17 of 1001 Books: F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night

F.Scott Fitzgerald is best known for his work The Great Gatsby, but Tender is the Night is another novel known in the ones he wrote. There is definitely a great story in the pages, but also the reflections of a very troubled artist who was struggling in his marriage after his wife, Zelda, had been institutionalized, and he was struggling with his own alcohol problems. The works has great moment, but there are many moments where it rambles, and even is disjointed in storytelling. If there is something to be beautiful about it it is the inner workings of characters that strongly reflect the reality of the writer.

Summary: Dick and Nicole Diver fascinate Rosemary, a young star rising to fame. Rosemary though is even more intrigued by Dick who she is falling in love with. Rosemary's interest in Dick though will be the first crack in the facade they've made that their family is normal like anyone else's. As Nicole's weakness are revealed it sends Dick scrambling, and questioning where real happiness lies. In his work or with true love, that just might not happen to be with Nicole and their two kids?

Library Reads: F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise

I think if this is the route of F. Scott Fitzgerald I will become less of a fan over time, though I will say this is his debut novel, so it's possible to cut some slack. Even with The Great Gatsby though everything seem to over thought out, and This Side of Paradise is even more so done that way. This leaves room for some great scenes and dialogue but otherwise nothing flows very naturally in the book. Also, Amory is very self involved and not too likable of a guy.

Summary: This Side of Paradise is a sort of semi-autobiographical account of Fitzgerald's own life conveyed through Amory Blaine. He starts out life as a prep school boy making friends that would last a very long time there. When growing old of the routine there though he sets off to make his own sort of way with girls and money. Amory is always hopeful he will pen a novel that will gain him fame, but many distractions come his way. He falls for the charming Rosalind, and gets swept up in a war before he can establish his own.

8 of 1001 Books: F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

For some reason my high school completely skipped over ever reading The Great Gatsby in high school, and maybe that was a good thing because for some reason I don't think as a teen I appreciated classics as much as I do now. The Great Gatsby is a book that takes time to sink in though. While reading it does run slow, but it is a book that sits with you a good while after reading because the themes are ones that extend beyond the very detailed and rich time period Fitzgerald set it in.

Nick Carraway is a new residence in a ritzy neighborhood set in the roaring 1920s. One day when he goes to visit his cousin, Daisy, all the talk seems to be about Jay Gatsby, his next door neighbor. Not long after he is invited to a party of Gatsby's. At the end of the night it seems the puzzle of Gatsby's past begins to open up. Gatsby is wanting Nick to do him a favor that will begin to reveal to him who he is, and the need for his long lost love to return to him.