This is a book of short stories, which aren't much my cup of tea. But, I had to pick this book up because one of the stories, The Cutglass Bowl, involved the beautiful Mrs. Harold Piper. Well, my older brother is named Harold Piper, so I had to check back into his past, so to speak, a past that stretched back long before he was even born.

The stories are ok, I guess, although some, especially The Cutglass Bowl, are a bit dark. Still, reading these is an ok way to while away the time whilst one is awaiting the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, an end that will be long delayed because of the total incompetence and corruption of our country's leaders, who wished to pretend there was "nothing to see here", when it came to dealing with the pandemic. Well, one thing we can see is a massive increase in cemetery plots.
( )

I did not feel that this collection was a decent one. All of the stories, in my opinion (and especially towards the latter end) fell apart and I was not entranced by the characters or the setting. Since I am a fan of Fitzgerald, I believe this was a miss in his large series of usual hits. Nevertheless, some of the stories had good use of language, poetic and breezy, that I enjoyed.

2 stars. ( )

I am still amazed at the intense life experience at such a young age. Even though the themes are often about "coming-of-age", FSF's depth of maturity and comprehension of the deeper side of social relations is evident in each short story. "Benediction" was particularly haunting and seems to pre-empt Hemingway's "iceberg" principle. Certainly worth a read and I must say I am now a convert to the short story... ( )

Some of the stories were great, namely Bernice Bob's Her Hair: definitely one to add to my favorites. Others were so-so. And The Offshore Pirate prevented me from reading this for quite some time. My advice is to skip that one, or at least read them out of order. I would start with Bernice and then go to The Four Fists. After that, it's up to you. ( )

Finished on Jul 28, 2014

Flappers and Philosophers (1920)
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
hardcover

Flappers and Philosophers, first published in 1920, marked Fitzgerald's entry into the short story arena.
As a rule, I'm not taken with short stories; but, Fitzgerald is an exception.
The flavor and the contrasts of his Jazz Age stories intrigues me.
He is precise in his critique of post World War I America.
He's harsh and bold in contrasting those who have and those who have not, and yet I feel the emptiness in his representation of wealth.
In his life, he exercises no discretion in spending, partying and globe trotting with Zelda, who is consumed with trouble and woe.
He provides, for me, an interesting literary sketch of that period.

4 ★ ( )