The Early Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald

These might not be the best of Scott Fitzgerald's writing but these early short stories from 1917 to 1922 offer an intriguing glimpse into his early treatment of themes which go on to become classic Fitzgerald material: the American Dream, idealism and corruption, love and its toxicity, 'flapper' culture.

This collection has only the briefest of introductions but that does mean that the stories stand alone. I wouldn't recommend this as a first taster if you haven't read Scott Fitzgerald before, but for students or general interested readers wanting a sense of how the later novels evolved and how Scott Fitzgerald himself developed as a writer, these are great textual sources.

I don't usually loves short stories but for one of my favorite author I made an exception and it was really worthy. These vignettes are so brilliant and well written that you got the impression of watching a little video: you can understand and empathize with the people involved, while you feel the warm of the sun on your skin and the smell of cooking. Impressive. "....No, I'm romantic. There's a huge difference, a sentimental person thinks things will last, a romantic person hopes they won't...."

Di solito non mi piacciono i racconti, ma ho fatto un'eccezione per uno dei miei autori preferiti e ne è valsa assolutamente la pena. Queste brevi vignette sono così ben scritte che mentre le leggevo avevo l'impressione di guardare un video: potevo comprendere ed simpatizzare con i personaggi, mentre percepivo il calore del sole sulla pelle e sentivo il profumo della cucina. Impressionante. "....No io sono una persona romantica. C'é una grossa differenza, una persona sentimentale spera che le cose durino, una romantica spera di no..."

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND DOVER PUBLICATIONS FOR THE PREVIEW!

The Early Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald published by Dover Publications is the prequel to The Great Gatsby, This Side of Paradise, and Tender is the Night. Fitzgerald was a renowned writer before his famous novels. His early works appeared in magazines and he made most of his money writing short stories. His early works allow the reader who is familiar with his later novels to see Fitzgerald’s development and evolution as a writer. For those who are not familiar with his novels, these short stories will introduce the reader to Fitzgerald in bite size pieces. The reader will also be introduced to the Jazz Age and the hip culture of the time.

Most of the stories were written in the early 1920s and reflected the age and post-war boom. The opening stories, however, were published during the war in Europe. Fitzgerald’s influences were mostly on the wilder side as he befriended many of the other American writers living in Paris popularly known as the Lost Generation. Writers moved to Paris for the lower cost of living, good bars, and relaxed “social” attitude. America seemed uptight and Paris allowed creativity.

Dover picks a wide selection of stories with various themes and presents them in chronological order. The short introduction by James Daley provides the reader with the background information and what to expect from the collection. The book, on the whole, gives the reader a great introduction to F Scott Fitzgerald and his work. It is well prepared and a great value for $4.50 paperback edition. This is not so much a review of Fitzgerald. It is already established that he is a great writer and, of course, some stories are better than others. This is more a review of the Dover publication. The selection, introduction, and, of course, the price makes this a great read for those interested in the period, the author, or literature in general. Like most Dover collections I have read in the past, I am hard pressed to find a fault in it. Highly recommended.

You can never go wrong with Fitzgerald! His stories are just as full of emotion as his novels! These are must reads for everyone in love with the written word.

Gotta love Fitzgerald! Talk about a master wordsmith! Loved this set of short stories!!

'The Early Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald' is a great collection of work from the writer of 'The Great Gatsby.' The stories are from as early as 1917 up through 1922.

There is quite a range of emotion in these stories. From the humorous to the melancholy to the outright sad to the strange. There are spurned lovers, and a boy who ages backwards. There are men who can't escape their station in life, or their destiny in the war. There is a camel costume and a cursed cut glass bowl. There are outdoor activities like boating and skiing and golf. The characters seem quaint at times, but always familiar. The writing may be from earlier, but the stories are all worth reading. If you haven't read 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' but you've seen the movie, you should read it here to see how much got changed.

I enjoyed reading these stories. They act as a time capsule of a unique era, but they also reflect much of the yearning of people today. The stories are nearly 100 years old, but I can still see people I know in them. They may not wear flapper era clothing or camel costumes, but they feel familiar nonetheless.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Dover Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Dover Books always provides excellent collections of some of the most fundamental classic works in world literature. Fitzgerald's short stories are probably my favourite part of his opus, showing off both his imagination and his writing style. Organised chronologically, this edition gives a great look at the earlier part of Fitzgerald's career and genius.