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Tales of the Jazz Age

Tales of the Jazz Age

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  • Create Date：2021-05-22 11:53:35
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • ISBN：0141197471
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Summary

Stories of “the lost generation，” these Jazz Age tales vividly preserve Fitzgerald’s signature blend of enchantment and disillusionment。 Including， “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button，” “Head and Shoulders，” “The Cut-Glass Bowl，” “The Four Fists，” “May Day，” and others， this gorgeous volume gathers all of Fitzgerald's most popular stories。

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” sees a baby born in 1860 begin life as an old man and then age backwards。 F。 Scott Fitzgerald hinted at this kind of inversion when he called his era “a generation grown up to find all Gods dead， all wars fought， all faiths in man shaken”。 Perhaps nowhere in American fiction has this “lost generation” been more vividly preserved than in Fitzgerald's short fiction。 Spanning the early twentieth-century American landscape， this collection captures， with Fitzgerald's signature blend of enchantment and disillusionment， America during the Jazz Age。

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Reviews

Lemar ，

The Tales in this short story collection from the early 1920’s， F。 Scott Fitzgerald’s early years， hang like over ripe fruit。 He captures the voluptuous luster and allure of the young people that populate his stories。 The aching desire， the dread of not fitting in of his male characters are juxtaposed the careless sexual power wielded by young women who sense this moment in history in opening new paths for them。 But lurking underneath is the melancholy of a realization that ripeness does not las The Tales in this short story collection from the early 1920’s， F。 Scott Fitzgerald’s early years， hang like over ripe fruit。 He captures the voluptuous luster and allure of the young people that populate his stories。 The aching desire， the dread of not fitting in of his male characters are juxtaposed the careless sexual power wielded by young women who sense this moment in history in opening new paths for them。 But lurking underneath is the melancholy of a realization that ripeness does not last。 There is a tension Fitzgerald expertly captures between the fun of the all night crazy carousing jazz party and a persistent urge for a form of happiness that can endure。 My favorites are May Day and "O Russet Witch"。While the majority of the stores revolve around young love， there is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button。 Fitzgerald shows a dry humor。 As Benjamin’s father enters the aged infant’s nursery， “he found the room full of faint blue haze and Benjamin， with a guilty expression on his face， trying to conceal the butt of a Havana。 This， of course， called for a severe spanking， but Mr。 Button found that he could not bring himself to administer it。 He merely warned his son that he would ‘stunt his growth’。”Words seem to flow for the Young Fitzgerald， in a way that reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe。 Each story is a pleasure to read for that attribute alone。 And he seems not unaware of his gift and how to use it。 In an odd， funny， avant-garde story/play called Mr Icky The Quintessence of Quaintness in One Act， a character remarks， “After all what is brilliance？ Merely the tact to sow when no one is looking and reap when everyone is。” 。。。more

Phoenix ，

From the touching to the tragic， and the curious to the absurd， this collection is a testament to Fitzgerald's wide ranging interests and diverse ability。 From the touching to the tragic， and the curious to the absurd， this collection is a testament to Fitzgerald's wide ranging interests and diverse ability。 。。。more

Giulia ，

2。5 ⭐️

Andrea Marchionni ，

Some stories are incredible， an example of writing and fantasy at its best。 Other are just， admittedly， tales written quickly for making money or for excercising his writing style。

Jayme ，

Taking a minute to stare at this really pretty cover。 Did I let Penguin sell me a whole set of overpriced copyright free books because of their shiny art deco covers？ Yes， I did。 Also， I love Fitzgerald's writing so much。 Do we even really know what the roaring twenties were really like or did he invent it himself？ All of these stories were great。 The short story version of Benjamin Button。。。man the movie missed some opportunities there to take itself a little less serious and put in some Fitzge Taking a minute to stare at this really pretty cover。 Did I let Penguin sell me a whole set of overpriced copyright free books because of their shiny art deco covers？ Yes， I did。 Also， I love Fitzgerald's writing so much。 Do we even really know what the roaring twenties were really like or did he invent it himself？ All of these stories were great。 The short story version of Benjamin Button。。。man the movie missed some opportunities there to take itself a little less serious and put in some Fitzgerald humour。 I think The Four Fists was my favourite in the collection。 The premise is literally a guy who gets punched in the face at four different times in his life when he's being a douche and each time he gets a little more enlightened。 If only life worked that way。Looking forward to making my way through the rest of this shiny Fitzgerald collection。 。。。more

