Quote & Blog Hop

"I am a cynical idealist."

I came across this quote in one of those jumbled lists of random quotes by Fitzgerald.  I am not sure if it is from his writings or about himself (if anyone knows, please fill me in).

However, it is quotes like these that make me love the man, and why I feel he speaks for me.

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This weeks question-
"What is the one bookish thing you would love to have, no matter the cost?"

Since I am also a frustrated decorator, I would have to say add a true library.

I have always wanted a library in my house.  Unfortunately I have had to forgo a library to have a guest room.  On a side note, I knew my husband was the right man for me when he too wanted a library in his dream house.

Stop in to Little Blue Chairs.

The Four Fists-Flappers and Philsophers, 1920

"At the present time no one I know has the slightest desire to hit Samuel Meredith; possibly this is because a man over fifty is liable to be rather severely cracked at the impact of a hostile fist, but, for my part, I am inclined to think that all of his hitable qualities have quite vanished."

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The Four Fists, a quick summary by me-

A boy goes off to prep school for the first time.  He is mouthy and does not play well with others.  His classmates get fed up.  He gets hit.

The boy then goes off to college, with his notions of how everyone should behave.  He is incensed when he comes across someone (not of his class) who does not conform to his ideals.  He makes a big to-do and in the end gets hit again.

The boy becomes enamored with women, he falls for the wrong girl.  She is married.  He takes his interest too far, and in the end gets hit.


Off to work the boy goes.  He is now a man, and is going to make something of himself.   In the process of closing the deal, he pushes too far.  And he gets hit.

With all four of the fists he has received, he has learned valuable life lessons.

Now time for my thoughts-

The closing paragraph says it all...

If you could run your hand along Samuel Meredith's jaw you'd feel a lump.  He admits he's never been sure which fist left it there, but he wouldn't lose if for anything.  He says there's no cad like an old cad, and that sometimes just before making a decision, it's a great help to stroke his chin.  The reporters call it a nervous characteristic, but it's not that.  It's so he can feel again the gorgeous clarity, the lightning sanity of those for fists.

I liked this little story.  We all have to learn our lessons, if only we were astute enough to know when we get knocked down that we deserved it and learned form it as quickly as Samuel Meredith.  We have all heard we need to learn from our mistakes, but we all don't have such brutal, physical, reminders of what those mistakes. 

A simple little story with a big impact.  (OK I couldn't help myself).

Read The Four Fists for yourself

What's up....

What a crazy weekend I have had.  The leaves have started to fall, match that with a gorgeous weekend and it means my computer time was put on hold.  I have been off-line for 48 hours.

Anywho...I just wanted to let you know what has been going on.

I have finished the last short story in Flappers and Philosophers and will be writing my last posts on this collection.  I'm no trying to figure out what to read next.  I have a copy of "The Summer We Read Gatsby" waiting for me at the library, but I think I should probably just go straight to my annual reading of "The Great Gatsby", with all the possible movie buzz and stuff.

Thank you all who have "followed" me.  My purpose in writing this blog is not about having a huge number of followers, but at the same time, it is nice to know someone is reading.  If you know anyone who is interested in Fitzgerald, send them a link.

Well, now I am off to eat some Girl Scout cookies that have just been delivered.  Would Fitzgerald have eaten Girl Scout cookies??

Read about early Girl Scout Cookies here.




This weeks question is...
"Where is your favorite place to read? Curled up on the sofa, in bed, in the garden?"

Lately, it is in bed.  I use to read wherever and whenever I could, like walking to work and brushing my teeth, eating lunch etc....  But that was before having kids.  Now my reading has been regulated to the 20 minutes before I go to sleep.  However, my youngest just started preschool, and I have 1 free hour 4 days a week to do nothing but read.  That is done either in my car at the park or a the local McDonalds (not very romantic, but warm).

Fitzgeralds Briefcase

This is not new, but I had not seen it before.  But isn't it beautiful...

It says...

"Scott Fitzgerald
597 - 5th Ave.
New York"

In the last few days I have seen this image floating around blog-land, but it took me awhile to find the original source (OK one that I think may be the original).  The address on the brief case is for his editor.

Check out it out at the Scott Fitzgerald page at the University of South Carolina's site.  A great site for information on F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Dalyrimple Goes Wrong

"In the millennium an educational genius will write a book to be given to every young man on the date of his disillusion."

