A review by rosemarieshort
Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

reflective 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

3.5

 It’s interesting when you enjoy reading a book but find the leading characters insufferable. Dick Diver begins the story seen through the eyes of young and impressionable Rosemary Hoyt. She idolises him, seeing his as someone who can make any conversation sparkle or bring life and pleasantness to every gathering. Perhaps, in the beginning, this viewpoint (whilst tinted) is true. However as we phase through and see into Dick’s past, including his meeting his wife Nicole, and then into the years after he meets Rosemary, we see this veneer become thinner and thinner. I enjoyed reading Nicole’s view the most - with Rosemary a little too adoring and Dick being…well, Dick. Nicole’s narration felt the most grounded. Fitzgerald moves between viewpoints seamlessly and writes the South of the France in the 1930s with heaps of glamour. When I looked up the inspiration for the setting (such as Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc) I found the picture painted in my imagination from the text was a perfect match. There are a couple of narrative twists and whilst not a lot happens, I was entertained throughout. Short chapters give brilliant pacing to create a sense of a “page-turner) even during slower moments. Ultimately, a lot of Tender is the Night is based on Fitzgerald’s experience with his own wife’s mental health. If he saw himself in Dick, he has written a classic whilst exposing himself as anything but. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings