bsides13 's review for:

The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3.5
challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

It’s difficult to give an accurate rating of this novel. I find it a very troubling story signifying the disaster of living a life of pleasure and selfishness. It is incredibly detailed and written with vivid insight into the Jazz Age. However, I don’t know if I have the capability to read it again. By the end the characters are fundamentally destroyed (as they deserved) or turned into hypocrites. In all, it serves as an incredible commentary of Capitalism and of the leisure class, aiding in the need for one to create meaning in one’s life. It is a wonderful book for those that read for pain, not pleasure.