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Dalyrimple Goes Wrong- A quick summary by me...
A boy comes home from war a hero.  He is told the world is at his feet.

He realizes that he waited too long and has to go to work.

He gets a job.  He thinks he is not moving up fast enough.  He beleives he deserves better.

He decides to turn to crime.  He becomes a "rebel".  He feels big.

He is approached by a big Muck-a Muck, who is impressed with his character, who thinks he should become a member of the US Senate.  The boy feel triumphant.

"Cutting corners meant rejecting the old childhood principles that success came from faithfulness to duty, that evil was necessarily punished or virtue necessarily rewarded-that hones poverty was happier than corrupt riches."

Now times for my thoughts...
I am surprised there were so many stories, in Flappers and Philosophers, I had not read before, Dalyrimple Goes Wrong was one of them.   I was glad to finally read it.

To me this is one of those stories that is still completely relatable.  In this day and age when we indulge  our children to make sure they have a healthy ego, I sometimes wonder if we are creating a generation of "Right Nows".   I want an Ipod, Right Now.  I want a new car, Right Now.  I want the corner office, Right Now.  I want the big house, right now.

Not only do we tell our children they can do it, we tell them they deserve the best.  And with the past ease of credit, we were able to provide the illusion for them.  Now, I am a parent, so I am not trying to say what we have been doing is wrong, or that I have not done the same, because I have.  I am just saying I am not sure that this is the best thing to do for the future of our youth.  Are we not all setting them up for a big dose of disillusionment?   Like Dalyrimple, who came home a hero.  The world was at his feet.  He was going to be able to do whatever he wanted.  It was all  at his fingertips, that wa until the real world came to play.  Eventually the real world always comes to play.

I am not trying to say we don't talk about the need for hard work, I just don't think we actually value it in our society.  Our focus is more on the material outcome of the hardwork and the taking of shortcuts to get the image that we are hard working.  In the end is that not what Bryan Dalyrimple did?  He went to work, but was not getting the payout he thought he deserved, so he created a shortcut to get him what he wanted.  And by taking the short cut he got what he wanted.

While I was reading this story I was also thinking about The Picture of Dorian Gray.  And wondering if Bryan Dalyrimple would get all ugly inside.  If found the two stories to be coupled together.


I also found the commentary on politicians particularly compelling, given our current state of political affairs.  I find it interesting that we are to believe that Macy is aware of Dalyrimples after-work activities and approves of them as well.  We are to believe that the appearance of "want of steadiness" is what is needed, just as long as you "haven't got too many ideas yourself".  Basically, we want you to be a puppet.  Is that very different from what we have in politics today.  I have long been a believer that you need to be somewhat slippery to achieve in the political arena- it is just the name of the game.

What I have written are just the first thought I had upon reading this story, I am sure there are many angles and views that can be taken from it.  However, I am disappointed that this story is not read more often.   To me his insights on the human experience is spot on. This story goes on to my must read list. 

"But Mr. Dalyrimple, I've seen too many young men who promised brilliantly go to pieces, fail through want of steadiness, too many high-power ideas, and not enough willingness to work.  So I waited.  I wanted to see if you'd go to work, and if you'd stick to what you started."

Tell me what you think.
Read it for yourself...Dalyrimple Goes Wrong

Halloween Flapper costume

If you must dress as a flapper for Halloween, and I highly recommed that you do, please, please, please do not do this...

 Or heaven forbid this...

Instead of a sequined head band or feather, go for a cloche hat.

I found this one one Etsy for $31 dollars.  And this is something that would look cute beyond Oct. 31.

For a dress, lets not do the tacky, tacky, cheapy fringey number we are all suppose to equates to the 20's.  Instead, how about this little number...

Another Etsy find for $38 dollars...I may pick this one up for myself.

And if you insist on going the more flashy route.  This would look very nice.

you can find it here on sale for $171, a bit more pricey, but you could find more uses for it, I am sure.

And if you are the slightest bit handy with a sewing machine, I would pick up a vintage pattern and make your own.

This one was listed on Amazon for $16.50


The T-strap shoes are a must...

I am loving these from Sears at 35.00, but please try and refrain from putting fishnets on with them.




For hair, go ahead and make the big plunge (if you have not already) and go for one of the "Flapper Bobs" that are looking pretty great.

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There are a number of tutorials to be found on You Tube regarding flapper make up.  Poke around to find one you can work with.  Here is just one that I found.



