The novel that made Ayn Rand famous, The Fountainhead is perceived as a modern classic. Taking place in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s, it chronicles the efforts of architect Howard Roark to achieve success on his own terms. It is Rand's first book to carry forth her anti-communist ideals, that individuals should think and believe independently and not allow their lives or careers to be dominated in any way by the beliefs of others. And as Roark's designs create a rub against the acceptable styles of the day, he continually is faced with selling out to the masses. But continually he refuses, and his career becomes one marked by his capacity to hold fast to his own intellectual and artistic innovation.