364. Tender is the Night

Tender is the Night
F. Scott Fitzgerald
1934
Around 315 pages

If every author is writing the same book over and over again, trying to get it right, theoretically their last book should be their best. That is certainly true with Tender is The Night, which Fitzgerald clearly put his heart and soul into. Too bad it is frequently overshadowed by The Great Gatsby, as this is the vastly superior work.

Dick and Nicole Driver are a glamorous couple who rent a villa in Southern France, and surround themselves with other expat hotties. Rosemary Hoyt, a 17-year-old actress, is staying with her mother in a nearby resort. Rosemary becomes infatuated with both Nicole and Dick, and picks up on the fact that the couple is not stable. Dick has a drinking problem and Nicole is struggling with mental illness. Sound like anybody we know?

Fitzgerald poured himself into this story, and it's obvious he's offering us a sad reflection on his life. Why can't two hot rich people in France be happy? What is it about the human condition that we can make it so difficult for ourselves? Of course, Fitzgerald doesn't have the answers to these questions, but he is capable of painting a compelling portrait of two people who exist to destroy each other, like every great love story should be.

I agree with Fitzgerald that this is the novel he should be remembered for. A masterpiece.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

The title is taken from the poem "Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats.

Fitzgerald considered the novel his masterwork. 

Rosemary Hoyt was based on 17-year-old Lois Moran, who Fitzgerald had an affair with. Zelda set fire to her expensive clothing in a bathtub in revenge. 

UP NEXT: A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh. More Waugh. Yay.