Lets try to remember this kind of flapper

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 Not this...

Happy Halloween

And now for something completly different

OK maybe not completely, but certainly different...

Check out the other Lego Historical figures here

Blog Hop Party

Question of the week...

"When you read a book that you just can't get into, do you stick it out and keep reading or move to your next title?"

I will usually stick with it.  I will bitch about it the whole way through it, but usually I will continue.  There are a few examles that I have not been able to do that (Vanity Fair and To the Light house).  I have tried to go back to those books a number of times and just can not do it.  They are dead to me.

Join me in the Book Blogger hop

Benediction-Flappers and Philosphers, 1920

The Baltimore station was hot and crowded, so Lois was forced to stand by the telegraph desk for interminable, sticky seconds while the clerk with big front teeth counted and recounted a large lady's day message, to determine whether it contained the innocuous forty-nine words or the fatal fifty-one.

Benediction. A quick summary by me...
A Young girl sends a telegram to a boy.  He should meet her in Wilmington, but she first needs to see her brother.

Her older brother is in the Seminary.  She doesn't really know him.  They talk.  They bond.

She is conflicted about meeting the boy, tries to send a new telegram, but tears it up

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My Thoughts on Benediction...

Benediction is another one of his short stories that is new to me.  I don't think I will be rereading this one.  I am not sure why this one is not sticking with me?  It may be I am not Catholic or particularly religious.  It could be I am just distracted.  Either way, my reaction was just meh.

Read Benediction here

Check this out....

An analysis of Fitzgerald's handwriting.

Basically it says he is creative and awesome!  Really read more about what his handwriting says about him here.

Bernice Bobs Her Hair- made for TV movie

Shelley Duvall portrays Bernice in the 1976 made for TV movie.  Whether or not you need to see the movie depends on what you are looking for.

I think Shelley Duvall did a great job with the role of Bernice.  That is if you can get past the horrible wig/hair piece she is wearing.  It is simply awful and in some ways distracting.  Bud Cort also does a great job with Warren McIntyre.  It is a faithful adaptation to the short story.

What I did not like about the movie is that it was a made for TV movie done in 1976.  There is just something a bit soulless about it.  In general I feel it is missing the heart and feeling of the short story.  I think it can be done better.

Check out the following video here

Joining in the Crazy for Books Blog Hop

I am a first time participant in this bog hop.  My Fitzgerald blog is actually very new and I am just getting things out there.  I hope you poke around and enjoy what you see.  I look forward to discovering what others are reading.

What’s your favorite beverage while reading or blogging, if any? Is it tea, coffee, water, a glass of wine, or something else?

My favorite beverage of choice depends on what time of day I am doing bloggy stuff.  If it is anytime before dinner, I will most likely be sipping on a cup of Vanilla Coffee, but after dinner it may be a glass of Pinot Noir.

Bernice Bobs Her Hair-Flappers and Philosphers, 1920

"After dark on Saturday night one could stand on the first tee of the golf-course and see the country-club windows as yellow expanse over a very black and wavy ocean"

Bernice Bobs Her Hair, A quick summary by me-
A girl is spending the summer visiting her cousin.  She is very unpopular.  Her cousin convinces her she can make her popular.  She just has to do everything she says...

The girl becomes popular, maybe too popular.  Her cousin gets jealous.  Her cousin gets even with the girl by embarrassing and trapping her.

The Girl gets back at her cousin.

Now time for my thought-

I love, love, love Bernice Bobs Her Hair.  If you are new to Fitzgerald's short stories, this is the one I recommend you starting with.  I believe, the story goes, that Scott wanted to give his little sister tips on how to be popular, and this is the story he wrote for her.

I am always amazed at how accurate he was able to describe the mean girl. Even though this story takes place in the 1920's, it is still the same today.  We women have not changed much on how we operate.  Fitzgerald has girls nailed.

This is a story I would love to see get the "Clueless treatment". What do you think? 

Please, Please, Please read this story.  You can find it Here

Do you love it as much as I do?

Now for some random Tidbits on Bernice Bobs Her Hair...

From Wikipedia

The name of the protagonist echoes that of Berenice, whose sacrifice of her golden tresses resulted in the victory of her husband in war, and the honor given to her by the Gods. Her tresses were placed into the heavens as the Constellation Coma Berenices.

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And done as a song by The Divine Comedy
Not sure it is loading, but you can go here to see it.  

