Books & Java

The Beautiful and Damned

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Synopsis:

 
First published in 1922, The Beautiful and Damned followed Fitzgerald's impeccable debut, This Side of Paradise, thus securing his place in the tradition of great American novelists. Embellished with the author's lyrical prose, here is the story of Harvard-educated, aspiring aesthete Anthony Patch and his beautiful wife, Gloria. As they await the inheritance of his grandfather's fortune, their reckless marriage sways under the influence of alcohol and avarice. A devastating look at the nouveau riche and New York nightlife, as well as the ruinous effects of wild ambition, The Beautiful and Damned achieved stature as one of Fitzgerald's most accomplished novels. Its distinction as a classic endures to this day. 

My Review:

F. Scott Fitzgerald does not disappoint. His writing is truly timeless. I read The Great Gatsby and The Last Tycoon when I was in high school and loved both then. However, as a full-grown adult, some 30 years later, I have a new found appreciation for what an amazing writer he truly was. The Beautiful and Damned is the story of Anthony Patch and Gloria Patch. They are spoiled, 20-somethings members of New York's high-society. They are entitled, frivolous, irresponsible and much to their surprise just as susceptible to the cruel consequences of poor planning, and aging. Anthony has the privilege of attending Harvard, traveling through Europe, living a quiet life in which he doesn't have a profession. He simply goes from lunches and dinners at the members only clubs of NYC and the frivolity of evenings at the theater or at one of his cronies boozy parties. Then, he meets Gloria. She is beautiful, smart-mouthed, entitled and conceited. Although he is sitting around waiting for Adam Patch (his grandfather) to die so that he can inherit millions and continue the life of leisure he has known until then, he is besot with Gloria and marries her in the hopes that he can live that life of careless leisure together with the most beautiful woman in NYC at his side. He and Gloria are ridiculously dependent on each other for reassurance of just how wonderful and needed the other is. They revel in their sure status of future millionaires. If only that hard-working, well-respected, responsible old grandfather of his would just die. Their self-importance and irresponsible lifestyle paired with their vanity gets them through their 20s. While selling bonds to get them over year-after-year until the grandfather's imminent death, they reach a point of greedy desperation that has them faced with the not so great consequences of being entitled and spoiled for so long.

This book was written in the early 1920s and the story takes place in the 1910s. I feel compelled to mention that because although that is almost 100 years ago, the story, the characters, the dialog and everything else that makes up this amazing book are completely relevant to today. If you haven't read F. Scott Fitzgerald at all or it's been a long time, I promise you won't be disappointed. He was a master of his craft. Now, I move on to This Side of Paradise as it promises to be just as good. And then, it's time for Ernest Hemingway. Can't wait.