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alf_read's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Fitzgerald wrote this book at just 23-years of age. While this fact certainly comes across in the chaotic arrangement of a plot, it was clear from the beginning that Fitzgerald was a genius and through the character of Amory Blaine we see the beginnings of the defining voice of the Lost Generation.
nelboyle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Read for my fitzgerald class and absolutely loved it. Loved Amory in all his flawed states, loved the writing, loved the timing. Perfect novel for the beginning of my junior yr of college
mysteriesofmar's review against another edition
5.0
i know you shouldn't romanticise fitzgerald romance but boy is a girl SWOONING
clearly much more autobiographical than steinbeck's cannery row (another favourite of mine) but still enjoyable nonetheless. as a huge fan of fitzgerald, a lot of the stories that he tells here make it obvious how he became to be the writer and person that he was.
tangent but #teameleanor
clearly much more autobiographical than steinbeck's cannery row (another favourite of mine) but still enjoyable nonetheless. as a huge fan of fitzgerald, a lot of the stories that he tells here make it obvious how he became to be the writer and person that he was.
tangent but #teameleanor
brianbasketball's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the writing style a lot and some of the messages felt very well explored, like the search for something meaningful that can also make you money. There is a cool exploration of growing through adolescence and college and bouncing between theories and philosophies on the world and life and love and yapping about them like you know anything outside of the bubble you've come from.
I think there is a lot of commentary on the time it was written about the state of literature that doesn't resonate with the current day. If I was more well-read on those authors and much more passionate about poetry some of the references and interspersed poems would have made more sense.
Still, it was cool to see him finish the story with a semblance of what I take to be hope based solely on the foundation of knowing himself, even tho he is penniless and homeless and without a family or a direction in life. "I know myself, and that is all."
I think there is a lot of commentary on the time it was written about the state of literature that doesn't resonate with the current day. If I was more well-read on those authors and much more passionate about poetry some of the references and interspersed poems would have made more sense.
Still, it was cool to see him finish the story with a semblance of what I take to be hope based solely on the foundation of knowing himself, even tho he is penniless and homeless and without a family or a direction in life. "I know myself, and that is all."
sophiapeony's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
thehawk72's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating 3.5
I enjoyed this book because it was quite a change of pace of the things I have been reading as of late. Normally, I like to read YA novels because they are more light-hearted, but I was really feeling the need for something deeper, so I turned to this classic. While the book follows a main character that I don't really relate to, I found his coming-of-age story to be universally applicable. It follows Amory, a young boy who is a self proclaimed egotist, and follows his journey through adolescence, young adulthood, and even after he has been through a war. Not only do his opinions regarding other people change, his opinions regarding himself and the world around him changes due to a variety of factors, some of which were his own fault. Fitzgerald's imagery is really striking, and as much as I know other people may not enjoy lengthy descriptions, I appreciate them because of their aesthetic value. I also loved every single female character that was featured in this novel (even though they were not present for very long) because each of them exhibited such a confident, spunky attitude that was characteristic of the flapper girls at the time. I also think the ending was fairly well deserved; it was not a happy perfect ending where everything was resolved neatly, but it also was not the end of the world for Amory as he battled his feelings.
As of right now, I don't know if I could say I would read it again, but it is a classic that I genuinely enjoyed and would recommend to other people looking for good classics. It is different than the Great Gatsby for sure, so I wouldn't go into this book with a similar mindset, definitely think of it as separate and it will serve its entertainment purposes.
I enjoyed this book because it was quite a change of pace of the things I have been reading as of late. Normally, I like to read YA novels because they are more light-hearted, but I was really feeling the need for something deeper, so I turned to this classic. While the book follows a main character that I don't really relate to, I found his coming-of-age story to be universally applicable. It follows Amory, a young boy who is a self proclaimed egotist, and follows his journey through adolescence, young adulthood, and even after he has been through a war. Not only do his opinions regarding other people change, his opinions regarding himself and the world around him changes due to a variety of factors, some of which were his own fault. Fitzgerald's imagery is really striking, and as much as I know other people may not enjoy lengthy descriptions, I appreciate them because of their aesthetic value. I also loved every single female character that was featured in this novel (even though they were not present for very long) because each of them exhibited such a confident, spunky attitude that was characteristic of the flapper girls at the time. I also think the ending was fairly well deserved; it was not a happy perfect ending where everything was resolved neatly, but it also was not the end of the world for Amory as he battled his feelings.
As of right now, I don't know if I could say I would read it again, but it is a classic that I genuinely enjoyed and would recommend to other people looking for good classics. It is different than the Great Gatsby for sure, so I wouldn't go into this book with a similar mindset, definitely think of it as separate and it will serve its entertainment purposes.