Lorna ，

Tales of the Jazz Age was an anthology of short stories and novellas by F。 Scott Fitzgerald first published in 1922 that pretty much established Fitzgerald as the definitive writer about the Jazz Age。 This series was divided into three sections entitled "My Last Flappers。" "Fantasies，" and "Unclassified Masterpieces。" Some of my favorites were "The Jelly-Bean，" "May Day，" "O Russet Witch，" and "The Lees of Happiness。" These stories were submitted over a period of three years to several differen Tales of the Jazz Age was an anthology of short stories and novellas by F。 Scott Fitzgerald first published in 1922 that pretty much established Fitzgerald as the definitive writer about the Jazz Age。 This series was divided into three sections entitled "My Last Flappers。" "Fantasies，" and "Unclassified Masterpieces。" Some of my favorites were "The Jelly-Bean，" "May Day，" "O Russet Witch，" and "The Lees of Happiness。" These stories were submitted over a period of three years to several different publications。 Although some of the stories were a little lacking it is apparent that F。 Scott Fitzgerald was a brilliant writer。And just a few of my favorite quotes from a couple of the stories: "'Jelly-bean' is the name throughout the undissolved Confederacy for one who spends his life conjugating the verb to idle in the first person singular--I am idling， I have idled， I will idle。""Everybody's youth is a dream， a form of chemical madness。""The years between thirty-five and sixty-five revolve before the passive mind as one unexplained， confusing merry-go-round of ill-gaited and wind-broken horses， painted first in pastel colors， then in dull grays and browns， but perplexing and intolerably dizzy the thing is， as never were the merry-go-rounds of childhood or adolescence， as never， surely， were the certain-coursed， dynamic roller coasters of youth。""But it was too late。 He had angered Providence by resisting too many temptations。 There was nothing left but heaven， where he would meet only those， who， like him， had wasted earth。""To these two life had come quickly and gone， leaving not bitterness， but pity; not disillusion， only pain。 There was already enough moonlight when they shook hands for each to see the gathered kindness in the other's eyes。" 。。。more

Akkisuitok ，

A perfect collection of some of Fitzgerald's best short stories。 I loved every single short story in here， which is a rarity with most collections。 Fitzgerald is a master of this format and length of story。 A perfect collection of some of Fitzgerald's best short stories。 I loved every single short story in here， which is a rarity with most collections。 Fitzgerald is a master of this format and length of story。 。。。more

Aaron ，

I read this over the course of a year or maybe more （actually， according to GR， it is slightly less， 11 months to the day！）， interjecting the stories between novels。 This is the first time I've done something like that and I'll look to do it again if I discover more short stories to my liking。 There are some classics in this one: Benjamin Button is only a few pages and yet rightfully inspired a full movie; The Camel's Back， The Diamond As Big As The Ritz， and "O Russet Witch" all stick in my min I read this over the course of a year or maybe more （actually， according to GR， it is slightly less， 11 months to the day！）， interjecting the stories between novels。 This is the first time I've done something like that and I'll look to do it again if I discover more short stories to my liking。 There are some classics in this one: Benjamin Button is only a few pages and yet rightfully inspired a full movie; The Camel's Back， The Diamond As Big As The Ritz， and "O Russet Witch" all stick in my mind as well。 The last 70 pages， which I read in one sitting， reminded me why Fitzgerald is my favorite author。 And with that I think I've nearly read everything he's ever published; a multi-year endeavor that started back who knows when， sometime in college probably after I came home from abroad and realized I loved to read。 The Diamond As Big As The Ritz is of special note。 It's pretty wild and the first time I've read anything considered fantasy by him。 。。。more

Igor Neox ，

- The Jelly-Bean ★★★★★- The Camel's Back ★★★★★- May Day ★★★★☆- Porcelain and Pink ★★★☆☆- The Diamond as Big as the Ritz ★★★★★- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ★★★★★- Tarquin of Cheapside ★★★☆☆- Oh Russet Witch！ ★★★☆☆- The Lees of Happiness ★★★☆☆- Mr。 Icky ★★★☆☆- Jemina， the Mountain Girl ★★★★☆ - The Jelly-Bean ★★★★★- The Camel's Back ★★★★★- May Day ★★★★☆- Porcelain and Pink ★★★☆☆- The Diamond as Big as the Ritz ★★★★★- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ★★★★★- Tarquin of Cheapside ★★★☆☆- Oh Russet Witch！ ★★★☆☆- The Lees of Happiness ★★★☆☆- Mr。 Icky ★★★☆☆- Jemina， the Mountain Girl ★★★★☆ 。。。more

Mike ，

Only a couple of stories I didn't enjoy。 All were well written。 Only a couple of stories I didn't enjoy。 All were well written。 。。。more

Luciana Rosa （Bookmark Curiosities） ，

Short stories collection。 I liked the writing style and some stories are amusing。 It includes “The Curious Case of Benjamim Button”， that was turned into a movie。 But overall I don’t think any story made an impression on me。 Very vanilla。

Stefano Stanga ，

Fitzgerald è sempre una sorpresa！

Komal ，

The are weirdly humourous stories， some with sudden endings， while others。。。not my cup of tea。。。 Not what I expected at all after trying to read another Fitzgerald book which was not at all to my liking。

