sophiaxlm's review against another edition
4.0
以年轻男女为主角的精彩单元剧。一半的故事有《了不起的盖茨比》的影子：小男孩被高枝上的漂亮小鸟吸引，顶着浪潮拼命划桨；衣着光鲜的年轻女郎明眸顾盼，束发带和尖头高跟鞋都金灿灿的晃眼睛——爱情在他们之间推来搡去，轻率得目不暇给。另一半里的年轻人要柴米油盐得多：妻子埋怨没原则的丈夫借钱给从不还钱的朋友，为妻子跟友人大打出手的丈夫，又打发妻子出门道歉。这些故事发生在乡下教堂里、游轮甲板上、舞池里，一张张面孔走马灯似的，鲜活得有种熟悉感。
sarasofraz's review against another edition
2.0
I liked it. This is the second Fitzgerald i've read and as a compilation of novellas it is good but not mind-blowing or anything. He has a very distinct writing style which became a lot more apparent after reading this. I don't know if this is written before or after The Great Gatsby but I felt like this was a pre-written and that it lead on to become that great novel.
It's all about men's success and stuff like that, so there's no female characters really, and it wasn't very keen on women when there were female characters. But I liked it quite well anyhow.
Honestly it was a bit repetitive and I mostly only finished it because I was travelling and only had this with me at the time. If you have read The Great Gatsby or are planning to read it, don't bother with this one.
It's all about men's success and stuff like that, so there's no female characters really, and it wasn't very keen on women when there were female characters. But I liked it quite well anyhow.
Honestly it was a bit repetitive and I mostly only finished it because I was travelling and only had this with me at the time. If you have read The Great Gatsby or are planning to read it, don't bother with this one.
shellb's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
yatinarora's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
vaishnavikale's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ladywrenalot's review against another edition
3.0
Shame the edition I read had two missing stories. My biggest issue is the way women are written to be only the possessions of men. Because of this archetype I found all the protagonists very unlikable and could not care or engage with their stories. A product of its time, perhaps. But even then most men did not actually see the world that way.
hpuphd's review against another edition
4.0
A book of short stories. I wanted to read "The Sensible Thing" to work through the so-called Gatsby Cluster of stories, but almost all the stories are very good.
itsdanixx's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this. He got a little experimental here as a couple had pretty strange endings. The 9 stories are as follows:
The Rich Boy - 4 Stars
Winter Dreams - 3 Stars
The Baby Party - 5 Stars
Absolution - 4 Stars
Rags Martin-Jones and the Prince of Wales - 4 Stars
The Adjuster - 5 Stars
Hot and Cold Blood - 4 Stars
The Sensible Thing - 5 Stars
Gretchen’s Forty Winks - 5 Stars
The Rich Boy - 4 Stars
Winter Dreams - 3 Stars
The Baby Party - 5 Stars
Absolution - 4 Stars
Rags Martin-Jones and the Prince of Wales - 4 Stars
The Adjuster - 5 Stars
Hot and Cold Blood - 4 Stars
The Sensible Thing - 5 Stars
Gretchen’s Forty Winks - 5 Stars