F Scott Fitzgerald

[RainbowBrite80]

Not to sound trite, but, do you think Scott knew that he was absolutely drop dead gorgeous??

[CaptainMorganThe3rd]

I'm currently reading This Side of Paradise. It's such a brilliant book!

[thot4]

@CaptainMorganThe3rd

I didn't like it so much. I found Amory annoying, and I felt he didn't learn anything.

[CaptainMorganThe3rd]

@thot4

Perhaps he didn't learn anything, no. Then again, that may just reflect Amory's uncertainty -- a trait that strongly characterized the entire Lost Generation of which Fitzgerald was a member. The explanation is a little contrived, perhaps, and not too profound. Still, I enjoyed the book, and Fitzgerald's use of language never ceases to astound me: his lyricism alone, in my opinion, warrants a read.

[thot4]

@CaptainMorganThe3rd

Absolutely. I think that's a very good explanation. The uncertainty bit, I mean.

And on second thought, I suppose he did learn something. The last lines seems to reflect that he realizes his own egotism has been the cause for much of his hardships in life.

Anything by Scott is really a good read. Terrific writer.

[CaptainMorganThe3rd]

@thot4

Agreed. His short stories are fantastic, too -- The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, Babylon Revisited, The Freshest Boy, etc. His ability to maintain such a gorgeous style in his prose continues to baffle me.

[sirhonestharry]

I have his short story books. I REALLY reccomend it. He wrote "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

[theSuperMetroid]

They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made. . . .