Finished Sa 2/16/13
February selection for The Springfield Classical Book Group
The story-line is fresh and original, chock full of brilliant descriptive writing, yet several plot points are confusing and vague. The book could have been riveting, but, in the end, it's only mildly interesting. The overall theme of the book seems to be that 'changing fortunes'. Dick Diver begins as a prominent socialite and successful psychiatrist who is married to a very troubled and neurotic Nicole. By the end of the novel, Dick has lost it all and become crippled by alcoholism, and Nicole has moved on, remarried, and seems to have taken control of her life. And, all of this matrimonial turmoil takes place in the most lush and ritzy locations of post WWI Europe with rich and influential characters based on prominent people who helped popularize The Jazz Age.
However, the novel is marred by a clunky presentation. When you read the book pay close attention to these confounding yet pivotal plot points. What did Mrs. McKisco see in The Diver's bathroom? What was the reason for the murder of the black man who ended up in Rosemary's bed? Who did it, and why? What precipitated the Nick's drunken cab fight in Italy? These key points seemed needlessly confusing, and really marred the flow of the novel. Also, several times Fitzgerald includes sections of dialog in French without translation which I found exceptionally irritating.
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