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ewein2412 's review for:
The Beautiful and Damned
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Basically, I read nothing last year except books for review/research AND FITZGERALD. I have a lovely little boxed set of his collected works (except[b:The Love of the Last Tycoon|16857|The Love of the Last Tycoon|F. Scott Fitzgerald|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1321018965s/16857.jpg|1939873]) and have been working my way through it. The thing about Fitzgerald... his prose is just like eating chocolate covered cherries. I can just read and read and it's SO YUMMY.
And that's despite the fact that every character in this book is thoroughly unlikeable. Yet strangely sympathetic. Another amazing portrait, close to the bone, of Fitzgerald's own life in Jazz Age New York.
Here's a thing, from the book -
"You know these new novels make me tired" [says the lead character Anthony Patch]. "My God! Everywhere I go some silly girl asks me if I've read This Side of Paradise. Are our girls really like that? If it's true to life, which I don't believe, the next generation is going to the dogs." (p. 454)
The author of the afterword comments, "It is a very peculiar existential moment, as Fitzgerald, author of This Side of Paradise, embodies himself in his story as the object of a character's contempt. It is tantalising, and leads to the temptation of believing that Fitzgerald is here acknowledging that is own work is indeed contemptible." (p. 492)
I don't see it that way at ALL. I see it as Fitzgerald having a healthy sense of self-parody. I think it's a lovely moment; Fitzgerald is Anthony, but he is also Dick, Anthony's successful novelist friend whom he both despises and envies. I think my favorite passage from this book is another nudge in the ribs at the reader - the novelist's view of himself - when Gloria mocks Anthony's own literary efforts:
"Work!" she scoffed. "Oh, you sad bird! You bluffer! Work - that means a great arranging of the desk and the lights, a great sharpening of pencils, and 'Gloria, don't sing!' and 'Please keep that damn Tana away from me', and 'Let me read you my opening sentence', and 'I won't be through for a long time, Gloria, so don't stay up for me', and a tremendous consumption of tea or coffee. And that's all. In just about an hour I hear the old pencil stop scratching and look over. You've got a book and you're 'looking up' something. Then you're reading. Then yawns - then bed and a great tossing about because you're all full of caffeine and can't sleep. Two weeks later the whole performance over again." (p. 231)
To which Anthony responds, "Now that's a slight exaggeration."
I think my husband would describe my writing habits as EXACTLY THE SAME. And yet, I do get the job done eventually, and obviously Fitzgerald did too, to splendid effect.
And that's despite the fact that every character in this book is thoroughly unlikeable. Yet strangely sympathetic. Another amazing portrait, close to the bone, of Fitzgerald's own life in Jazz Age New York.
Here's a thing, from the book -
"You know these new novels make me tired" [says the lead character Anthony Patch]. "My God! Everywhere I go some silly girl asks me if I've read This Side of Paradise. Are our girls really like that? If it's true to life, which I don't believe, the next generation is going to the dogs." (p. 454)
The author of the afterword comments, "It is a very peculiar existential moment, as Fitzgerald, author of This Side of Paradise, embodies himself in his story as the object of a character's contempt. It is tantalising, and leads to the temptation of believing that Fitzgerald is here acknowledging that is own work is indeed contemptible." (p. 492)
I don't see it that way at ALL. I see it as Fitzgerald having a healthy sense of self-parody. I think it's a lovely moment; Fitzgerald is Anthony, but he is also Dick, Anthony's successful novelist friend whom he both despises and envies. I think my favorite passage from this book is another nudge in the ribs at the reader - the novelist's view of himself - when Gloria mocks Anthony's own literary efforts:
"Work!" she scoffed. "Oh, you sad bird! You bluffer! Work - that means a great arranging of the desk and the lights, a great sharpening of pencils, and 'Gloria, don't sing!' and 'Please keep that damn Tana away from me', and 'Let me read you my opening sentence', and 'I won't be through for a long time, Gloria, so don't stay up for me', and a tremendous consumption of tea or coffee. And that's all. In just about an hour I hear the old pencil stop scratching and look over. You've got a book and you're 'looking up' something. Then you're reading. Then yawns - then bed and a great tossing about because you're all full of caffeine and can't sleep. Two weeks later the whole performance over again." (p. 231)
To which Anthony responds, "Now that's a slight exaggeration."
I think my husband would describe my writing habits as EXACTLY THE SAME. And yet, I do get the job done eventually, and obviously Fitzgerald did too, to splendid effect.