Thank you for enriching my mind with this multi-layered story of Fitzgerald and the world as it was then. This sheds light on my father’s personality. He was born in 1917 and had a kind of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality with a feminine artist / masculine engineer tension. It’s always puzzled me.
That's very kind of you Susanna - not sure when sharing became more common and indeed welcomed. I suspect it didn't reduce the levels of inner anxiety but by sharing it may have lessened the impact. I'm always concious that I wouldn't be here if my father's first wife had not taken her life during a dark night of the soul through depression having not shared those dark feelings with anyone. My father met my mother some years later.
The Great Gatsby remains one of my favourite American books; I first read it 50 years ago in high school and then in university.
There is much symbolism in the book; and one of note is the loss of innocence and independence, destroyed on the rocks of capitalism (at least its excesses) by the Siren Song of the American Dream, is obvious to any slightly aware reader.
Yes, I have read much of the sad state of affairs surrounding the lives of F. Scott and Zelda F. The Jazz Age was not all fun and games and had within it a high degree of nihilism, a progession following a terrible war.
Wonderfully said Harry! I think my wallet is annoyed that I have to grab a copy of The Crack-Up but the way you wrote about it is so fascinating and I cannot wait to dive in. Thank you for sharing your insights into this book and Fitzgerald's life! Very informative.
Thanks Maureen😊
Thank you for enriching my mind with this multi-layered story of Fitzgerald and the world as it was then. This sheds light on my father’s personality. He was born in 1917 and had a kind of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality with a feminine artist / masculine engineer tension. It’s always puzzled me.
You're such a collector of hundreds of stories, Harry. And then you put them all together nicely like this.
Thank you for sharing your well researched essay.
I wonder at what point it finally became okay for men writers to be able to crack up publicly.
Also wonder whether that freedom reduced the frequency of cracking up.
That's very kind of you Susanna - not sure when sharing became more common and indeed welcomed. I suspect it didn't reduce the levels of inner anxiety but by sharing it may have lessened the impact. I'm always concious that I wouldn't be here if my father's first wife had not taken her life during a dark night of the soul through depression having not shared those dark feelings with anyone. My father met my mother some years later.
The Great Gatsby remains one of my favourite American books; I first read it 50 years ago in high school and then in university.
There is much symbolism in the book; and one of note is the loss of innocence and independence, destroyed on the rocks of capitalism (at least its excesses) by the Siren Song of the American Dream, is obvious to any slightly aware reader.
Yes, I have read much of the sad state of affairs surrounding the lives of F. Scott and Zelda F. The Jazz Age was not all fun and games and had within it a high degree of nihilism, a progession following a terrible war.
The book to read is Exile's Return by Malcolm Cowley. I think it was first published in 1934.
Thanks Perry, will check it out. I book I thought interesting was 'So We Read On: How “The Great Gatsby” Came to Be,’ by Maureen Corrigan
This one sounds like one I ought to read. Right up my alley. Thanks for the recommendation. I will put it on my wish list.
Wonderfully said Harry! I think my wallet is annoyed that I have to grab a copy of The Crack-Up but the way you wrote about it is so fascinating and I cannot wait to dive in. Thank you for sharing your insights into this book and Fitzgerald's life! Very informative.
You can probably pick up a second hand copy at a reasonable price.
Thanks Jenn, I think it's still in print but you might need to search the second hand book shops.
Thank you, Harry! I’m a fan of Fitzgerald as well, but I’ve never read this book. I’ve added it to my list and I really enjoyed your brief essay.
Thank you - appreciate the kind comments 😊