3 Review(s)

F. Scott Fitzgerald spins a tale of marriage, loyalty and love in The Beautiful and Damned, a modern classic based on his experiences with his wife, Zelda. Summary of the Book Anthony Patch is a well-educated and aspiring aesthete. He seems happily wedded to his gorgeous wife, Gloria, and he eagerly waits to inherit his grandfather’s fortune. However, under the semblance of happiness, their wedding is in shambles. Alcohol and greed take their toll on their relationship, a devastating effect of the nouveau rich and the New York nightlife. Anthony’s memories of his service in the army and his nearly avaricious impatience for his grandfather’s death portray him as a bleak individual who refuses to find joy in anything that does not have wealth attached to it. Gloria’s vices, indolence and alcoholism, as well as her ambitions towards wealth and fame, show the depth to which character falls when it has no other preoccupation. This is one of Fitzgerald’s finest novels, and a tale he closely associated with his experiences with Zelda Fitzgerald, his wife. About F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American writer best remembered for his short stories and novels. He coined the term "the Jazz Age" and is considered one of the most important writers of the 20th century. He has also written This Side of Paradise, The Love of the Last Tycoon, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Tender is the Night.