This Side of Paradise by F Scott Fitzgerald

This Side of Paradise (Arcturus Essential Fitzgerald) (The F. Scott Fitzgerald Collection) (Bibliobazaar Reproduction) (Modern Library) (Jefferson Publication) (Narcissus Off Duty) (Classic F. Scott Fitzgerald) (Arcturus Classics) (Enriched Classics) (World Classics) (A Penguin Classics Hardcover) (Dover Thrift Editions) (The Classic Edition) (Scribner Classics)

by F Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise is the opening statement of his literary career. Published originally in 1920, the novel captures the rhythm and feel of the gaudy decade that was to follow in America. This Side of Paradise made Fitzgerald simultaneously famous and infamous: famous for the stylish exuberance of his writing and infamous for the errors - in spelling, fact, grammar and chronology - that peppered his text. This authoritative critical edition offers an accurate, fully annotated text based on Fitzgerald's original manuscript, explanatory notes, textual apparatus and appendices.

Reviewed by brokentune on

1 of 5 stars

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I love Fitzgerald's short stories and [b:The Great Gatsby|4671|The Great Gatsby|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361191055s/4671.jpg|245494], but I can't get excited about this book at all.
I just finished [b:The Beautiful and Damned|4708|The Beautiful and Damned|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347567298s/4708.jpg|2432116] - which was not an exciting read - and this book seems to be along the same lines, except that Amory Blaine is younger than Anthony Patch. Reading this at a younger age - maybe at one more similar to that of Amory's - would probably throw a different light on the story of Amory (who is trying to find his way in the world) and would probably make it more relevant.

However, having read [b:The Catcher in the Rye|5107|The Catcher in the Rye|J.D. Salinger|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1349928703s/5107.jpg|3036731], [b:Die neuen Leiden des jungen W.|1329641|Die neuen Leiden des jungen W. |Ulrich Plenzdorf|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1182792646s/1329641.jpg|1222782], and other coming of age novels, This Side of Paradise just doesn't do anything for me.

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  • Started reading
  • 5 August, 2013: Finished reading
  • 5 August, 2013: Reviewed