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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
closer to a 3 but the ennui made this a slog at points. definitely not as good as his other books.
I can say without a doubt that Fitzgerald is one of my all-time favourite authors.
The writing is brilliant, and I found so many images, themes and atmospheres that reappear again and again in his later books. A personal favourite: the tiny old man that resembles an owl.
Amory Blaine is the character you would expect a young, narcissistic author to write... and I loved it! Fitzgerald is immensely talented and his character is not simply good or bad, moral or a-moral he has depth and at the same time is a quintessential young adult, growing. So much so that I actually struggled to envision him being nearly forty at the end of the book, which might be a flaw in Fitzgerald's writing or actually intended: Amory himself cannot really believe he is not a bright young thing anymore.
The writing is brilliant, and I found so many images, themes and atmospheres that reappear again and again in his later books. A personal favourite: the tiny old man that resembles an owl.
Amory Blaine is the character you would expect a young, narcissistic author to write... and I loved it! Fitzgerald is immensely talented and his character is not simply good or bad, moral or a-moral he has depth and at the same time is a quintessential young adult, growing. So much so that I actually struggled to envision him being nearly forty at the end of the book, which might be a flaw in Fitzgerald's writing or actually intended: Amory himself cannot really believe he is not a bright young thing anymore.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Has a good payoff in the end, but was a chore to get through. Unfortunately, because it’s somewhat of a portrait of the time in which it was written, my willingness to tolerate the poetic asides dwindled. Moreover, the poetry is not particularly good; just functional.
Although considered by many to be Fitzgerald's weakest work (I myself am inclined to give him the 'first novel free' card, but I also really freaking love this book), there's something about this novel that resonated and stuck with me. Not to mention the beautiful prose. Definitely my favorite book by one of my favorite authors.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was interesting but not very entertaining for me. I think that this book is interesting in conversation with Fitzgerald's other works, but it doesn't stand very strongly on its own. Amory is a careless man trying to fill his life with poetry and superficial love, which slots nicely into the cast of characters Fitzgerald is known for. I didn't get as much out of this one as Gatsby, especially with that conversation at the end, but it was his first book. I think this one is more interesting to talk about than to actually read.
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really great start for Fitzgerald, but it is evident how he would improve in works to come. He really fine tuned this method of storytelling through the life of the main character, but this start is nothing to be overlooked. Just hoped for a litttttle bit more from Amory or even other characters just to really draw you in and make it stick out from other novels of similar nature.
reflective
medium-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
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes