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shaunhamill 's review for:
This Side of Paradise
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I enjoyed this novel more when I read it in my mid-20s. In my mid-thirties, I found it a bit more frustrating. It reads like a novel written by a gifted writer who didn't yet have a lot to write about. Most of the characters feel interchangeable, aside from Monsignor Darcy and Amory himself. I kept getting Amory's friends mixed up, and also his romantic interests. They all feel like sounding boards for Fitzgerald's ego rather than well-drawn people.
However, this is some extraordinary writing to be found here, particularly in the final pages, when Amory, down on his luck, hitches a ride to Princeton with a couple of well-to-do men. The philosophy exchanged and self-knowledge to which our protagonist comes are nothing short of breathtaking. A fair overture from a young talent coming into his own.
However, this is some extraordinary writing to be found here, particularly in the final pages, when Amory, down on his luck, hitches a ride to Princeton with a couple of well-to-do men. The philosophy exchanged and self-knowledge to which our protagonist comes are nothing short of breathtaking. A fair overture from a young talent coming into his own.