Katrien Lehoucq ，

I have a different edition of this book， that is not known by this app （I tried ISBN as well， but no results）。 Mine has a shiny golden cover and contains eight stories from Tales of the Jazz Age and Flappers and Philosophers。 All stories deal with the irony of life and are very pleasant to read。 Definitely a valuable addition to my book shelve and not just for the shiny cover。

H。 Zipfel ，

I'm still on the Fitzgerald kick， having purchased his complete works and finding a fair share of gems。 TALES OF THE JAZZ AGE （1922） contains one story I adored - "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz，" some surprisingly funny tales like "The Camel's Back，" and "Pink and Porcelain，" and some fumbling others， all of which I dissect below。“The Jelly Bean” 1920★★★☆☆This mildly humorous and wistful little jaunt was cowritten by Zelda Fitzgerald， though in the opening， Francis merely notes that “his wife” I'm still on the Fitzgerald kick， having purchased his complete works and finding a fair share of gems。 TALES OF THE JAZZ AGE （1922） contains one story I adored - "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz，" some surprisingly funny tales like "The Camel's Back，" and "Pink and Porcelain，" and some fumbling others， all of which I dissect below。“The Jelly Bean” 1920★★★☆☆This mildly humorous and wistful little jaunt was cowritten by Zelda Fitzgerald， though in the opening， Francis merely notes that “his wife” helped with some parts。 Unfortunately， it’s clear which parts were written by Zelda。 The protagonist’s name is Jelly， a more playful and whimsical name than one I’ve ever seen from Francis’s characters。 Here’s a description-of the Jelly Bean himself， sounding very unFitzgeraldian: “He grew lazily during jelly bean season， which is every season， down in the land of the jelly-beans—” Another: “He was a jelly-bean… I write that again because it has a pleasant sound—rather like the beginning of a fairy story—” Again， clearly not Francis。 The use of dashes and intuitive prose is so very Zelda。 Anyway， back to poor Jelly Bean， also known as Jim in more rationally narrated parts （written by Francis）… Jim is just a good ol’ boy who falls in love with a crap shooting， whiskey drinking， high-falutin’ southern belle。 There are memorable moments—such as the scene in which the girl in question scrapes gum off her shoe by dancing in a pool of gasoline。 It doesn’t end well for the girl or for Jelly Bean。 And， I don’t think short stories should be cowritten。“The Camel’s Back”1920★★★☆☆Young Perry， rebuffed by his fiance， embarks on a drunken adventure to a costume party， dressed a camel。 The camel bows reverently in greeting others， seriously admits his need to drink enough to sustain him in the desert， and eventually clumsily dances the cotillion with his ex fiance。 At the end of the party， the camel wins an award， but is anatomically incapable of accepting the box of cigars as his prize。This has the light humor of “Porcelain and Pink” （featured later in this volume）。 It’s a silly， and dare I say cute short story by Fitzgerald。 Images of the camel dancing the cotillion will stay with me for a while。“May Day”1920★★★☆☆This story weaves separated “true” stories that happened around May Day， 1920 in New York City。 In this tale we hear about the goings-on of radicalized anticommunist soldiers， idealistic， out-of-touch socialists， alcoholic bums and pompous socialites。 It ends tragically， Fitzgerald attempting to weave their lives together through a series of gruesome， though not entirely memorable， deaths。“Porcelain and Pink”1920★★★☆☆Half narration， half play–this story is light， sweet， and silly。 Two sisters， twins one can assume， argue over using the bath。 A snobbish， intellectual boyfriend appears at the window， mistakes the identity of one for the other。 The girl in the bathtub carries on， making light of the situation and making a fool of the boyfriend。“The Diamond as Big as the Ritz”1922★★★★★This starts as a fantasy regarding a man who lives on a mountain made of diamond， and it ends like a Bruce Springsteen song。 If you’re not sure what I mean， read on。The beginning is a Gatsbyesque dream of gaudiness and glamour。 Beneath the spectacle of the man’s diamond mansion lies seedy moral corruption。 The richest man on earth remains that way through a series of murders and kidnappings。 Children brought up in this fairytale of spoilt to the point of zero empathy and common sense。When well-to-do midwestern John shows up， things turn sour。 By the end of the story， John is telling his beloved murderess fiance， heiress of the diamond mountain， to “turn up her coat collar” as they head out into the cold world， completely penniless。“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”1922★★☆☆☆Having already seen the movie inspired by this tale， my expectations were low going into this one。 However the film， despite its shortcomings， exceeded the short story’s enjoyability。 This story is merely a tale of aging in reverse， with tedious descriptions of gray hair， puberty， and the like。In the table of contents， Fitzgerald provided an anonymous letter written in response to “Benjamin Button。” This letter may be worth more merit than the story itself:“Sir–I have read the story Benjamin Button in Colliers and I wish to say that as short story writer， you would make a good lunatic。 I have seen many pieces of cheese in my life but of all the pieces of cheese I have seen you are the biggest。 I hate to waste a piece of stationary on you， but I will。”“Tarquin of Cheapside”1917★★★★☆Set in the Elizabethan era， this is a uniquely written narrative about a man running from two assailants on Cheapside Street in London。 