How I fell for F Scott Fitzgerald

I have always been a reader.  I learned to appreciate reading from my Mom, and as a little girl, I remember admiring her bookcase.  I couldn't wait until the day I was able to read her books.  Well, that day came and I realized the books my Mom had on her bookshelf were not the books I wanted to read.

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In High School the Flowers in the Attic books were the thing to read, so I read them.  They lead me to other books. I was always a bit all over the map on what I would read; Sci-fi/fantasy, historical fiction, memoirs, really anything that interested me.  However, I soon got frustrated.  I realized I wanted to read about how people actually lived, especially in the past.  I got very frustrated.   What I wanted was an accurate account of how people lived, but instead I was getting stories of modern girls, with modern sensibilities in the past.  I was on the lookout for a more accurate account.

Starting in 1999, I decided I was going to read the classics (everyone should know the classics, right?).  So that is what I started to do.  I read Hawthorn and Dickens, Henry James and Oscar Wilde, and of course Jane Austen.   I was happy.  I loved reading the classics.  I had no rhyme or reason to who or what I read, just as long as it was a classic.

I then started to have babies.  During my pregnancies, all I wanted to read was about was my body and what was going to come out of it.  I read about babies and childcare for almost 3 years.  I slowly came out of my baby haze and wanted to read again.  I started to with the Harry Potter series (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and then I slipped back into reading any old thing and the same frustrations I had in the past came back. 

I wanted to get back into my classics, but this time I vowed I would be a bit more conscious of what and how I read, but still be flexible.  I wasn't going to feel like I haven't read Orwell, so I better read him next, instead I was going to let my interests dictate my reading.   I was then given a book of Fitzgerald's short stories.  And that was it.  I was hooked.

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That was March of 2008, and I have been primarily reading him ever since.   I've always had an affinity for him, but while reading his early short stories I fell in love with his writing.  It was like he was writing what I thought, or should I say, he wrote how I thought.  He spoke to me and he expressed my feelings, and of course he was better at it than I.

And as I read more, and devoured more of his stories and novels, it occurred to me that we were living in a time that had much in common with the 20's.  A time when it seemed like the good times were never going to end, and as I looked around, I realized we too were living on credit, thinking our good times are never going to end.  However, we all know what came after the 20's and today we are living through our own credit hangover.   So is there more we can gleam from the Chronicler of the 20's?  I think so.

I am aware that F Scott Fitzgerald has fallen out of fashion, but I hope that there are others out there who also find a connection with his writing and see the relevance to our day and age.  Or maybe I can turn someone on to his works.  Either way I will be writing my little blog about my experience with Fitzgerald.

I <3

I hope you do too.

The Cut-Glass Bowl- Flappers and Philosophers, 1920

"There was a rough stone age and a smooth stone age and a bronze age, and many years afterward a cut-glass age."

"Evylyn, I'm going to give you a present that's as hard as you are, and as beautiful and as empty and as easy to see through."

The Cut-Glass Bowl, A Quick Summary by Me:

A beautiful young married woman explains to a nosey neighbor the significance of a particular punch bowl.

It was a wedding gift from a snubbed suitor.

The bowl is bad luck. 

She is caught in an affair.

Her husband loses his job.

Her daughter loses her hand.

Her son is killed in the war.

And eventually she loses her life.

The Bowl is bad luck.

Now time for my thoughts...

 I had not read The Cut-Glass Bowl previously.   I was very excited and eager to read this particular story, as I has heard good reviews on it.   Reviews along the lines of it being one of his best, but over looked short stories.  I read it last night and I have to say I was a bit under-whelmed, so I will reread the story to see if there is something there on a second perusal.

I did a second reading on The Cut-Glass Bowl.  Reading the story with the bowl being an actual character helped, but only a little.  To me it is not one of his best.  I thought the story and the events were too drawn out to make much of an impact.  I am not sure if the events I read about were the only terrible events in her life caused by the bowl or if these types of events were ever present events. 

I will say that when reading some other reviews, I was reminded that Fitzgerald was in his early 20's when he wrote these stories (Flapper and Philosophers).  It is very impressive that he is so adept at the nuances of women and their relationships, and even those within a marriage.

I am just happy to say that Bernice Bobs Her Hair is up next.  One of my favorites.

A new Great Gatsby movie?

So there is talk going around again of a Great Gatsby film.  I have to say I am excited and nervous at the same time.

