I first read The Great Gatsby in high school. I loved it, and looking back now, I honestly don’t know why. The ending is terrible and so sad! Not my sort of book at all. I think it was Fitzgerald’s writing and his picture of life in the Roaring ‘20s that hooked me. Which is why I thought reading some of his short stories would be safe. It would allow me to live in the ‘20s without the tragic ending.
Well, that turned out not to be entirely true. Tragedy is part of life, and Fitzgerald certainly writes about life. But he views life also as an amusement. He sees what is funny in a situation and includes that to balance out the sadness. And he is one of those writers that knows how to craft the perfect turn of phrase, one that leaves you thinking, “That couldn’t have been said any better.”
Tales of the Jazz Age holds a variety of stories. The first section includes stories similar to The Great Gatsby, realistic stories that take place in the everyday, crazy life of the Roaring ‘20s. The second section is entitled “Fantasies.” The title is quite accurate, because Fitzgerald certainly let his imagination fly. The third section is more miscellaneous, classified by Fitzgerald as “masterpieces.”
Fitzgerald annotated the table of contents, which was honestly one of my favorite parts of the book. It always adds something to a story or book to know a bit of the background. I’m not a big short story person, but I will gladly read an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story anytime. The characters and plot are often larger than life, but the heart of each story is something we can still relate to today.
Well, that turned out not to be entirely true. Tragedy is part of life, and Fitzgerald certainly writes about life. But he views life also as an amusement. He sees what is funny in a situation and includes that to balance out the sadness. And he is one of those writers that knows how to craft the perfect turn of phrase, one that leaves you thinking, “That couldn’t have been said any better.”
Tales of the Jazz Age holds a variety of stories. The first section includes stories similar to The Great Gatsby, realistic stories that take place in the everyday, crazy life of the Roaring ‘20s. The second section is entitled “Fantasies.” The title is quite accurate, because Fitzgerald certainly let his imagination fly. The third section is more miscellaneous, classified by Fitzgerald as “masterpieces.”
Fitzgerald annotated the table of contents, which was honestly one of my favorite parts of the book. It always adds something to a story or book to know a bit of the background. I’m not a big short story person, but I will gladly read an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story anytime. The characters and plot are often larger than life, but the heart of each story is something we can still relate to today.
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