The fleeing man， “Soft Shoes，” escapes the wrath of “Flowing Boots” by moving with the clouds when they cast over the moon。 Pikeman stand at the ready in the streets， hoping to catch an unknown “Satan。”In Part II， Wessel Caxter， an indolent man who spends all his time reading， shelters the fleeing man on the promise that Soft Shoes will write something entertaining for him to read。 It is not until the end of this brief plot that we read the opening of the tale， which Soft Shoes titled “The Rape of Lucrece。” It can be assumed， then， that the man writing the poem （Soft Shoes） is Tarquin， the Roman soldier at the forefront of Shakespeare’s poem， and that Fitzgerald’s short story is meant to exist with the universe of that tale。So， we have a story within a story; Fitzgerald’s creativity is on full display here。 It’s clear that Fitzgerald is flexing his Wordsmithian muscles here， concentrating on how deliciously he could deliver unusual words for usual things， such as “Soft Shoes，” “Flowing Boots，” and later when he describes the clouds over the moon as “the hand’s… pale caress。” Fitzgerald claims to have written this at only 19， and I fully take his word for it。 This is more puzzle than story， more clever than significant。“O Russet Witch”1921★☆☆☆☆Merlin Grainger spends his life in a bookshop while pining after an unruly， carefree， boisterous flapper-type woman: Caroline。 One day， Caroline strolls into the bookshop in which he works， and starts throwing books， tearing down the place。 He loves it–her chaos a symbol of her unrestrained nature and her ambivalence to the world’s expectations。 Caroline is elusive， so he marries Olive instead – a calm and loyal woman of his own status。 They enjoy a quiet life together， but as he grows through various stages in his life， he continues to wish he had access to the riotous party girl who radiated mayhem and drama。 Merlin dies at 65， feeling he wasted his life。This was written in 1921 and explains much about Fitzgerald’s view of aging， dating， and his philosophy on how one ought to live life。 In one passage， he describes turning 35 as “a gradual withdrawal from life… ending up at last in a solitary， desolate point… we sit waiting for death。” It is no surprise， given this mindset， that Fitzgerald died in his 40s。 He viewed life as meant to be lived by the young， and as chaos and fun preferable to routine and security。 This short story also explains his marriage to Zelda。 Zelda and Francis were known for the pandemonium they enjoyed together in the 1920s， but the drunken， frivolous， hilarious parties they enjoyed in their youth turned violent and sour as they aged。 Need I remind the reader of Francis and Zelda’s untimely death？Looking back on this text at the publication of the volume， TALES OF THE JAZZ AGE， published in 1922， Fitzgerald admits that the short story is problematic。 Yet， he chose to leave it as is， saying， “However the years may have dealt with Merlin Grainger， I myself was thinking always in the present。” I interpret this to mean that Fitzgerald was only thinking of his life when he wrote this short little tale， and his fascination with the tumult and drama of the upper class。However short-sighted the plot may be， Fitzgerald’s writing does not disappoint。 Fitzgerald writes the fascination and radiance of romance in a fresh way in each of his stories。 Take this example from “O Russet Witch”:“‘Are you going？’He knew she was。His question was simply a lingering wile to detain her and extract for another moment that dazzling essence of light he drew from her presence， to continue his enormous satisfaction in her features， which were like kisses and， he thought， like the features of a girl he had known back in 1910。”“The Lees of Happiness”1920★☆☆☆☆This one did not contain a hint of Fitzgerald’s usual romping pomp and splendor。 This is a quiet story about a woman named Roxanne。 Roxanne gives up a promising dancing career to settle down with a man named Jeff。 They are both very much young and in love， but after only a few years of marriage， Jeff is diagnosed with a terminal illness and becomes comatose。 Roxanne continues to care for him until his death less than ten years later。Similar to a famous Christmas story I dislike， IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE， the wife does not remarry after her husband’s death， but remains devoted entirely to him。 She becomes saintlike。 Again， similar to the wife in that Christmas tale， she takes on the reputation of a spinster。 Her only happiness is in memories of her husband。 Funny that she never thinks back to her days as a dancer， or of her own family。 I’d rather just forget this story altogether。“Mr。 Icky”1920★☆☆☆☆This is a short one-act play written in a somewhat absurdist， flippant style。 This seems like Fitzgerald’s attempt at dark humor。 I would call it inspired by Samuel Beckett if Beckett had not contributed to the theater of the absurd 30 years after this was written。An old man， Mr。 Icky， is mistreated and forgotten by his children， and then he dies。 Depressing and strange – I didn’t get this one at all。“Jemina， the Mountain Girl”1917★★☆☆☆Jemina Tantrum， a “mountain girl，” is from a family of whiskey brewers。 Upon finding gold on Tantrum land， a feud with the neighbors， the Doldrums， ignites。 Meanwhile， a man from a nearby city arrives in attempt to buy the land。 Jemina falls in love with him。 The Doldrums launch a full-scale attack on the Tantrums， including brick-throwing and arson。 Jemina and the man from the city die in one another’s arms。This extremely brief piece of humor was enjoyable for its clever names and touches of satire。 Better than “Mr。 Icky” but not as good as “Jelly-Bean。” 。。。more

