It appears I'm exactly on track with your suggestions: I've read Gatsby and Tender is the Night and have Crack-up on my shelf. I agree with you that Gatsby is one of the best American novels. It's not even the subject matter that makes me say that--it's the fact that he successfully creates the "dream" necessary for the story and never breaks it throughout. Often there's a point where one can detect the presence of a writer at work, but in Gatsby I'm immersed in the story the entire time, everything feels real and beautiful (even the tragic bits) and I finish it feeling that I've lived through something. A truly masterful work,
It is a very good book. For me it is a little to emotionally raw and bleak, but it may be that I can’t separate the book from what Fitzgerald was going through.
When I started with Fitzgerald, I decided to do it chronologically which, to be fair, does allow you to see the writing improve as the books go on. I still haven't read Tender is the Night or The Last Tycoon, but I'm looking forward to them. If I could go back and start again, I would take your advice and start with Gatsby. I'll be looking out for The Crackpot. Thanks for the video!
I always realize after I have made these videos that often all I am doing is telling people to read the author in the order that I did. I think I went Gatsby, Paradise, Tycoon, Tender, Crack-up, then Beautiful and Damned with stories sprinkled in and around.
I think I read The Beautiful and the Damned after Gatsby as a young thing, then Tender is the Night which must have been too hopeless as I stopped there. Gatsby is the only one I have reread and it was even better than I recalled it to be.
I just listened to the audiobook of _The Beautiful and Damned_ last month and was surprised by how much I liked it (though it did get bit tedious). Gatsby may be the book I have reread the most because I had a copy in my desk at school and used to read it on my conference periods.
You might find Everybody Was So Young, Gerald and Sara Murphy, a Lost Generation Love Story by Amanda Vaill a good read. Gerald and Sarah are generally recognized as the inspiration for Dick and Nicole Driver in Tender is the Night. Other writers that you have read that are mentioned in this book are Hemingway and Dos Passos. I read it a long time ago when I was obsessed by Fitzgerald and enjoyed it. The Murphy’s were at the center of a very influential literary circle.
Excellent video, Brian! I appreciated how you included The Love of the Last Tycoon. Despite being a fragment, it contains some marvelous writing. I believe Scribner published a “best of” Fitzgerald’s short stories titled Babylon Revisited. That story, along with The Ice Palace, are two of my favorites from him. I want to say there is another titled Absolution that is strong. The Pat Hobby stories he wrote from Hollywood pair well with Last Tycoon. Tender Is the Night might be one of those novels that is simply outside the Venn diagram of books I’m interested in. Great recommendations on the book about Fitzgerald, particularly The Crack-Up! Hope you’re well. Cheers, Jack
Thank you Jack. _Tender Is The Night_ is an odd book in its way. Some one else recommended The Pat Hobby stories in the comment on another video. I did like "The Ice Palace." I forgot about that one. Fitzgerald's openness in _The Crack-Up_ is pretty disarming. Doing well. Hope that you and yours are as well.
I am thinking about reading Tender is the Night in January perhaps, and I'm thrilled to hear your recommendation--especially its links with Hardy! Have you already done a Hemingway version of this series? I must go check...
Really enjoy these videos and find them very helpful! I agree about Great Gatsby. I thought is was an extremely good novel, even on a reread a few years ago.
Though I did really like "This Side of Paradise," I would agree, it is probably not the best place to start. Though I have read all his novels, I do not believe I have read any of his essays! I never actually thought of doing so! I think I will have to look for a copy!
I love your dog coming to check who your talking to in the background!! I really love TGG, I've read it many times and would count it as one of my all time favorite books. But then I haven't read anything else by him. It's so interesting to learn that his books basically follow his life. I mean, that makes sense and I'm sure many authors are that way, but this seems like it was very closely parallel. I have flappers and philosophers, but now I will keep my eye out for tender is the night and Scott and Zelda's letters, and prioritize them! These videos are all so amazing, fun and informative!! Thank you!!