As it is one of my favorite books, I would love to see it done well in film.  I have seen the 1974 version and I am not a fan.  I am a fan of the casting of Robert Redford as Gatsby, but I was annoyed by much of the film.  I also saw the 2000 A&E version recently.  It was OK, not anything spectacular.  It is what I would expect to view in a High School after having to read the book.  But I know it can be done better.

I remember reading somewhere at sometime, that the problem with converting Fitzgerald's novels to screen was in the difficulty of translating his prose to visions, or something like that.  I agree with that sentiment.  In my humble opinion, I think the trouble with getting Gatsby to the screen is directors and screenwriters are scared to stray from the novel.  Here is a situation where breaking from the story telling style of the novel may help the movie.  Instead of insisting that Nick narrates the movie as he does in the book, why not just let him introduce the story and let it unfold naturally and visually with as little narration as possible.

What you say?  It is his writing that makes the novel.  And I would agree with you, but movies are not books and do not need the same conventions.  And if the movie is done well enough, viewers will pick up the book and discover his brilliance on the page.

Enough of my soap box. And on to the talk of the movie and the casting.  So the most recent news is that Leonardo DiCaprio is being talked about to play Jay Gatsby.

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Again my initial response was mixed.  I love Leo.  I think he could do a bang up job with Gatsby.  It seems like a natural fit for him.  And yet, as much as I know Leo is capable, he has also not been as consistent as I would like.  But I am more on the Yay side of the equation.  I hope this one sticks.

Now the other actor being considered is Tobey Maguire for Nick Carraway.

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I have no problems with this choice.  Tobey is solid, however, I think there are many actors who could play Nick just fine.

As for the news on Daisy.  The word is it may be Amanda Seyfried.

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Now, I will admit, I really don't know much about her.  I am ashamed to say it, but I have been out of the movie scene for a while.  So she has not been on my radar.  Here is my unvarnished reaction (from what little I know).  I don't know if she has the Daisy vibe.  Can she be manipulative enough?  In my mind the casting for Daisy is crucial, maybe even more so than Gatsby.  Daisy is a hard character to capture.  She need to be appealing and cold.

Who would my pick be for Daisy??

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Anne Hathaway.  I am impressed by her.  I think she could capture Daisy's spirit and the era quite nicely.

And as for the Director?  I hope that is is Baz Luhrman who decides to take this on.  Whether he decides to do it as a period piece, an updated version or a musical extravaganza, I think he can do no wrong.

What are your thoughts?  Do you think a good adaptation can be made?  Do you think the possible casting is right? What would you choose?

Head and Shoulders- Flappers and Philosophers, 1920

In 1915 Horace Tarbox was thirteen years old.  In that year he took the examination for entrance to Princeton University and received the Grade A -excellent- in Caesar, Cicero, Virgil, Xenophon, Homer, Algebra, Plane Algebra, Solid Geometry and Chemistry.

Head and Shoulders, a quick summary by me...

A very smart boy meets a very physical musical actress.

They fall in love and get married.  They call themselves "Head and Shoulders", he is smart and she does a shoulder shimmy.

He has to take a job as a importer and works himself sick.  She wants him to go to the gym and exercise, she tells him she will read his books.

She finds herself pregnant and reads, a lot.  He is scouted at the gym by some big muck-a-mucks for his fine gymnastics and is offered a job as an acrobatic that pays big bucks.  He takes it.

He does expositions doing a shoulder trick on the rings and she writes a book. They both become sensations.

When a famous scholar  comes to town he wants to meet the literary sensation and her husband, who are dubbed "Head and Shoulders".  She must be the head and he the shoulders.  

Oh, fate....what a blow you give.

My thoughts on Head and Shoulders...

Years back, I was given a copy of The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald, a book that was my Grandmothers.  I don't know if she actually ever read it, but it was hers and I have always like Gatsby, so I was eager to read some of his short stories, at that time I had not read any. The first story in this collection was Head and Shoulders.  I remember thinking it was OK, not brilliant.  It was no Gatsby, but I had nothing else to compare it to. 

Now, after reading it again, I am surprised it was placed as the first story in the collection.  I do not find it to be either a great story or great writing (The Offshore Pirate is so much better).  To me the whole idea of Head and Shoulders is forced and predicable.  If you are like me and enjoy reading his stories then please read it, but just do not expect too much from it.  It is not elegant, or pretty, or witty.