Elizabeth （Alaska） ，

Abandoned。The first 3 stories were very entertaining and I'm so sorry this collection didn't continue in the same vein。 However， the next section was called "Fantasy"。 I guess I didn't understand what that meant。 The first story was "A Diamond as Big as the Ritz"。 Some of my friends liked it。 Not my thing in any way shape or form and whatever humor was supposed to be there fell flat flat flat。 There were more stories to come and I just didn't want to face them。 Abandoned。The first 3 stories were very entertaining and I'm so sorry this collection didn't continue in the same vein。 However， the next section was called "Fantasy"。 I guess I didn't understand what that meant。 The first story was "A Diamond as Big as the Ritz"。 Some of my friends liked it。 Not my thing in any way shape or form and whatever humor was supposed to be there fell flat flat flat。 There were more stories to come and I just didn't want to face them。 。。。more

Emily ，

I get a little tired of the poor rich boy tired of partying theme。 I did like the fantastical stories like Diamond as Big as the Ritz and Benjamin Button， but not enough to keep reading more of his works （oh I already did Gatsby and had a LOT of the poor rich boy）。

Justin Null ，

This collection has some of Fitzgerald's best stories， along with some short throwaway pieces。 May Day， The Diamond as Big as the Ritz， and O Russet Witch are the highlights。 This collection has some of Fitzgerald's best stories， along with some short throwaway pieces。 May Day， The Diamond as Big as the Ritz， and O Russet Witch are the highlights。 。。。more

Andrea ，

Nell'età del Jazz contano i soldi， il divertimento， la libertà。 Le responsabilità invecchiano， e senza status non si è mai all'altezza。 Insomma FSF abita qui， ma i racconti sono eterogenei per valore， li ho trovati noiosi e lontani da me。 Nell'età del Jazz contano i soldi， il divertimento， la libertà。 Le responsabilità invecchiano， e senza status non si è mai all'altezza。 Insomma FSF abita qui， ma i racconti sono eterogenei per valore， li ho trovati noiosi e lontani da me。 。。。more

Griffin Connolly ，

Some really exquisite stories:- Diamond as big as the ritz- O Russet Witch- Lees of HappinessFitzgerald around the time of these stories seemed quite obsessed with youth and aging。 And， as always， whether love lasts。 At 25， the nexus of youth and adulthood， that hit！Also， some super funny writing。 He’s all-time clever。

Jane ，

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 4/5 starsHead and Shoulders - 4/5 starsThe Cut-Glass Bowl - 4。5/5 starsThe Four Fists - 3。5/5 starsMay Day - 3。5/5 starsO Russet Witch - 2。5/5 starsBeatrice Bobs Her Hair - 2/5 starsThe Lees of Happiness - 3/5 stars

Edward ，

I’ve read three of Fitzgerald’s novels， THIS SIDE OF PARADISE （1920）， THE GREAT GATSBY （1925）， and TENDER IS THE NIGHT （1933）， but I had not read this collection of eleven stories （1922） and happened to read it only because a friend recommended one of the stories， “ The Diamond As Big As the Ritz” ， telling me that it bore an eerie resemblance to Donald Trump’s obsession with wealth and power。 It does that， and it’s strange to think that this story was written nearly 100 years ago。 That’s what g I’ve read three of Fitzgerald’s novels， THIS SIDE OF PARADISE （1920）， THE GREAT GATSBY （1925）， and TENDER IS THE NIGHT （1933）， but I had not read this collection of eleven stories （1922） and happened to read it only because a friend recommended one of the stories， “ The Diamond As Big As the Ritz” ， telling me that it bore an eerie resemblance to Donald Trump’s obsession with wealth and power。 It does that， and it’s strange to think that this story was written nearly 100 years ago。 That’s what got me interested in the rest of the stories， where I think Fitzgerald is often at his best as a writer。 t Fitzgerald wrote nearly 200 short stories， most of them commercial magazine pieces and forgettable。 But the author put together this collection， stories he obviously thought were good。 They’re grouped in three categories， “My Last Flappers，” “Fantasies，” and a probably ironically titled， “Unclassified Masterpieces。” A powerful novella in the first section， “May Day，” combines the disillusionment of post World War I veterans with the extravagant trappings of a business community， celebrating the war’s victory。 A grim collision of soldiers， college boys， drunkeness， and a mob leads to a suicide and exposes the dark reality behind the surface glitter of the 20’s。 tVariations on this theme of deceptive initial appearances appear in many of the other stories as well。 “Jelly Bean，” also in the first section portrays a small town idler who flirts with a wealthy girl and begins to take the flirting seriously until she carelessly drops him。tThe second section “Fantasies”， aptly named， contains two of Fitzgerald’s most famous stories， “The Diamond As Big As the Ritz，” and “ The Curious Case of Benjamin Button，” made into a 2008 movie。 “Benjamin Button” could be viewed as a satire， one that shows an individual growing， not older but younger。 The pursuit of youth as a dream of happiness is a common American aspiration， but in Benjamin’s case， there is no stopping the process and he finally reverts to a mindless infantile state。 tIn “O Russet Witch” Fitzgerald reverses the process， following a young couple from their youth to their late 60’s。 They do not age well， the young man settling into a conventional and unsatisfying marriage， while the young girl， once beautiful and charmingly impulsive at 19， has become a selfish old crone。 tI’d have to agree with Fitzgerald that “The Lees of Happiness” found in “Unclassified Masterpieces” is truly a masterpiece。 It has wonderful visual and cinematic qualities and I’m surprised it hasn’t been adapted into a movie。 It deals with a young couple who apparently have everything – wealth， intelligence， good looks – and it is all tragically lost through a debilitating disease that strikes suddenly How the wife deals with this abrupt change is at the heart of the story， but what gives the story complexity and depth is a subtle comparison with a second couple whose circumstances are e different， but come to face similar psychological difficulties。tA wide range of experiences in these stories give the reader a real appreciation of Fitzgerald。 He transports one back to the “roaring twenties”， the “jazz age” with all of its unique characteristics d and at the same time depicts individuals who are recognizable in any time period 。。。more

Özgün Onat ，

📚 Ona ilgimin artmasına sebep olan ise "Paris'te Gece Yarısı （ Midnight In Paris）" filmi oldu。 Filmde Ernest Hemingway， Pablo Picasso， Salvador Dali， Toulouse-Lautrec， Paul Gaguin， Edgar Degas， T。 S。 Eliot gibi daha ünlü ve ilginç karakterler olmasına rağmen Scott ve Zelda Fitzgerald ilgimi daha çok çekti， merakımı uyandırdı。 Kitaplarını okuma isteği ile yazarlar listeme ekledim。 Şimdi sırada Zelda'nın kitaplarını okumak var。📚 Kitap Roger Lathbury'nin kaleminden "Caz Çağı: Bir Dönemin Ruhu" başl 📚 Ona ilgimin artmasına sebep olan ise "Paris'te Gece Yarısı （ Midnight In Paris）" filmi oldu。 Filmde Ernest Hemingway， Pablo Picasso， Salvador Dali， Toulouse-Lautrec， Paul Gaguin， Edgar Degas， T。 S。 Eliot gibi daha ünlü ve ilginç karakterler olmasına rağmen Scott ve Zelda Fitzgerald ilgimi daha çok çekti， merakımı uyandırdı。 Kitaplarını okuma isteği ile yazarlar listeme ekledim。 Şimdi sırada Zelda'nın kitaplarını okumak var。📚 Kitap Roger Lathbury'nin kaleminden "Caz Çağı: Bir Dönemin Ruhu" başlıklı yazısında "Caz Çağı" ile Fitzgerald hakkında bilgi veriyor ve ikisi arasındaki bağı anlatıyor。 Kitaptaki öyküler üç bölüme ayrılmış: "Benim Son Uçarı Kızlarım" adlı bölümde dört; "Fanteziler" adlı bölümde dört ve "Sınıflandırılmamış Baş Yapıtlar" adlı bölümde üç öykü yer alıyor。 Her öykünün başında Fitzgerald öykünün yazılması hakkında bilgi veriyor ya da öyküyle ilgili bir anekdot yazmış。📚 Benim dikkatimi çeken konu ise; Yönetmen David Finch'in 2008 yılında Eric Roth'un senaryolaştırdığı Fitzgerald öyküsünü aynı adla filme çekmesi: "Benjamin Button'un Tuhaf Hikayesi。" Brad Pitt ve Cate Blanchett'in baş rollerinde olduğu film ses getirmiş ve 4 Oscar almıştı。 Buraya kadar ilginç bir şey yok。 Dikkatimi çeken şey， böyle bir öykünün "Sınıflandırılmamış Baş Yapıtlar" bölümünde değilde， "Fanteziler" adlı bölümde yer alması。。。 Bu arada filmi baştan sona seyretmek kısmet olmamıştı， öyküsünü okuduğuma göre farklı bir gözle tekrar izlemek isterim。*Öyküleri okurken， akıp gidiyor， kitabı nasıl， ne zaman bitirdiğinizi fark etmiyorsunuz。 Öyle bir dalmışım ki yorum için alıntı işareti koymadığımı fark ettiğimde kitabın yarısını geçmiştim。 Dönemini， tarihi- siyasi olayları， günlük yaşamı， insan ilişkilerini öyle güzel anlatmış ki ödüllük bir dönem filmi izliyor gibisiniz。 Fitzgerald， "Kayıp Kuşak"ın en saygın isimlerinden biri olarak mutlaka okunmalı。 。。。more