Haha! I expected my dog Zelda to show up in this one since I say the name Zelda a couple of times, but I think it was just Ike. They do get a little worried about me when I make videos and am just in my study chatting away. The Scott and Zelda letters book also has introduction to the different sections to give context about what the letters are about which is really helpfull
@@BookishTexan Haha, that must be cute/confusing to her, that you are saying her name to no one!! My cats either are all over me when I film, or don't care at all. Mostly the latter. Good to know that there is some context for the letters. I like epistolary books but sometimes it's nice if there is something binding them between letters.
I suspect I like Fitzgerald more than you do as I like his first couple novels quite a bit. This is solid advice however, and a great video. I appreciate you mentioning the letters, fascinating stuff.
I think you are probably right. I don't know if its a me thing or a him thing, but his so many of his books feel dated in a way that I don't find true of Wharton, Faulkner, or Hemingway. But Gatsby is such a great book and his letters are so interesting. I actually had two of his original letters in my possession for a short period of time.
Haha I love his short stories. I haven't finished them all of them but they are witty and intelligent and well written. But Gatsby is also one of my favourite novels so I am definitely biased.
I knew that short story selection was going to cause trouble.😁 Fitzgerald's writing is always elegant. _The Great Gatsby_ is one of the great American novels.
I like this framing a lot. And helpful to me, I’ve not read any of his books at all. Wild that the last novel just stops and isn’t finished by someone else. Although The Pale King by DFW was like that as well, but still blew me away incomplete as it is.
@@BookishTexan was Broom of the System worth a go? It’s the one I know the least about. Pale King literally tries to bore you when the character is bored… walls and walls and walls of text-so it can be trying. I suggest taking it on when you’ve got plenty of bandwidth, if and when you ever do.
It’s interesting to me, I read so much Fitzgerald when I was like 18-20 and I honestly can’t even remember it now, can’t remember if I read all of his works or which I’ve read. I loved his writing but absolutely none of it has stuck with me (exception of Gatsby, for obvious reasons I’d think). I’d be interested to reread some of his work and see what I think now. I read him and Salinger at the same time and although i preferred Fitzgerald at the time, Salinger has stuck with me better. Have you read Save Me the Waltz by Zelda? I own it but have put it down every time I’ve tried to read it.
I have not read _Save Me The Waltz_ but it is on my infinite TBR. I can barely remember any of Fitzgerald's short stories other than the ones I mentioned and I have very few memories specifics from _This Side of Paradise_ . The others I remember, but I read two of them within the last five years. I have kind of the opposite deal with Fitzgerald and Salinger, with the exception of Salinger's story "For Esme' With Love and Squalor."
Great thoughts and reviews. I am not a fan of his at all but absolutely would recommend someone try the great Gatsby if never read it. Never thought about it but Fitzgerald and Hardy would probably have been good friends. 😊
That would be an interesting friendship and I think Hardy would have been good for Scott. I can imagine him being less tolerant of Scott's drinking and whining that some of the people he was friends with.
I've read _Gatsby,_ a few times, most recently earlier this year. I'd like to make a video comparing and contrasting it with John O'Hara's _Appointment in Samsara,_ which Fran Lebowit called its author (in a blurb on its back cover): "The real F. Scott Fitzgerald."
That would be an amazing video. I read _Appointment in Samara_ a long time ago and remember very little. Did not know that Lebowitz called O'Hara the real Fitzgerald
I know there always seems to be a camp of people who are either pro Fitzgerald or pro Hemingway, and while I'm clearly in the F. Scott category, I think Hemingway was a far more talented writer with respect to short story writing. However, I think Fitzgerald was the finer writer of the novels of the two. When I first started with F. Scott, I read This Side of Paradise. While clearly it has some biographical interest with respect to his life and thought patterns of life that would continue with all of his books, it was disappointing to me when I read it since I expected a more impactful novel. It was such a tremendous book when it was published. The Great Gatsby has stood the test of time, and has captured the hearts of many. There are 4 films that I know of that have been filmed since the book was published. Tender is the Night is a painful read, in some ways it feels like his most contemporary read. Haven't read the The Last Tycoon but I understand he based it on Irving Thalberg the " Boy wonder" of MGM and his glamorous actress-wife Norma Shearer. I haven't also The Beautiful and the Damned either. Also, I have found his short stories mildly interesting but trifling. But an a writer has to eat and pay the rent.
