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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
Really interesting. It’s pretty slow, but I don’t think it’s meant to be a really fast paced story. It doesn’t seem very plot driven. More of a character study of Anthony and Gloria and how their philosophy in life affects their choices. I really liked it even though it was kind of odd and not very focused!
i’ve read so many fitzgerald novels & short stories before, but i haven’t read one like this. the structure is experimental & the tone much darker, but still emulates his wonderful writing & descriptions. i’ve heard it is semi autobiographical & i definitely felt that even on page one. it relays the story of him & zelda, how they fell in love, the society around them & their ultimate downfall. as much as it was interesting to read about, fitzgerald’s bias is clear in depicting gloria, supposedly representing zelda, as an historic manic pixie dream girl who is careless & naive. we now know this is false as he stole many of her literary works from diaries but it was disappointing to see this portrayal when anthony (fitzgerald) was so unlikeable even when he was desperate to come across as the hero. overall, it’s not what i imagined & i wish it pressed on more societal issues & themes, but i can see why it’s an iconic classic with it’s fitzgerald charm dispersed between the pages. one question: why is he so obsessed with people get hit by cars?
Tried reading this book and DNF it at the middle. Will revisit this soon.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The plot itself I found only mildly interesting, though definitely an improvement from the author's first book. It is through the writing style that I got the most enjoyment, especially approaching the tragic ending. The downfall of the protagonist is made especially powerful with the knowledge that Fitzgerald himself would later succumb to similar circumstances.
2,5 stars. I was really excited to read this book since The Great Gatsby is one of my all time favorites, but I was very disappointed and had a problem with finishing this, it took me such a long time and I really just finished it cause I dont like not finishing books. The story itself was interesting but the book couldve been much shorter, it was filled with long boring descriptions and I just did not get into it at all.
Of all Fitzgerald's finished novels I liked this one the least purely because I found the characters very hard to care about. Anthony Patch is an entitled, do-nothing mope who cares about money only more than he cares about alcohol. I was kind of confused about how Gloria fell in love with him, but she is no better herself. She is vain and cares only for herself, her pleasures, and her beauty. So not the two most pleasant people. There was not a single character I cared for except for maybe Joseph Bloeckman/Black.
The interesting thing about this novel is that it is widely regarded to be based upon Fitzgerald's relationship with Zelda. The amount of abuse, depression, alcoholism, both suffered makes anyone wonder how they remained together for so long. As much as I love him, it seems like F. Scott had some serious problems of his own.
"A woman should be able to kiss a man beautifully and romantically without any desire to be either his wife or his mistress."
"From the tenement window leaned rotund, moon-shaped mothers as constellations of this sordid heaven; women like dark, imperfect, jewels, women like vegetables, women like great bags of abominably dirty laundry."
The interesting thing about this novel is that it is widely regarded to be based upon Fitzgerald's relationship with Zelda. The amount of abuse, depression, alcoholism, both suffered makes anyone wonder how they remained together for so long. As much as I love him, it seems like F. Scott had some serious problems of his own.
"A woman should be able to kiss a man beautifully and romantically without any desire to be either his wife or his mistress."
"From the tenement window leaned rotund, moon-shaped mothers as constellations of this sordid heaven; women like dark, imperfect, jewels, women like vegetables, women like great bags of abominably dirty laundry."
staring down the barrel of 300 more pages of this nebulous plot & sorry bastard characters… no i don’t think i will
1.5 DNF at around 45% or so. I really wanted to like this as the Great Gatsby is an all time favourite but I just couldn't. Fitzgerald's flowery laungage is in full force and for that it gets the extra .5. However while the language was used aptly in Gatsby to describe the decadence and foolishness of the American dream here it's used to describe some if the most painfully uninteresting characters I've had the displeasure of reading about. Maybe it's just me, character driven books are not my usual cup of tea but Anthony fucking Patch is just so painfully boring. He's flawed and at times vile but none of that compares to how just uninteresting he is as a book character and a human. He wanders through life aimless and adrift on his grandparents money, he thinks himself on the cusp of some greatness and yet does nothing to reach it. Now this could make for a good character, as could his cowardice and alcoholism but it all fails compared to just how BORING he is. For god sake man do something, say something, beyong polite conversation or half hearted literary discussion. Gloria I assume was also meant to be an unsympathetic character, with her frivolous buying, her 'selfishness' and the countless men she kisses, but honestly she kinda slays. She was the one redeeming ray of interest in this pile of filth. She kisses who she wishes and leaves when they bore her, and given the general standard of these male characters I don't blame her. I wish more time was devoted to her and less to Mr Patch.
There is also rampant sexism, (looking at you Anthony as you decide if you should beat Gloria into submission or kiss her better, fucking xhrist) and strange wording around how hot Gloria is because of how young she looks (or her milky white complexion ew). Also there is one scene in which Anthony is angered beyond reason because Gloria didn't call up to do laundry, and look, I know it's my modern view but like Jesus Christ it's not like either of these people are actually DOING the laundry just call the front desk Anthony you pig.
To be sadly honest though all of this was expected given it's age, but my modern view point had more of an issue brushing these issues aside and they became more and more disheartening to read as they went on.
All in all I may pick it up to finish again just for the sheer joy of watching Anthony collapse and fail as her deserves. However as of right now this book was rarely beautiful and continually dammed.
There is also rampant sexism, (looking at you Anthony as you decide if you should beat Gloria into submission or kiss her better, fucking xhrist) and strange wording around how hot Gloria is because of how young she looks (or her milky white complexion ew). Also there is one scene in which Anthony is angered beyond reason because Gloria didn't call up to do laundry, and look, I know it's my modern view but like Jesus Christ it's not like either of these people are actually DOING the laundry just call the front desk Anthony you pig.
To be sadly honest though all of this was expected given it's age, but my modern view point had more of an issue brushing these issues aside and they became more and more disheartening to read as they went on.
All in all I may pick it up to finish again just for the sheer joy of watching Anthony collapse and fail as her deserves. However as of right now this book was rarely beautiful and continually dammed.