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smjohns91's review against another edition
3.0
I bought Zelda on a whim when I was caught downtown one evening near Barnes and Noble with a little time to kill. So naturally, I started reading the book right there at the store and after purchasing it, took it home and continued to read it. It chronicles the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, from the beginning to end, with a huge lull in the middle that deal with her illness. I didn't know before reading this book that she too was a novelist and writer, I had always assumed that she was the golden child of the roaring 20s, along with being the wife of F. Scott.
The book was enlightening and more in depth than I was expecting - I was hoping for a more general overview of her life, and somewhat of a lighter read. Either way, it was interesting even though it took me a while to get through it. First published in 1970, the book has gone through a few editions since, and I found the book very informative.
The book was enlightening and more in depth than I was expecting - I was hoping for a more general overview of her life, and somewhat of a lighter read. Either way, it was interesting even though it took me a while to get through it. First published in 1970, the book has gone through a few editions since, and I found the book very informative.
tracyk22's review against another edition
4.0
The legendary story of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald is laid out in this biography of the troubled girl from Alabama. Between Zelda's mental instability and Scott's excessive drinking, no one, not even them, was really sure which came first. Did Scott's drinking make Zelda go crazy or did Zelda's unpredictable behavior cause Scott to drink? What is for sure is that Mrs. Fitzgerald provided a lot of material for Mr. Fitzgerald's novels at times even copying whole passages from her journals.
The biography itself was well written and well researched. Some may find it too in-depth, especially the parts where Zelda's novel and a couple of Scott's are detailed for a number of pages. Though I think Nancy Milford was showing the parallels between their lives and their writing. A must read for literature students.
The biography itself was well written and well researched. Some may find it too in-depth, especially the parts where Zelda's novel and a couple of Scott's are detailed for a number of pages. Though I think Nancy Milford was showing the parallels between their lives and their writing. A must read for literature students.
sarahsayre22's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my favorite books and sparked my interest in the Fitzgeralds
maryehavens's review against another edition
1.0
Calling it on page 183.
I keep finding myself going to other books that have a much quicker pace.
The bottom line is that I just don't care to do that much of a deep dive on Zelda, Scott, or anyone really. I only stuck around this long because it fulfilled a Reading Challenge category (Title that starts with Z, X, or Q) and even that isn't enough for me to continue.
Milford definitely did her research but it's just a bunch of correspondence - which, yay for primary sources but I'm personally just not that interested in her life. I got so disgusted so many times with Zelda and Scott's self-destructive natures. That kind of desperate attention that's fun for a little while and then trainwreck tragic with no redemption arc.
If you are super into the Fitzgeralds, the Jazz Age, the Lost Generation, or any of that, you will probably love this deeper dive. I find the whole thing a bit disgusting, actually. I did really like seeing where The Great Gatsby came from but I think I would have been just as happy to read a paragraph or magazine article on that. Spoiler alert: Daisy is Zelda, Gatsby is Scott, and Daisy's husband is all of Zelda's paramours combined. Nick is likely one of Scott's sane friends.
I keep finding myself going to other books that have a much quicker pace.
The bottom line is that I just don't care to do that much of a deep dive on Zelda, Scott, or anyone really. I only stuck around this long because it fulfilled a Reading Challenge category (Title that starts with Z, X, or Q) and even that isn't enough for me to continue.
Milford definitely did her research but it's just a bunch of correspondence - which, yay for primary sources but I'm personally just not that interested in her life. I got so disgusted so many times with Zelda and Scott's self-destructive natures. That kind of desperate attention that's fun for a little while and then trainwreck tragic with no redemption arc.
If you are super into the Fitzgeralds, the Jazz Age, the Lost Generation, or any of that, you will probably love this deeper dive. I find the whole thing a bit disgusting, actually. I did really like seeing where The Great Gatsby came from but I think I would have been just as happy to read a paragraph or magazine article on that. Spoiler alert: Daisy is Zelda, Gatsby is Scott, and Daisy's husband is all of Zelda's paramours combined. Nick is likely one of Scott's sane friends.
lkp's review against another edition
4.0
Such a well written, fair account of the lives of two intertwined people.
moonpie's review against another edition
5.0
It's hard to review "Zelda" without tying in my feelings about Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald and their crazy, codependent relationship. But I can't find any fault in Nancy Milford's work, and for such a long biography to hold my interest all the way through is sort of amazing, so I'm giving it five stars.
I first learned about Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald a few years ago when I tried to read a couple of Scott Fitzgerald's books. I couldn't STAND the main characters in any of the books, and reading that they were semi-based on the Fitzgeralds in real life made me think these must be some of the most horrid people ever. I read asides about how rocky their relationship was but didn't know too much, but was a little interested in how the characters in the fictional worlds Scott created contrasted with the real people a lot of people compared them to. It wasn't really enough of an interest to do any footwork until I read Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast" and read about his encounters with the Fitzgeralds. They sounded interesting and it spurred me to read "Zelda," which had been sitting on my bookshelf for about a year.