I am definitely in the Hemingway camp (as you can probably tell from my channel). That said I think Fitzgerald's sentences and his characters are generally superior to Hemingway's and _The Great Gatsby_ is a better novel than any that Hemingway wrote. I read _The Beautiful and Damned_ right before I made this video and since then I have come to view the book more negatively. Fitzgerald's books seem to reflect his life more than Hemingway's. _This Side of Paradise_ is the work of an overly confident young man that was of its time and fit the zeitgeist perfectly. _The Beautiful and Damned_ is the work of a young married man struggling with the emotional and economic issues of marriage. _The Great Gatsby_ stands out because it is, to me, the most imaginative of Fitzgerald's novels. These are characters and a story that are not directly related to Fitzgerald's own life and the polish and the beauty of the writing I think benefit from that remove. _Tender is the Night_ is too close to Fitzgerald's own experiences for comfort. I agree that it is powerful, but it is also a little too raw. Hemingway, while definitely writing based on his own experiences, seemed to be able to maintain a remove from his characters that allowed him to polish away some of the flaws that Fitzgerald didn't/couldn't in all of his books except Gatsby. And, that subtextual thing Hemingway did that Fitzgerald didn't appeals to me more. Hemingway leaves room for interpretation and for the reader to bring something to the story. Fitzgerald gives the reader everything. Thanks for your amazing comment.
@@BookishTexan Thanks for your thoughtful reply, I really appreciate it. What is interesting about re-reading classics, is that each time I notice something new about the work. When I was younger when I read The Great Gatsby, I focused on the relationship btw Jay Gatsby and Daisy. As I got older the character of Jordan Baker, the gold pro, and Daisy's husband was more interesting. Then years later, the anti-Semitism and the Classism really stuck out. Again, this does not affect my enjoyment of it being a classic novel, but identifies the era it was written. While it is easy to see the 1920's as a carefree time, it was also a time of Government corruption ( Teapot Dome Scandal) that led to the depression. In addition, there was great injustice to newer immigrants like the Sacco and Vanzetti case. Also, the terrible Leopold- Loeb case help fueled continual anti-Semitism. While Gatsby is viewed as somewhat of a gangster and is marginalized due to his birth and connections, the upper level that Daisy and Tom represent are really more insidious. Fitzgerald himself was a bit like Gatsby, on the periphery of "society" always looking in, but not really accepted. As far as Hemingway goes, I haven't read enough of his work to speak intelligently on his work. I enjoyed his The Sun Also Rises, again definitely a novel of its time. I've been impressed by his short story writing. Personally, the skill level one needs to be an effective SS writer, I think is more enhanced than writing a full length novel. One does not have the luxury of length to create an effective story, so it needs a certain brilliance that Hemenway mastered.
I say you read them in order of how they were published. If you read Gatsby first and don’t enjoy it you are missing out on the greatest novel in American writing. Read his first two first, or at least one of them and then grab Gatsby
@@BookishTexan I was impressed by the characters and the language ("the valley of ashes"). It was very pessimistic though. I am currently reading A separate peace by John Knowles and I found this sentence: "Nothing endures, not a tree, not love, not even a death by violence." And it is true, that´s how it is. The Great Gatsby is indeed amazing, I might reread it next year.
@@sabinelipinska8614 I somehow missed reading _A Separate Peace_ way back when I was in school. That's a good line though. Thanks for watching my video and leaving a great comment.
I'm pretty sure I did not tell people not to read any book in this video. The whole video is about "where not to start". Its not about Fitzgerald books that you should never read.
@@BookishTexan sir, you bashed his first novel. He is one of, if not the best American novelist. I find it very very insulting and un-American to hear that we should skip some of his books. Why? Because it doesn’t fit your narrative and his prose is “stilted?”
@@jackeddemon I find it odd that you keep insisting that I told people to not read or to skip This Side of Paradise when I said the opposite. There is nothing UnAmerican about voicing my own opinion. There is something UnAmerican about implying I’m only allowed to have one opinion, yours.
