This book has been assigned for one my classes. I've considered myself a socialist for quite a few years, and I've heard from several people that this book is extremely against socialism. Is it possible for me to read this without becoming irritated?

Your socialist perspective will come in very useful when reading this book. Though you may find the book irritating, see it as a reminder of the mindset that you may encounter and have to fight against. Don't forget there's a whole cult surrounding Ayn Rand, so watch your back! (just kidding)

It depends on how "objective" you can be about hearing other people's attitudes. Rand's characters are painted with a lot more dimension in the Fountainhead than in Atlas Shrugged (which is the bible of Objectivism). It's mostly about knowing what you want and believe and sticking to it regardless of the struggle and what people will actively do to you out of fear or envy. It's also a pretty steamy love story ;-). I would almost call it the Anna Karenina of the Right. Try to read it through a human filter, rather than a socio-political one.

Read it with an open mind. You might just come away with a better understanding of why socialism is a failed ideology.

I have to agree with J. It is a very human story. While the individualistic aspects may become annoying, I think it can also be an argument against the harshness of just such a society.

I consider the book to be instructive on the very methods by which socialism might be actually achieved. She is right that the individual spirit cannot and should not be squashed; it must be encouraged. Please notice that her heroes are the characters most in sympathy with the ideals of working together in the truest sense, as described in her thesis in Roark's testimony.

Since the book's a novel, there's little room in it to launch into a vitriolic attack on socialism, so I don't think you'll be irritated by that.

I thought the point of the book had more to do with how the individual's voice gets choked off in a group -- any group.

In fact, it's the way companies are organized that the book focuses on. For the most part, government policies come into question only obliquely, and mainly by analogy with business organization.

Its ok, get irritated! Get challenged! Looking forward to hearing what you think. I know a lot of us, me too, have strong opinions but only a real fool wouldn't have some doubts, especially when thinking about topics such as the nature of human behavior.

I also think there is a lot more to this book than being pro-capitalist. Its about the importance of individual freedom and the beauty of an individual's potential.