition-worshiping society."[1] It was also her first work to introduce her philosophy Objectivism, though it would be expanded upon more in her subsequent novel Atlas Shrugged.
Some feel that the Howard Roark character in this book was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, whom Ayn Rand attempted several times unsuccessfully to interview before or during her writing of it.
A film adaptation of the novel, starring Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal, was released in 1949.[2]