Trevor Seigler ，

For the longest time， I would say that "I love F。 Scott Fitzgerald" only because I'd read "The Great Gatsby" at an impressionable age and loved it。 Never mind numerous， failed attempts to start any of his other novels， much less dip into the short stories， I considered Fitzgerald a favorite just because of his one amazing， impressive novel （still in the discussion for my pick of "great American novel，" though it's got stiff competition from Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man，" Tony Morrison's "Song For the longest time， I would say that "I love F。 Scott Fitzgerald" only because I'd read "The Great Gatsby" at an impressionable age and loved it。 Never mind numerous， failed attempts to start any of his other novels， much less dip into the short stories， I considered Fitzgerald a favorite just because of his one amazing， impressive novel （still in the discussion for my pick of "great American novel，" though it's got stiff competition from Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man，" Tony Morrison's "Song of Solomon，" Michael Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay，" and so on）。 So when I came across this collection a little over a week ago at a thrift store， I paused before deciding to purchase it。 Because what if this book causes me to re-think my Fitzy fandom and， gasp， consider even transferring my allegiances to *Hemingway*？Fear not， dear reader of this review: this collection is very， very good。 Fitzgerald was a prolific short-story writer during his era， mostly because the stories market paid quicker than publishing contracts and the man had an elaborate and expensive lifestyle to maintain。 Think of Scott and Zelda as the rap superstars of their day， living the image they promoted in his art of being at the very height of luxury and having to support that image by spending more than they made。 So you bet your ass Fitzgerald was sweating over these stories， trying to get them published in order to keep himself and Zelda in champagne and caviar as much as possible。 This collection is actually put together of his two short story collections in the early， pre-Gatsby salad days when he was the literary darling of the 1920's。 The first collection， "Flappers and Philosophers，" is pretty uneven， as most short story collections are， especially the first ones。 Culled from his most recent published stories， it was an attempt on his publisher's part to capitalize on Fitzgerald's notoriety thanks to his first novel， "This Side of Paradise，" which was published in early 1920。 Some of the stories are actually kind of terrible， and Fitzgerald was clearly just starting to work out what he'd become known for， chronicling the ups and downs of young people in a world turned upside down by the uncertainties unleashed by the Great War （as we know it， "World War I"）。 "Bernice Bobs Her Hair，" "Dalyrymple Goes Bad，" and "The Offshore Pirate" show Fitz's debt to O。 Henry， a master of the short story and especially the twist ending。 The female protagonist of "The Ice Palace" is compelling even though she's unsympathetic， and many of the other stories are just kind of there。 If this had been Fitzgerald's last gasp as an author， it would've been pretty okay but nothing spectacular。 Things pick up with the second half， the "Tales of the Jazz Age" section。 Here Fitzgerald has more fun experimenting with form （you could've told me "Jemina" or "Mr。 Icky" was written by Donald Barthelme and I'd have believed you before I'd thought it was Fitzgerald）， and he's matured as a writer immeasurably from the caustic apprentice stage that he displayed in his previous collection。 I personally found "The Diamond as Big as The Ritz" to be a fantastic horror story， kind of a "Get Out" a century before the movie in terms of set-up。 "The Jelly-bean" is a weird little story about chances not taken or opportunities lost， and I loved the daring of "May Day，" a novella that is both characteristically Fitzgerald （dealing with young rich people going about their lives） while also throwing in a little social commentary about the appeal of socialism in the wake of the war。 If anything， this book makes me want to find the other Fitzgerald collections as soon as possible。 I might never try the other novels for fear of them not measuring up to "Gatsby，" but his stories are really worth the investment in this book because even the bad ones end eventually and lead to the good ones。 One note for readers: Fitzgerald was a man of his times in many ways， especially in terms of portraying racial groups。 The Black characters in his stories here are broad stereotypes， whether that reflects his own prejudices or the demands of the market I'm not sure about but I do think it mars even the best stories when it crops up。 。。。more