What an odd video. Presumably you are a Fitzgerald enthusiast and at the very least give yourself license to recommend for and against his writings. 1). The Last Tycoon has been finished … by a colleague, friend or otherwise (cannot remember who at the moment). Perhaps this is offered as an option to readers? 2). You seem to suggest Fitzgerald was not “prolific” for the lack of discipline or dedication. It astonishes me that everyone, including yourself, fail to appreciate the full scope of his fundamental problem: ALCOHOLISM. His mentally ill wife who saw herself as his equal, menacingly fed his addiction every time he was just about to return to writing. 3). Fitzgerald was paid even MORE than your quoted figure. Astonishingly much more! 4). The Crack Up, I believe was not a collection of short stories assembled by others (as far as I know)…unless someone just piggy-backed on the name. F. Scott Fitzgerald's lauded reflection on fame and addiction was first published as a three-part series in the February, March, and April 1936 issues of Esquire. 5). I recommend Mathew Brocolli’s autobiography “Some Sort Of Epic Grandeur” …if you want to read someone who did his homework and knows what he’s talking about.
What an odd comment. I wonder if you actually watched the video. Because if you had you’d know that I didn’t recommend for or against reading any of Fitzgerald’s work, but instead recommended books to avoid starting with in terms of Fitzgerald’s work and then books to start with after Gatsby. I “gave myself license” to do so because I have read much of Fitzgerald’s work, have studied his life and work, and more importantly this is my RUclips channel where I feel free to express my opinions as I see fit. To address your other points: 1. The edition of the Last Tycoon I read was thankfully unfinished. That it was finished by others later makes no difference in my assessment of the book as a bad place to start reading Fitzgerald because as I said at some point Fitzgerald’s writing stopped. I think all works completed by others after an authors death are to be avoided as bad places to start reading that author. 2. I believe alcoholism leads to indiscipline so I’m not sure pointing Fitzgerald’s well known alcoholism diminishes any lack of discipline I may have implied. Certainly Zelda’s influence and mental illness were also distractions. Who did more damage to who in that relationship is still up for debate, but… 3. I wasn’t going for exact dollar amounts merely giving an impression of how lucrative short story writing was and how, in my opinion, particularly in regard to the Saturday Evening Post stories, that affected their quality. 4. I did not say The Crack-Up was a short story collection. In fact everything you said in your comment I said in the video. 5. I’ve read Bruccoli’s biography. I’ve also read extensively from Fitzgerald’s letters and I even published an article about Fitzgerald and the end of his friendship with American author Thomas Boyd in the Ohio History Journal way back in 2000. Ironically my Thursday video is going to cover that exact topic. You can get a preview of that video by reading the article. Search “Thomas Boyd and F. Scott Fitzgerald:A Brief Literary Friendship” and it should come up. I would include the link, but RUclips sometimes blocks comments with links. Cheers.
![Megan Thee Stallion - Mamushi (Remix) [feat. TWICE] [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5c0_u9PsrsQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Fitzgerald is certainly on of the big names in the first half of the 20th century. My American professor loved his short stories.
I may be an outlier on the short stories.😁
It appears I'm exactly on track with your suggestions: I've read Gatsby and Tender is the Night and have Crack-up on my shelf. I agree with you that Gatsby is one of the best American novels. It's not even the subject matter that makes me say that--it's the fact that he successfully creates the "dream" necessary for the story and never breaks it throughout. Often there's a point where one can detect the presence of a writer at work, but in Gatsby I'm immersed in the story the entire time, everything feels real and beautiful (even the tragic bits) and I finish it feeling that I've lived through something. A truly masterful work,
It is a great book and your description of the experience of reading it is better than I could have done in a million years.
Tender is the Night is a masterpiece and quite arguably his masterpiece.
It is a very good book. For me it is a little to emotionally raw and bleak, but it may be that I can’t separate the book from what Fitzgerald was going through.
