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abundance_of_fiction 's review for:
This Side of Paradise
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
challenging
emotional
informative
slow-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
I can appreciate this work for being Fitzgerald’s debute novel, and attribute many of the *unique*{weird} stylistic choices as trying to find a voice in writing. What I cannot appreciate is Amory’s story. Whether this is semi-autobiographical or not so many of Amory’s choices read as pretentious and entitled. Maybe that is the intent, but there are zero redeeming qualities about him that it makes the novel incredibly hard to relate to. Squandering his education, ranting about the disgusting nature of being poor, and mishandling a lost love connection, make Amory impossible to relate to in this decade.
2.5 rounding down to 2 because I cannot say that any part of myself enjoyed this story, or unique writing style.
2.5 rounding down to 2 because I cannot say that any part of myself enjoyed this story, or unique writing style.