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saraklem's review against another edition
4.0
My knee-jerk reaction is to rate this book one star because, like, what the shit, F. Scott Fitzgerald? I give your LIFE a one-star rating.
But alas, Nancy Milford did a wonderful job of portraying Zelda and Scott's absolutely fricked-up, codependent, abusive relationship and for that I commend her. She was detailed with her sources and citations, some might say to a fault, as some chapters did drag on, though ultimately I've decided it was fun to pick and choose which aspects of her life I'd like great detail on and which could be skimmed over.
The first half is cautiously entertaining - Zelda was wild and funny, but in a way that makes you cringe because you know she's on the precipice of a total breakdown. Then, needless to say, it takes a turn for the truly dark and leaves you feeling utterly dead inside. It's cool though, I enjoyed it.
But alas, Nancy Milford did a wonderful job of portraying Zelda and Scott's absolutely fricked-up, codependent, abusive relationship and for that I commend her. She was detailed with her sources and citations, some might say to a fault, as some chapters did drag on, though ultimately I've decided it was fun to pick and choose which aspects of her life I'd like great detail on and which could be skimmed over.
The first half is cautiously entertaining - Zelda was wild and funny, but in a way that makes you cringe because you know she's on the precipice of a total breakdown. Then, needless to say, it takes a turn for the truly dark and leaves you feeling utterly dead inside. It's cool though, I enjoyed it.
asteries's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
jenniferbroach's review against another edition
3.0
Impressive amount of research and interesting sources. It was Nancy Milford's dissertation and reads like one. While I was elated by the background and interesting sources, it was painfully repetitive. It is a biography with extreme bias towards F. Scott. I find myself swaying on if I thoroughly enjoyed reading it or I was daunted with the task of finishing it - two pretty different extremes. 2 1/2 stars
badmom's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.75
Sweeping biography full of details (occasionally distracting or repetitive) about the public & private life of Zelda Fitzgerald, so often remembered only as the ‘original flapper’ who married the genius writer F. Scott and partied through the Roaring 20s.
Filled with her own writings - mainly to Scott but also other family members, friends, & doctors - plus marvelous first-hand accounts that develop a richer image + deeper understanding of this talented but troubled woman.
Filled with her own writings - mainly to Scott but also other family members, friends, & doctors - plus marvelous first-hand accounts that develop a richer image + deeper understanding of this talented but troubled woman.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Classism
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Minor: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
lizswartz's review against another edition
dark
informative
slow-paced
3.75
I picked up this book because I kept hearing rumors that Scott was a horrible man who stole Zelda’s work and locked her away in an asylum. This is a very detailed biography and really gave more nuance to those rumors. Zelda and Scott had an extremely toxic relationship, and they were flawed people. They both struggled with jealousy, codependency, addiction, and mental illness. Everything you could want to know about them is in this book. It could get a bit repetitive at times. Lots of primary sources. I didn’t think the summaries of their novels needed to be so detailed. The book really transported me back into history and left me feeling like a better informed person.
ecari's review against another edition
2.0
My theory is that I'm just not a "biography-lover." This is supposed to be a great biography, and there's no question that Zelda Fitzgerald had an interesting (and difficult) life, but I just wasn't captivated. It was intriguing to learn that F. Scott Fitzgerald "borrowed" so much material from her letters and diaries, and their relationship was certainly a fascinating example of co-dependency. But I got bored. There was a lot of primary source material from her letters, his letters, her stories/books, and his. However, since they both essentially only wrote about themselves and their lives, the result was a lot of repetition. I confess that I only read the first sentence of each paragraph for the last 100 pages or so. All that said, one of my book-club members pointed out that for literary types, this book may be heaven-sent. Also, the depiction of Zelda's mental illness is very effective - you feel somewhat trapped in her frantic reality as you read. In the end, though, I say it wasn't for me.
lissysadventures's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars!
TW: soooo many, suicide, suicidal ideation, abortion, fertility issues, alcoholism, mental health issues, schizophrenia
I really liked Milford's perspective and analysis on Zelda's life. It gave us as much insight as possible with the surviving documents and people's memories. Milford did a good job of letting us know when she was inserting her personal opinion versus when she was sharing someone else's or just quoting a document.
TW: soooo many, suicide, suicidal ideation, abortion, fertility issues, alcoholism, mental health issues, schizophrenia
I really liked Milford's perspective and analysis on Zelda's life. It gave us as much insight as possible with the surviving documents and people's memories. Milford did a good job of letting us know when she was inserting her personal opinion versus when she was sharing someone else's or just quoting a document.
readingnymph's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars.
This is an indepth look into Zelda's life. It follows her from when she is a child up untill her death.
The relationship she had with Fitzgerald is one of a toxic and cyclical nature filled with jealousy, hate and loving the idea of each other rather than who they were.
Im pleased I read this to gain a deeper understanding of Fitzgeralds books and also learn about the women behind them that is so often overlooked.
This is an indepth look into Zelda's life. It follows her from when she is a child up untill her death.
The relationship she had with Fitzgerald is one of a toxic and cyclical nature filled with jealousy, hate and loving the idea of each other rather than who they were.
Im pleased I read this to gain a deeper understanding of Fitzgeralds books and also learn about the women behind them that is so often overlooked.