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141 reviews for:
Flappers & Philosophers: F Scott Fitzgerald Short Stories Classic Works
F. Scott Fitzgerald
3.82 AVERAGE
141 reviews for:
Flappers & Philosophers: F Scott Fitzgerald Short Stories Classic Works
F. Scott Fitzgerald
3.82 AVERAGE
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Fitzgerald'ın yazdığı her karakter, bir şekilde hayat buluyor, yani, gerçekten. Eğer 30'larda yaşıyor olsaydık, yarattığı herhangi biri yolda karşımıza çıkabilirdi. Hepsi o kadar çok yönlü, o kadar şıkır şıkır, rengarenk, hata ve acı dolu, incelikli, hisli, duygulu. Çok güzel.
Bir de şu cümlenin güzelliğine bakın:
"Şarkı söyleyen zencilerin sesi alçalarak ağlamaklı bir mırıltıya dönüştü, o parlaklık ve büyük suskunluk her dakika biraz daha artarmış gibiydi; sonunda oğlan, neredeyse ay ışığında, gümüş renkli, ıslak saç buklelerini tarayan ve aşağıdaki yanardöner yeşil bulvarda dedikodu yapan, birbirlerine içinde yaşadıkları güzel gemi enkazlarından söz eden deniz kızlarının, gece yarısı tuvaletlerini yaparken çıkardıkları sesleri duyabiliyordu."
Yani, artık.
Bir de şu cümlenin güzelliğine bakın:
"Şarkı söyleyen zencilerin sesi alçalarak ağlamaklı bir mırıltıya dönüştü, o parlaklık ve büyük suskunluk her dakika biraz daha artarmış gibiydi; sonunda oğlan, neredeyse ay ışığında, gümüş renkli, ıslak saç buklelerini tarayan ve aşağıdaki yanardöner yeşil bulvarda dedikodu yapan, birbirlerine içinde yaşadıkları güzel gemi enkazlarından söz eden deniz kızlarının, gece yarısı tuvaletlerini yaparken çıkardıkları sesleri duyabiliyordu."
Yani, artık.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Eh sorry I did like a few of the stories and I thought some were clever and fun but overall I’m just not a short story girl. The last two stories I low key skipped Bc they were boringggg sowyyy. This book was nice but I had to push myself to read it instead of me genuinely just wanting to read it the whole time.
Also after reading some of the reviews I agree like I think my mind just doesn’t click with Fitzgerald the way it’s supposed to... to me this writing seemed kind of bland oopsss. I did really like Offshore Pirate, Head and Shoulders, and Bernice Bobs Her Hair.
Also after reading some of the reviews I agree like I think my mind just doesn’t click with Fitzgerald the way it’s supposed to... to me this writing seemed kind of bland oopsss. I did really like Offshore Pirate, Head and Shoulders, and Bernice Bobs Her Hair.
A collection of youthful short stories that set off the career of the author of The Great Gatsby. These tales vary from adventure and romance to domestic drama and crime, all set in a post-war era of blossoming technological discovery, prohibition, social change, and economic disparity.
The Offshore Pirate is about a flapper who falls in love with the captain of a pirate crew of jazz musicians who commandeer her uncle’s yacht. This one was probably my favorite, just so sassy and fun.
The Ice Palace. A sort of horror story of a southern girl who regrets moving away with her new husband and, longing for summer, struggles adjusting to northern winter. A lot of Confederate romanticism not uncommon for this time.
Head and Shoulders follows a prodigal young man who excels at academics, who marries a stage performer who herself makes more money than he does. The twist is, who in their relationship is the head and who is the shoulders? Really fun perspective on the New Woman.
The Cut-Glass Bowl shifts tone and explores the relationship between people and objects with recurring tragedy.
Bernice Bobs Her Hair. And how! What a radical story for its time about a young girl who, taking advice from her cousin, goes from social outcast to the girl every boy loves! Bobbing her hair on a dare, she shocks everyone and finds courage and audacity no one, herself included, thought she had. Love this.
Benediction. Not really sure about this one. An incestuous story of a girl who visits her brother at a monastery and they fall in love. I don’t know.
Dalyrimple Goes Wrong. A narrative of a soldier who comes home after the war and grudgingly settles into the mediocrity of the working class. Disparaging at the established corruption and the certainty he will never gain promotion, he resorts to crime before suddenly being lofted into politics.
The Four Fists. The incidents of a young man who receives moral revelations thanks to being punched in the jaw, four times.
I really, really enjoyed these stories. I love the youth and romanticism of some of these, contrasted with the dreary, yet hopeful realities of others. They are very much tales from their time, which unfortunately means I cannot recommend them except to others who also enjoy this era for the sake of it. It's a different time with different language, values, and understandings. While the prose is delightful, the racism is not.
The Offshore Pirate is about a flapper who falls in love with the captain of a pirate crew of jazz musicians who commandeer her uncle’s yacht. This one was probably my favorite, just so sassy and fun.
The Ice Palace. A sort of horror story of a southern girl who regrets moving away with her new husband and, longing for summer, struggles adjusting to northern winter. A lot of Confederate romanticism not uncommon for this time.
Head and Shoulders follows a prodigal young man who excels at academics, who marries a stage performer who herself makes more money than he does. The twist is, who in their relationship is the head and who is the shoulders? Really fun perspective on the New Woman.
The Cut-Glass Bowl shifts tone and explores the relationship between people and objects with recurring tragedy.
Bernice Bobs Her Hair. And how! What a radical story for its time about a young girl who, taking advice from her cousin, goes from social outcast to the girl every boy loves! Bobbing her hair on a dare, she shocks everyone and finds courage and audacity no one, herself included, thought she had. Love this.
Benediction. Not really sure about this one. An incestuous story of a girl who visits her brother at a monastery and they fall in love. I don’t know.
Dalyrimple Goes Wrong. A narrative of a soldier who comes home after the war and grudgingly settles into the mediocrity of the working class. Disparaging at the established corruption and the certainty he will never gain promotion, he resorts to crime before suddenly being lofted into politics.
The Four Fists. The incidents of a young man who receives moral revelations thanks to being punched in the jaw, four times.
I really, really enjoyed these stories. I love the youth and romanticism of some of these, contrasted with the dreary, yet hopeful realities of others. They are very much tales from their time, which unfortunately means I cannot recommend them except to others who also enjoy this era for the sake of it. It's a different time with different language, values, and understandings. While the prose is delightful, the racism is not.
*Listened to the audio*
As with any book of short stories Flappers and Philosophers has stories that stand out and stories that are more dead weights. While written a century ago, Fitzgerald's stories are still -- for the most part -- very readable and engaging. They are best when he lets his characters be characters (and the brats be brats) at the heart of the story, and are less successful when he is trying to force an object into great symbolic/metaphorical meaning ("The Cut-Glass Bowl" is a particularly painful example that made me feel like I was reading Nathaniel Hawthorne in all the worst ways instead). He balances the two the best in "The Ice Palace" in which there are strong characters and a big metaphorical symbol, but it works so smoothly in the actual story, on so many levels, and without being over-explained, so there is an exception to the rule.
As for the audio production... didn't love it. Produced in 1999 it has an unnameable quality/style of older audio productions that I can never put my finger on, but I vastly prefer reading styles of newer productions. The narrator was okay with the narration, but his character voices were a bit cartoony, especially most of the women characters who were given nasally, annoying voices. Annoying female voices from male readers is a BIG audio pet peeve of mine. (If this is your job maybe learn how to do a descent impersonation of half of the population.) There were also a stereotyped accented character in the first story where I'm sure the dialogue was written that way in the text, but that he didn't really have to lean into so hard.
As for being a publication from a century ago, it was charming to hear the 1880s and 1890s referred to as 'the 80s' and 'the 90s.' Also, there were two characters named Margery (not sure of spelling due to audio), so I found that fun on an entirely personal level.... The two or three casual n-word drops were less charming to say the least and really sneak up on you when you're listening to it. They weren't particularly malicious uses, one being in what would've been a common turn of phrase at the time, but still. It just a fair warning for anyone choosing to read/listen if that is the type of thing to turn you off.
As with any book of short stories Flappers and Philosophers has stories that stand out and stories that are more dead weights. While written a century ago, Fitzgerald's stories are still -- for the most part -- very readable and engaging. They are best when he lets his characters be characters (and the brats be brats) at the heart of the story, and are less successful when he is trying to force an object into great symbolic/metaphorical meaning ("The Cut-Glass Bowl" is a particularly painful example that made me feel like I was reading Nathaniel Hawthorne in all the worst ways instead). He balances the two the best in "The Ice Palace" in which there are strong characters and a big metaphorical symbol, but it works so smoothly in the actual story, on so many levels, and without being over-explained, so there is an exception to the rule.
As for the audio production... didn't love it. Produced in 1999 it has an unnameable quality/style of older audio productions that I can never put my finger on, but I vastly prefer reading styles of newer productions. The narrator was okay with the narration, but his character voices were a bit cartoony, especially most of the women characters who were given nasally, annoying voices. Annoying female voices from male readers is a BIG audio pet peeve of mine. (If this is your job maybe learn how to do a descent impersonation of half of the population.) There were also a stereotyped accented character in the first story where I'm sure the dialogue was written that way in the text, but that he didn't really have to lean into so hard.
As for being a publication from a century ago, it was charming to hear the 1880s and 1890s referred to as 'the 80s' and 'the 90s.' Also, there were two characters named Margery (not sure of spelling due to audio), so I found that fun on an entirely personal level.... The two or three casual n-word drops were less charming to say the least and really sneak up on you when you're listening to it. They weren't particularly malicious uses, one being in what would've been a common turn of phrase at the time, but still. It just a fair warning for anyone choosing to read/listen if that is the type of thing to turn you off.
relaxing
fast-paced
dark
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Offshore Pirate, Head and shoulders, and The Four Fists were my favorites. I loved the era and the characters. The stories were short and sweet.
I am a Fitzgerald girl, so I enjoyed this! Love any glimpse into the 20s. Brilliant idea of his- flappers and philosophers. Am I "feeling" if I call myself one?
I really enjoyed The Offshore Pirate, The Ice Palace, Head and Shoulders and Bernice Bobs Her Hair.