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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I only read Babylon Revisited... Terribly sad but very very good.
Fitz is great when you first start reading his stories, but after getting through the whole group collected here I started to understand why others have said his short fiction was written mostly for money. There are some beautiful turns of phrase, but not much in terms of anything else. The Penguin collection has much more compelling examples of what he could do with short fiction.
Bought for a class (1980, so undergrad). Not sure why I kept it.
While interesting, I must say that I wish there was more backstory to this tale. We don't know much about the characters, other than scants hints of what may have or may have not happened. That, and the inconclusive ending made me like this story less than I might have.
Most of the stories in this collection were less than memorable, and the whole "Poor me, I'm so rich and no one loves me" thing gets old fast. (Needless to say I'm not a fan of Fitzgerald.) But I did like "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," a satire of capitalism that's pretty entertaining.
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A selection of short stories that were largely forgettable in their content, but the atmosphere creation was immense. As with most F. Scott Fitzgerald stories, the setting was early 20th Century USA, and the zeitgeist was wonderfully captured through his description of cultural intricacies and social norms. The best story was the curious case of Benjamin Button, to which I was already familiar. This was much different to the on-screen adaptation though, a far darker and brutal outlining of Benjamin's life that was more an indictment of ego and narcissism than anything else. We feel at once sympathetic toward Benjamin for his struggles, and disappointed that he lacked to foresight to not repeat them. A real tear jerker, the saving grace of this selection.
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes