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Nigeyb

Nigeyb

"The Beautiful and Damned" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Beautiful and Damned - F. Scott Fitzgerald

The only other books I've read by F. Scott Fitzgerald, prior to this one, are The Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night. Both are wonderful, especially The Great Gatsby.

The Beautiful and Damned has many pointers to the greatness that was to follow just three years later with the publication ofThe Great Gatsby 

Unlike The Great Gatsby, this is long and sprawling novel and that is its great weakness. Some judicious editing might have resulted in another masterpiece. The Beautiful and Damnedexplores luxury's disappointment, and the corrupting and corrosive power of money. The couple at the heart of the story have it all and yet conspire to end the story as utterly broken and tragic.

As anyone who has already F. Scott Fitzgerald would expect, there is some stunning writing here and the book beautifully evokes the monied social milieu of the East Coast of the 1920s. 

The Beautiful and Damned is worth reading - but read The Great Gatsby first. 

3/5