When I started with Fitzgerald, I decided to do it chronologically which, to be fair, does allow you to see the writing improve as the books go on. I still haven't read Tender is the Night or The Last Tycoon, but I'm looking forward to them. If I could go back and start again, I would take your advice and start with Gatsby. I'll be looking out for The Crackpot. Thanks for the video!
I always realize after I have made these videos that often all I am doing is telling people to read the author in the order that I did. I think I went Gatsby, Paradise, Tycoon, Tender, Crack-up, then Beautiful and Damned with stories sprinkled in and around.
Another great edition to the where not to start series. Appreciate all the work you do on sharing your experience with us
Thank you Una.
I think I read The Beautiful and the Damned after Gatsby as a young thing, then Tender is the Night which must have been too hopeless as I stopped there. Gatsby is the only one I have reread and it was even better than I recalled it to be.
I just listened to the audiobook of _The Beautiful and Damned_ last month and was surprised by how much I liked it (though it did get bit tedious). Gatsby may be the book I have reread the most because I had a copy in my desk at school and used to read it on my conference periods.
You might find Everybody Was So Young, Gerald and Sara Murphy, a Lost Generation Love Story by Amanda Vaill a good read. Gerald and Sarah are generally recognized as the inspiration for Dick and Nicole Driver in Tender is the Night. Other writers that you have read that are mentioned in this book are Hemingway and Dos Passos. I read it a long time ago when I was obsessed by Fitzgerald and enjoyed it. The Murphy’s were at the center of a very influential literary circle.
I have been meaning to read that book for years. Thank you for the reminder.
Excellent video, Brian! I appreciated how you included The Love of the Last Tycoon. Despite being a fragment, it contains some marvelous writing.
I believe Scribner published a “best of” Fitzgerald’s short stories titled Babylon Revisited. That story, along with The Ice Palace, are two of my favorites from him. I want to say there is another titled Absolution that is strong. The Pat Hobby stories he wrote from Hollywood pair well with Last Tycoon.
Tender Is the Night might be one of those novels that is simply outside the Venn diagram of books I’m interested in.
Great recommendations on the book about Fitzgerald, particularly The Crack-Up!
Hope you’re well.
Cheers, Jack
Thank you Jack.
_Tender Is The Night_ is an odd book in its way.
Some one else recommended The Pat Hobby stories in the comment on another video. I did like "The Ice Palace." I forgot about that one.
Fitzgerald's openness in _The Crack-Up_ is pretty disarming.
Doing well. Hope that you and yours are as well.
I am thinking about reading Tender is the Night in January perhaps, and I'm thrilled to hear your recommendation--especially its links with Hardy! Have you already done a Hemingway version of this series? I must go check...
Haha! Not sure it links, but it is damn grim.😁
Really enjoy these videos and find them very helpful! I agree about Great Gatsby. I thought is was an extremely good novel, even on a reread a few years ago.
Thank you Stephanie. I reread Gatsby five or six years in a row. I had a beat up copy in my desk at school and I read on my conference period.
Though I did really like "This Side of Paradise," I would agree, it is probably not the best place to start. Though I have read all his novels, I do not believe I have read any of his essays! I never actually thought of doing so! I think I will have to look for a copy!
I really enjoyed (that's not really the right word but its early) _The Crack-Up_. Fitzgerald was (I think) a heart on his sleeve kind of person.
I love your dog coming to check who your talking to in the background!!
I really love TGG, I've read it many times and would count it as one of my all time favorite books. But then I haven't read anything else by him. It's so interesting to learn that his books basically follow his life. I mean, that makes sense and I'm sure many authors are that way, but this seems like it was very closely parallel. I have flappers and philosophers, but now I will keep my eye out for tender is the night and Scott and Zelda's letters, and prioritize them!
These videos are all so amazing, fun and informative!! Thank you!!
Haha! I expected my dog Zelda to show up in this one since I say the name Zelda a couple of times, but I think it was just Ike. They do get a little worried about me when I make videos and am just in my study chatting away. The Scott and Zelda letters book also has introduction to the different sections to give context about what the letters are about which is really helpfull
@@BookishTexan Haha, that must be cute/confusing to her, that you are saying her name to no one!! My cats either are all over me when I film, or don't care at all. Mostly the latter.
