In with a Roar

F. Scott Fitzgerald spent his entire career in the same vein set forth in this debut novel, first published in 1920 when the author was 23. He was a master of capturing the essence of the era--the glamorous and privileged New English lifestyle and all its deliriously unbelievable characters. This Side of Paradise creates an environment for Fitzgerald to exist, and it is perfectly indispensable.

This Bildungsroman (or coming-of-age novel) concentrates on the young Amory Blaine. This not-so-vaguely autobiographical story follows Blaine from a modest Midwestern means during childhood to an almost-attained glory in the East Coast boarding school and Ivy League circuit. Then there's a war, as there is always the war in novels of this time, and impoverished heartbreak. The urgency and hope of Blaine reflect Fitzgerald's suspicions that he was meant for greatness, and it's true: this sensational piece of raw fiction catapulted him to perennial fame.

I read this first during early high school (age 14 or 15), and it remains my favorite piece of classic literature (I will be 25 in less than a month). There are flaws--particularly the interjected screenplay--but I find these flaws in the great master Fitzgerald to be charming. He's just as cracked as his characters, as his audience, as his country...

This novel will be best read during a single afternoon on a warm summer's day with a glass of Amaretto-spiked lemonade on a shady porch.