So I guess I should get to the actual review, sorry. Milford writes about Zelda's childhood briefly, but most of the book focuses on her life after she meets Scott, which has a lot to do with the fact that the latter part of her life is better documented, I'm sure. Milford is a skillful biographer and has a knack as far as keeping the reader interested in the story she's telling. This is not quite a biography of Scott, but it is hard not to tell his story while telling Zelda's, so you learn quite a bit about Scott along the way.
Zelda's story is so sad, at least I thought it was. She is not a sympathetic character all of the time -- sometimes she is downright unlikeable -- but I couldn't help but feel sorry for her as her husband stole pieces wholesale from her life to use in his writing, including writing from her journals and letters, and blamed her for almost everything bad that happened to him, professionally and sometimes personally. It seemed at times that he even blamed her for her own mental illness. Reading about Zelda's ups-and-downs and visits to mental health facilities was as sad as reading about her plaintive letters to Scott after their relationship fizzled for the last time, and her problems connecting with her daughter, Scottie.
"Zelda" is just a SAD book, so I can see why it wouldn't be for everybody. It does give great insight into the life of the couple behind the books I read, though (and surprise! I think I would dislike them as much in real life, in their heyday, as I did the characters in the books), and it gives a little window into how mental illness was handled seventy years ago or so. It's a fascinating look into a complicated life, if you can get past the melancholy inevitable end.
(BONUS! I have now learned I am crap at reviewing biographies. Yay?)
I first learned about Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald a few years ago when I tried to read a couple of Scott Fitzgerald's books. I couldn't STAND the main characters in any of the books, and reading that they were semi-based on the Fitzgeralds in real life made me think these must be some of the most horrid people ever. I read asides about how rocky their relationship was but didn't know too much, but was a little interested in how the characters in the fictional worlds Scott created contrasted with the real people a lot of people compared them to. It wasn't really enough of an interest to do any footwork until I read Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast" and read about his encounters with the Fitzgeralds. They sounded interesting and it spurred me to read "Zelda," which had been sitting on my bookshelf for about a year.
So I guess I should get to the actual review, sorry. Milford writes about Zelda's childhood briefly, but most of the book focuses on her life after she meets Scott, which has a lot to do with the fact that the latter part of her life is better documented, I'm sure. Milford is a skillful biographer and has a knack as far as keeping the reader interested in the story she's telling. This is not quite a biography of Scott, but it is hard not to tell his story while telling Zelda's, so you learn quite a bit about Scott along the way.
Zelda's story is so sad, at least I thought it was. She is not a sympathetic character all of the time -- sometimes she is downright unlikeable -- but I couldn't help but feel sorry for her as her husband stole pieces wholesale from her life to use in his writing, including writing from her journals and letters, and blamed her for almost everything bad that happened to him, professionally and sometimes personally. It seemed at times that he even blamed her for her own mental illness. Reading about Zelda's ups-and-downs and visits to mental health facilities was as sad as reading about her plaintive letters to Scott after their relationship fizzled for the last time, and her problems connecting with her daughter, Scottie.
"Zelda" is just a SAD book, so I can see why it wouldn't be for everybody. It does give great insight into the life of the couple behind the books I read, though (and surprise! I think I would dislike them as much in real life, in their heyday, as I did the characters in the books), and it gives a little window into how mental illness was handled seventy years ago or so. It's a fascinating look into a complicated life, if you can get past the melancholy inevitable end.
(BONUS! I have now learned I am crap at reviewing biographies. Yay?)
jennchandler's review against another edition
4.0
This was good, but sluggish at times. I finished it mostly because I hate not finishing books that I've started. I will freely admit, however, that I much prefer fiction to biographies, and that is, I am sure, affecting my opinion of the book. Zelda Fitzgerald was a fascinating woman though, and one I enjoyed reading about.
bigsexy's review against another edition
3.0
I’m not sure how I feel about this book. The research put into this book is thorough and the writing tells a complete beginning to end about the Fitzgeralds but, honestly, I found that I didn’t care for Zelda. I always imagined her being this hipster flapper who matched Her husband wit for wit but I feel like (although she was a talent in her own right) she was chasing attention and fame, especially after F.Scott was at the peak of his success.
cheyenneisreading's review against another edition
5.0
No wonder Zelda "picked at her face" (pg. 258) I had no idea how possessive and jealous F.Scott Fitzgerald was and I had no idea to what extend he used Zelda's thoughts and writings for his own gain. Despite all that new found infomation this is a wonderful biography that is clear and detailed with first hand accounts and notes from both Zelda and Scott making for an engaging biographical read.