Good to know that there is some context for the letters. I like epistolary books but sometimes it's nice if there is something binding them between letters.
I have only read the great gatsby.. I didn’t realize Benjamin Button was based off of a novel. Interesting!
Yep, Benjamin Button was a short story, but the movie basically took the idea and made something pretty different.
I suspect I like Fitzgerald more than you do as I like his first couple novels quite a bit. This is solid advice however, and a great video. I appreciate you mentioning the letters, fascinating stuff.
I think you are probably right. I don't know if its a me thing or a him thing, but his so many of his books feel dated in a way that I don't find true of Wharton, Faulkner, or Hemingway. But Gatsby is such a great book and his letters are so interesting. I actually had two of his original letters in my possession for a short period of time.
Haha I love his short stories. I haven't finished them all of them but they are witty and intelligent and well written. But Gatsby is also one of my favourite novels so I am definitely biased.
I knew that short story selection was going to cause trouble.😁
Fitzgerald's writing is always elegant.
_The Great Gatsby_ is one of the great American novels.
I like this framing a lot. And helpful to me, I’ve not read any of his books at all. Wild that the last novel just stops and isn’t finished by someone else. Although The Pale King by DFW was like that as well, but still blew me away incomplete as it is.
Thank you Fraser.
I never read _The Pale King_ . Just _Infinite Jest_ which I thought had some great stuff in it and _The Broom of the System_ .
@@BookishTexan was Broom of the System worth a go? It’s the one I know the least about.
Pale King literally tries to bore you when the character is bored… walls and walls and walls of text-so it can be trying. I suggest taking it on when you’ve got plenty of bandwidth, if and when you ever do.
It’s interesting to me, I read so much Fitzgerald when I was like 18-20 and I honestly can’t even remember it now, can’t remember if I read all of his works or which I’ve read. I loved his writing but absolutely none of it has stuck with me (exception of Gatsby, for obvious reasons I’d think). I’d be interested to reread some of his work and see what I think now. I read him and Salinger at the same time and although i preferred Fitzgerald at the time, Salinger has stuck with me better. Have you read Save Me the Waltz by Zelda? I own it but have put it down every time I’ve tried to read it.
I have not read _Save Me The Waltz_ but it is on my infinite TBR.
I can barely remember any of Fitzgerald's short stories other than the ones I mentioned and I have very few memories specifics from _This Side of Paradise_ . The others I remember, but I read two of them within the last five years. I have kind of the opposite deal with Fitzgerald and Salinger, with the exception of Salinger's story "For Esme' With Love and Squalor."
Great thoughts and reviews. I am not a fan of his at all but absolutely would recommend someone try the great Gatsby if never read it. Never thought about it but Fitzgerald and Hardy would probably have been good friends. 😊
That would be an interesting friendship and I think Hardy would have been good for Scott. I can imagine him being less tolerant of Scott's drinking and whining that some of the people he was friends with.
I've read _Gatsby,_ a few times, most recently earlier this year. I'd like to make a video comparing and contrasting it with John O'Hara's _Appointment in Samsara,_ which Fran Lebowit called its author (in a blurb on its back cover): "The real F. Scott Fitzgerald."
That would be an amazing video. I read _Appointment in Samara_ a long time ago and remember very little. Did not know that Lebowitz called O'Hara the real Fitzgerald
I know there always seems to be a camp of people who are either pro Fitzgerald or pro Hemingway, and while I'm clearly in the F. Scott category, I think Hemingway was a far more talented writer with respect to short story writing. However, I think Fitzgerald was the finer writer of the novels of the two.
When I first started with F. Scott, I read This Side of Paradise. While clearly it has some biographical interest with respect to his life and thought patterns of life that would continue with all of his books, it was disappointing to me when I read it since I expected a more impactful novel. It was such a tremendous book when it was published.
The Great Gatsby has stood the test of time, and has captured the hearts of many. There are 4 films that I know of that have been filmed since the book was published. Tender is the Night is a painful read, in some ways it feels like his most contemporary read.
