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A review by anzomar
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
5.0
The main plot/organization/character development in This Side of Paradise seems to largely revolve around this haphazard myriad of flapper-esque girls that Amory meets throughout his college years and his twenties. But out of every character he meets, I think Amory seems very much more in love with himself than any woman. The book as a whole is filled with unsatisfying interactions between Amory and women; he seems to either belittle their character, reduce them to material desires, or claim that their beauty/magic is simply a manifestation of his brilliant, "genius" mind. But then again, maybe this is what Fitzgerald wanted, and I do think he's very aware of how he presents Amory and gender dynamics in the novel.
On a more holistic level, I really enjoyed reading This Side of Paradise (especially after finishing The Great Gatsby last month). In fact, I think it's possible I liked it even more, which is odd because I'm generally a sucker for organized storylines and plots, and This Side of Paradise certainly didn't have that. I think that Fitzgerald's adopted stream-of-consciousness format allowed a more elaborate, decorative prose and writing style, which is really where this book shone.
On a more holistic level, I really enjoyed reading This Side of Paradise (especially after finishing The Great Gatsby last month). In fact, I think it's possible I liked it even more, which is odd because I'm generally a sucker for organized storylines and plots, and This Side of Paradise certainly didn't have that. I think that Fitzgerald's adopted stream-of-consciousness format allowed a more elaborate, decorative prose and writing style, which is really where this book shone.