Claim: Ayn Rand was not an advocate of collectivist ideology.

The Fountainhead is a 1943 novel by Ayn Rand and was her first major literary success . The novel 's protagonist , Howard Roark , is an individualistic young architect who refuses to compromise his artistic and personal vision for worldly recognition and success . The story follows his battle to practice modern architecture while opposed by an establishment centered on tradition . Roark embodies what Rand believed to be the ideal man , and his struggle reflects Rand 's belief that individualism is superior to collectivism .   Roark is opposed by what Rand described as `` second-handers '' , who value conformity more than independence and integrity . These include Roark 's former classmate , Peter Keating , who succeeds by following popular styles , but turns to Roark for help with design problems . Ellsworth Toohey , a socialist architecture critic who uses his influence to promote his political and social agendas , tries to destroy Roark 's career . Newspaper publisher Gail Wynand seeks to shape popular opinion ; he befriends Roark , then betrays him when public opinion turns in a direction he can not control . The novel 's most controversial character is Roark 's lover , Dominique Francon . She believes that non-conformity has no chance of winning , so she alternates between helping Roark and working to undermine him . Their relationship begins with a sexual encounter that feminist critics have denounced as endorsing rape .   Twelve publishers rejected the manuscript before an editor at the Bobbs-Merrill Company risked his job to get it published . Contemporary reviewers ' opinions were mixed . Some praised the novel as a powerful presentation of individualism , while others thought it was overlong and that it lacked sympathetic characters . Initial sales were slow , but the book gained a following by word of mouth and became a bestseller . Today , more than 6.5 million copies of The Fountainhead have been sold worldwide . It has been translated into more than 20 languages . The novel attracted a new following for Rand and has had ongoing influence , especially among political libertarians and in the field of architecture .   The novel has been adapted to other media several times . An illustrated adaptation was syndicated to newspapers in 1945 . Warner Bros. produced a film version in 1949 . Rand wrote the screenplay , and Gary Cooper played Roark . The film was panned by critics and earned less than its production budget at the box office . Several filmmakers have considered doing a remake , but no new film adaptation has been done . In 2014 , Belgian theater director Ivo van Hove created a stage adaptation , which has received mostly positive reviews .