Haven't read the The Last Tycoon but I understand he based it on Irving Thalberg the " Boy wonder" of MGM and his glamorous actress-wife Norma Shearer. I haven't also The Beautiful and the Damned either. Also, I have found his short stories mildly interesting but trifling. But an a writer has to eat and pay the rent.
I am definitely in the Hemingway camp (as you can probably tell from my channel). That said I think Fitzgerald's sentences and his characters are generally superior to Hemingway's and _The Great Gatsby_ is a better novel than any that Hemingway wrote. I read _The Beautiful and Damned_ right before I made this video and since then I have come to view the book more negatively. Fitzgerald's books seem to reflect his life more than Hemingway's. _This Side of Paradise_ is the work of an overly confident young man that was of its time and fit the zeitgeist perfectly. _The Beautiful and Damned_ is the work of a young married man struggling with the emotional and economic issues of marriage. _The Great Gatsby_ stands out because it is, to me, the most imaginative of Fitzgerald's novels. These are characters and a story that are not directly related to Fitzgerald's own life and the polish and the beauty of the writing I think benefit from that remove. _Tender is the Night_ is too close to Fitzgerald's own experiences for comfort. I agree that it is powerful, but it is also a little too raw.
Hemingway, while definitely writing based on his own experiences, seemed to be able to maintain a remove from his characters that allowed him to polish away some of the flaws that Fitzgerald didn't/couldn't in all of his books except Gatsby. And, that subtextual thing Hemingway did that Fitzgerald didn't appeals to me more. Hemingway leaves room for interpretation and for the reader to bring something to the story. Fitzgerald gives the reader everything.
Thanks for your amazing comment.
@@BookishTexan Thanks for your thoughtful reply, I really appreciate it. What is interesting about re-reading classics, is that each time I notice something new about the work. When I was younger when I read The Great Gatsby, I focused on the relationship btw Jay Gatsby and Daisy. As I got older the character of Jordan Baker, the gold pro, and Daisy's husband was more interesting. Then years later, the anti-Semitism and the Classism really stuck out. Again, this does not affect my enjoyment of it being a classic novel, but identifies the era it was written.
While it is easy to see the 1920's as a carefree time, it was also a time of Government corruption ( Teapot Dome Scandal) that led to the depression. In addition, there was great injustice to newer immigrants like the Sacco and Vanzetti case. Also, the terrible Leopold- Loeb case help fueled continual anti-Semitism.
While Gatsby is viewed as somewhat of a gangster and is marginalized due to his birth and connections, the upper level that Daisy and Tom represent are really more insidious. Fitzgerald himself was a bit like Gatsby, on the periphery of "society" always looking in, but not really accepted.
As far as Hemingway goes, I haven't read enough of his work to speak intelligently on his work. I enjoyed his The Sun Also Rises, again definitely a novel of its time. I've been impressed by his short story writing. Personally, the skill level one needs to be an effective SS writer, I think is more enhanced than writing a full length novel. One does not have the luxury of length to create an effective story, so it needs a certain brilliance that Hemenway mastered.
I say you read them in order of how they were published. If you read Gatsby first and don’t enjoy it you are missing out on the greatest novel in American writing. Read his first two first, or at least one of them and then grab Gatsby
Fair enough. Though I'm not sure _The Beautiful and Damned_ is worth the pages.
Yay for Gatsby and the American dream! :)
Oooh, there's a Fitzgerald for Hardy fans you say.
Haha! Only in terms of grimness.😁
I thought you would mention The Trimalchio.
That doesn't rank?
Well, I’ve never read it. And since it is, I believe, an earlier version of Gatsby I’ve never thought about reading it.
I ve only read the Great Gatsby so far in my English classes.
What did you think about it?
@@BookishTexan I was impressed by the characters and the language ("the valley of ashes"). It was very pessimistic though. I am currently reading A separate peace by John Knowles and I found this sentence: "Nothing endures, not a tree, not love, not even a death by violence." And it is true, that´s how it is. The Great Gatsby is indeed amazing, I might reread it next year.
