Length: 364 pages
Genre: Fiction
In 1910s New York, socialite Anthony Patch, grandson of a multimillionaire tycoon, meets and becomes instantly infatuated by the beautiful Gloria Gilbert. The two marry and are soon the toast of Jazz Age New York, spending their lives in a whirlwind of alcohol fueled wild parties and lavish spending. However, they are living well beyond their means, on the increasingly doubtful promise of a large inheritance from Anthony's grandfather and, coupled with their increasing alcoholism, the couple plummet towards self-destruction.
This was F. Scott Fitzgerald's second novel, following This Side of Paradise (1920) which is namechecked in the book, and is seen as being based on Fitzgerald's own relationship with his wife Zelda. It's beautifully written with beautiful, poetic turns of phrase and is often strangely funny. It's also still strangely relevant, even though the book was written nearly a hundred years ago, there are plenty of Anthony and Glorias about today. I could imagine them today being social media "influencers". Anthony and Gloria are not a particularly likeable pair. They are both monumentally selfish. They are also seemingly incapable of looking to the future: Anthony is convinced of a multimillion dollar inheritance, which ends up being tied up in the courts in a case which becomes a major subplot in the later section of the book; while Gloria wants to enjoy her youth and beauty to the fullest, even though she knows it will fade someday, it is still a bitter pill when that day arrives. Throughout the book the characters try various careers without success, while their friends move on to success and come to view them with contempt. This is a great book, and very readable. It's main problem is the very end, which feels rushed and unrealistic, and kind of undeserved.
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