Book Review: The Beautiful And The Damned By F. Scott Fitzgerald

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(Edited)

For a few weeks now, reading has become my escape from depression and due to this, I have been researching about books and reading more.

Even though I have been trying to read more non fictional books this year, it has been hard because fiction has my heart and it is easier for me to read it so, most of the books I’ve been reading are fictional.

A few days ago, I was looking for something to read and I came across this book, reading this book wasn’t part of my plan but, since I had heard a lot about it, I thought that I should give it a try.

A pattern that I have had for a while now has been reading old books and I am glad because most of the older books are a bit better than the modern books so I enjoy them better.

Anyways, without further ado, let’s get to reviewing this book.



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PREVIEW

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Book title: The beautiful and the damned
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Year of production: 1922
Genre: Fiction



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FIRST LOOK

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For this book, I actually went to google to search for the original cover because I was curious to see how it looked.

The cover that was on Apple Books wasn’t something that would have drawn me to read this book at all and I wouldn’t even say the original cover was any better.

Regardless of that, I would still give the original cover better ratings since it is older and because it had a rustic feel to it.

Another thing I’ll focus on in this first look is the name, I really liked it and it immediately made me feel like it would be something like beauty and the beast and since I love romance, I was eagerly looking forward to it.



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PREMISE

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The Beautiful and the Damned surrounds a couple; a Harvard graduate and aspiring artist Anthony Patch and his beautiful wife, Gloria.

This couple in the book are awaiting their grandfather’s inheritance which would made Anthony a tycoon, and while they wait, their marriage is being affected by certain things like alcohol and greed.

They spend their whole lives pursuing happiness, and since they feel like they have an inheritance waiting, they don’t bother to do anything for themselves.

This book is a tragedy that dives into the marriage of Anthony and Gloria and it shows how marriages can end due to certain circumstances and characters.



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MY THOUGHTS

First of all, I would say that Fitzgerald is an amazing author and he is the author of my favorite book; the great Gatsby.

He has such an amazing skill writing fiction and tragedy so, I know that any book I read from him will be amazing, but this book didn’t hit all my expectations.

It was good book no doubt, but I found myself comparing it with the great Gatsby and that book always won.

The character in this books also didn’t do it for me and I didn’t connect at all to them like I should have.

Lastly, the book felt a bit messy and the structure was a bit poor in comparison to the great Gatsby and I get that I shouldn’t compare, but I can’t help myself.

Overall, it was good, but wasn’t great and since I expected more from the author, it didn’t do well for me.



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RATINGS

I would give this book a 6 because I had high expectation and it fell, but then again it is my fault comparing books.

I think if I let this book stand on it’s own it would have been better but, since I didn’t, it didn’t do much for me.



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IN CONCLUSION

Would I tell you to read this book? Yes, especially if you haven’t read the great Gatsby, but, you might have mixed feelings about it.



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6 comments
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You know I've never read anything of his bar The Great Gatsby..will have to hunt this one out!

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(Edited)

You should check it out, maybe you might like it.

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No way you're comparing any book to THE great Gatsby 😅.

Kidding.

I love old books too, way more than modern ones.

Maybe there is a lesson or two to pick from this book or so it seems.

I'm delighted you're reading more books these days. 😌

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Well I had to compare, same author and all but yeah I am glad I am reading more

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Me too: "....reading has become my escape from depression," and revisiting old books, really old, the kind that cost 45 cents per paperback, e.g. Beverly Cleary's "Fifteen" - when the world was so simple, and authors did not go out on a limb or take big risks. Thank you for your thoughtful impressions of Fitzgerald novels. I always thought Gatsby was a loser, with his obsession over the unworthy Daisy, and Romeo and Juliet were fools, and Isabel Archer (a Henry James heroine) was the greatest disappointment ever. Reading could be so frustrating! And yet I never quit reading. Now I'm hunting for happy endings within the realm of believable (realistic) fiction. Let me know if you find anything. And may you stay out of that rut of depression!

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(Edited)

His obsession was crazy but understandable, a lot of people have had those kinds of obsessions but, yes, a lot of books are frustrating; Romeo and Juliet being one.

Reading is such a beautiful escape and I hope it continues to be that for us

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