by Alfred Kazin
First published 1962
Alfred Kazin traces the arc of F. Scott Fitzgerald's tumultuous career from his early success to his later struggles. Kazin explores how Fitzgerald captured the glamour and disillusionment of the Jazz Age while battling his own demons of alcoholism and financial pressure. The critic examines Fitzgerald's major works, including The Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night, alongside his troubled marriage to Zelda and his time in Hollywood. Kazin shows how Fitzgerald's personal experiences shaped his fiction and how his writing reflected the broader cultural shifts of early twentieth-century America. The book reveals both the brilliance of Fitzgerald's prose and the tragic elements of his life, offering readers insight into one of America's most celebrated yet troubled literary figures.
Genres: biography, american-fiction, 20th-century, american, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: tragic-hero, troubled-artist
Setting: America, Hollywood
Period: Jazz Age, Early 20th Century
221 pages · Paperback · Collier Books
Content warnings: addiction, alcohol-abuse