@@sabinelipinska8614 I somehow missed reading _A Separate Peace_ way back when I was in school. That's a good line though. Thanks for watching my video and leaving a great comment.
Go to 06:30 to see the dog. You're welcome.
Telling us not to read a book because it’s dated is a really bad excuse. They’re all dated! He wrote the damn books over 100 years ago
I'm pretty sure I did not tell people not to read any book in this video. The whole video is about "where not to start". Its not about Fitzgerald books that you should never read.
@@BookishTexan sir, you bashed his first novel. He is one of, if not the best American novelist. I find it very very insulting and un-American to hear that we should skip some of his books. Why? Because it doesn’t fit your narrative and his prose is “stilted?”
@@jackeddemon I find it odd that you keep insisting that I told people to not read or to skip This Side of Paradise when I said the opposite.
There is nothing UnAmerican about voicing my own opinion. There is something UnAmerican about implying I’m only allowed to have one opinion, yours.
@@BookishTexan whatever you say, Mr. Stilted
@@jackeddemon Sorry if I irritated you by accurately representing what I said in the video.
Gatsby is still the only one of his I read
That's probably enough.
What an odd video. Presumably you are a Fitzgerald enthusiast and at the very least give yourself license to recommend for and against his writings.
1). The Last Tycoon has been finished … by a colleague, friend or otherwise (cannot remember who at the moment). Perhaps this is offered as an option to readers?
2). You seem to suggest Fitzgerald was not “prolific” for the lack of discipline or dedication. It astonishes me that everyone, including yourself, fail to appreciate the full scope of his fundamental problem: ALCOHOLISM. His mentally ill wife who saw herself as his equal, menacingly fed his addiction every time he was just about to return to writing.
3). Fitzgerald was paid even MORE than your quoted figure. Astonishingly much more!
4). The Crack Up, I believe was not a collection of short stories assembled by others (as far as I know)…unless someone just piggy-backed on the name. F. Scott Fitzgerald's lauded reflection on fame and addiction was first published as a three-part series in the February, March, and April 1936 issues of Esquire.
5). I recommend Mathew Brocolli’s autobiography “Some Sort Of Epic Grandeur” …if you want to read someone who did his homework and knows what he’s talking about.
What an odd comment. I wonder if you actually watched the video. Because if you had you’d know that I didn’t recommend for or against reading any of Fitzgerald’s work, but instead recommended books to avoid starting with in terms of Fitzgerald’s work and then books to start with after Gatsby. I “gave myself license” to do so because I have read much of Fitzgerald’s work, have studied his life and work, and more importantly this is my RUclips channel where I feel free to express my opinions as I see fit.
To address your other points:
1. The edition of the Last Tycoon I read was thankfully unfinished. That it was finished by others later makes no difference in my assessment of the book as a bad place to start reading Fitzgerald because as I said at some point Fitzgerald’s writing stopped. I think all works completed by others after an authors death are to be avoided as bad places to start reading that author.
2. I believe alcoholism leads to indiscipline so I’m not sure pointing Fitzgerald’s well known alcoholism diminishes any lack of discipline I may have implied. Certainly Zelda’s influence and mental illness were also distractions. Who did more damage to who in that relationship is still up for debate, but…
3. I wasn’t going for exact dollar amounts merely giving an impression of how lucrative short story writing was and how, in my opinion, particularly in regard to the Saturday Evening Post stories, that affected their quality.
4. I did not say The Crack-Up was a short story collection. In fact everything you said in your comment I said in the video.
5. I’ve read Bruccoli’s biography. I’ve also read extensively from Fitzgerald’s letters and I even published an article about Fitzgerald and the end of his friendship with American author Thomas Boyd in the Ohio History Journal way back in 2000. Ironically my Thursday video is going to cover that exact topic. You can get a preview of that video by reading the article. Search “Thomas Boyd and F. Scott Fitzgerald:A Brief Literary Friendship” and it should come up. I would include the link, but RUclips sometimes blocks comments with links.
Cheers.
This guy talks like a sub machine gun.
Haha! I usually think I speak really slow. We’re you look listening to me at 1.5 or 2 times speed.