Bob ，

Summary: A collection of eleven short stories， the most famous of which is “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button。”For those who only know F。 Scott Fitzgerald， this collection of short stories reveals other sides of the mind of Fitzgerald。 Personally， I found this collection uneven。 Only one seems to be truly profound， “O Russet Witch！，” a reflection on the choice between safe conventionality， and the risky， unconstrained life。The most famous in the set was “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button。” F Summary: A collection of eleven short stories， the most famous of which is “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button。”For those who only know F。 Scott Fitzgerald， this collection of short stories reveals other sides of the mind of Fitzgerald。 Personally， I found this collection uneven。 Only one seems to be truly profound， “O Russet Witch！，” a reflection on the choice between safe conventionality， and the risky， unconstrained life。The most famous in the set was “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button。” Fitzgerald turns a thought exercise about being born old and growing backward into a story。“The Diamond as Big as the Ritz” is kind of a grown up fantasy in which a school friend is invited to spend a holiday in an off-the-map Shangri-la， complete with an attractive sister， until he learns of the secret of the place， and its sinister impliction。Two in the collection were amusing。 “The Camel’s Back” revolves around a costume party and a camel costume for two。 “Porcelain and Pink” is a one act play set in a suds-filled bath-tub。Then there is the pathetic in “May Day” in which old classmates from Yale meet up， one down on his luck， and full of self-pity。 Not an attractive figure， and his friends are no better。To be honest， the other stories in this collection seemed to me to be caricatures， or just plain strange。 The only virtue in some of these stories was that they were short。 For those who are Fitzgerald fans， of course you will want to read these。 For the rest of us， I felt there were a few good stories and the rest were mere padding。 。。。more

Amanda mcguire ，

3，5 starsThe curious case of Benjamin Button : 4 starsHead & shoulders : 3 starsThe cult-glass bowl : 3 starsThe four fists : 3 starsMay day : 2，5 starsO Russet witch : 2，5 starsBernice bobs her hair : 5 starsThe lees of happiness : 5 stars

Katie ，

I have been determined to find a Story of FSF that I love。 3 novels in and they were good， not great and then I read The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and enjoyed it the most so thought that short stories was the way to go。 However having read this collection I was disappointed， again I liked them， but I just don't get what makes them special to others。 All of the books have the exact same themes except Benjamin Button of wasted privilege and all that glitters is symbolic & brittle。 But none o I have been determined to find a Story of FSF that I love。 3 novels in and they were good， not great and then I read The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and enjoyed it the most so thought that short stories was the way to go。 However having read this collection I was disappointed， again I liked them， but I just don't get what makes them special to others。 All of the books have the exact same themes except Benjamin Button of wasted privilege and all that glitters is symbolic & brittle。 But none of the stories have interesting characters or engaging dialogue and the repetitiveness of the stories themes， even if the setting changes slightly reduces the glam and atmosphere of the Jazz age in each book。 At this point I don't think I would be able to remember which character was in which book it all blends so easily into one。I am tempted to stop with the rest of the collection， but I only have 2 more novels and one more short story collection to complete。 With reviews of This Side of Paradise and The Beautiful and Damned being more favourable and the plot looks different and maybe more exciting？I was also disappointed in the special 2020 editions I got as once I read Tales of the Jazz age and then flicked through the contents of Flappers and Philosophers found that a lot of the stories were duplicates。 What is the point of that？ 。。。more

Erin Quinney ，

Some of these are very good， some are not。 So it goes with a short story collection。

Elisa ，

My favorite was the one that Fitzgerald said was the one he liked the least: "The Camel's Back。" I also liked the original "Benjamin Button" which is， unsurprisingly， much better than the movie。 The racial context is a little shocking （why do they have to specify who's Black？） but if you put it in context， I guess that's the way it was。 This is an uneven collection but the author is a classic so now I can say I read it。 My favorite was the one that Fitzgerald said was the one he liked the least: "The Camel's Back。" I also liked the original "Benjamin Button" which is， unsurprisingly， much better than the movie。 The racial context is a little shocking （why do they have to specify who's Black？） but if you put it in context， I guess that's the way it was。 This is an uneven collection but the author is a classic so now I can say I read it。 。。。more

Ivan ，

Utterly delightful！ I ripped through this collection of short stories in 1 1/2 days。 Funny， charming， catty， literary peeks into a very different world and life-style。 Hard to believe that he published these AND the novel “The Beautiful and Damned” in the same year （1922）。 This one contains “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” that was made into a movie starring Brad Pitt as the backwardly aging person， born as a fully grown old man。 Funny， charming and heart-breaking。 Many of these stories car Utterly delightful！ I ripped through this collection of short stories in 1 1/2 days。 Funny， charming， catty， literary peeks into a very different world and life-style。 Hard to believe that he published these AND the novel “The Beautiful and Damned” in the same year （1922）。 This one contains “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” that was made into a movie starring Brad Pitt as the backwardly aging person， born as a fully grown old man。 Funny， charming and heart-breaking。 Many of these stories carried the same inventive spirit and deep probing into the human spirit during an age of excess！ And， of course， they are also widely diverse in quality and style。。。as is so often the case in short story collections。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Tales of the Jazz Age

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Tales of the Jazz Age&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Tales of the Jazz Age&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0