Finished Su 3/31/19
This is an unread hardback novel that I found on the shelf. I don't know when I got it or where it's from. I picked it up because I watched the Amazon Prime series, 'Z- THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING' which was the story of the early married live of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre (Christina Ricci).
This is Scott's first published book and the real Scott and Zelda broke up after a summer of heavy drinking shortly before he finished this book. Scott went to his family's home in Minnesota to finish the book, and only then would Zelda continue with their relationship.
The book is about an intelligent, yet lazy young man- Amory Blaine. He is from a monied family, although the money is leaving fast. He is from Wisconsin, but goes to prep school in NY and later attends Princeton.
The book is mostly about his views on his romantic life. Basically he has four girlfriends over the course of the book, but ends up alone.
When Blaine begins to speak of politics to two men (capitalists) who pick him up while hitchhiking, I really liked what he had to say. I would have like the book a lot more had it been more about the politics and the social issues of the time, rather than merely his love interests.
The last line of the book is, "I know myself, but that is all". He's probably referring to the Socrates admonition to Know Thyself.
From Wikipedia-
"The book is written in three parts.
"Book One: The Romantic Egotist"—The novel centers on Amory Blaine, a young Midwesterner who, convinced that he has an exceptionally promising future, attends boarding school and later Princeton University. He leaves behind his eccentric mother Beatrice and befriends a close friend of hers, Monsignor Darcy. While at Princeton he goes back to Minneapolis, where he re-encounters Isabelle Borgé, a young lady whom he had met as a little boy, and starts a romantic relationship with her. At Princeton he repeatedly writes ever more flowery poems, but Amory and Isabelle become disenchanted with each other after meeting again at his prom.
"Interlude"—Following their break-up, Amory is shipped overseas, to serve in the army in World War I. (Fitzgerald had been in the army himself, but the war ended while he was still stationed on Long Island.) Amory's experiences in the war are not described, other than to say later in the book that he was a bayonet instructor.
"Book Two: The Education of a Personage"—After the war, Amory falls in love with a New York debutante named Rosalind Connage. Because he is poor, however, this relationship collapses as well; Rosalind decides to marry a wealthy man instead. A devastated Amory is further crushed to learn that his mentor Monsignor Darcy has died. The book ends with Amory's iconic lament, "I know myself, but that is all-"
THE CHARACTERS (From Wikipedia)
"Amory Blaine—the protagonist of the book, is clearly based on Fitzgerald. Both are from the Midwest, attended Princeton, had a failed romance with a debutante, served in the army, then had a failed romance with a second debutante (though after the success of This Side of Paradise, Fitzgerald won back Zelda).
Beatrice Blaine—Blaine's mother was actually based on the mother of one of Fitzgerald's friends, rather than his own.
Isabelle Borgé—Amory Blaine's first love is based on Fitzgerald's first love, the Chicago debutante Ginevra King.
Monsignor Darcy—Blaine's spiritual mentor is based on a Sigourney Fay, to whom Fitzgerald was close. Fay was from Minneapolis.
Rosalind Connage—Amory Blaine's second love is based on Fitzgerald's second love, Zelda Sayre. However, unlike Zelda, Rosalind was from New York. Rosalind is also partially based on the character Beatrice Normandy in H. G. Wells's novel Tono-Bungay (1909).
Cecilia Connage—Rosalind's cynical younger sister.
Thomas Parke D'Invilliers—one of Blaine's close friends (also the fictitious author of the poem at the start of The Great Gatsby) was based on Fitzgerald's friend and classmate, the poet John Peale Bishop.
Eleanor Savage—a girl Amory meets in Maryland. Eleanor's character serves as a "love interest, therapeutic friend, and conversational other". Highly educated and discussing poetry and philosophy, "Eleanor not only posits her desires in juxtaposition to the lingering Victorian expectations of women in her day but also serves as soothsayer to the demands which would be placed on females".
Clara Page—Amory's widowed cousin, whom he loves. But she doesn't love him back."
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