Some Unfinished Chaos: The Lives of F. Scott Fitzgerald

by Arthur Krystal

Surely enough has been written about F. Scott Fitzgerald, the man who coined "the Jazz Age" and symbolized the Roaring Twenties, whose very name conjures up a meteoric rise and an equally spectacular fall? But the better question might be, Why has so much ink been spent on a writer who completed only four novels, who fell from grace in the 1930s only to be resurrected twenty years later? The answer, according to the cultural critic Arthur Krystal, "is the problem that is Fitzgerald." Drawn to the glitter of fame but aspiring to the empyrean heights of Joseph Conrad and James Joyce, Fitzgerald careened from the perfection of The Great Gatsby to the hack world of Hollywood screenwriting, penning stories that were either brilliant distillations of the age or superficial works of fiction. Like America itself, Fitzgerald was a work in progress, a self-created and conflicted human being striving for ideals that neither he nor the nation could ever live up to. Beset by contradictions, buoyed by hope, fueled by alcohol, unable to settle permanently in any one place, Fitzgerald possessed what John Updike aptly described as "an aptitude for chaos and a dream of order." In this unusual and concise biography―more a layering of impressions than a chronological guide―Krystal gives us not only the peripatetic and turbulent life of a cultural icon but also the intellectual sweep of a period in history that created our modern America. Some Unfinished Chaos delivers a nuanced portrait of a man whose various sides embodied the trends, passions, and pursuits of the imperfect society that both glorified and dismissed him.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

232 pages, Hardcover

Published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[Savannah LeGate · Rating 4 out of 5]

from a letter to his daughter “It is what it is because an extraordinary genius paused at that point in history and touched it.”

This book greened me out so hard. F.Scott died while listening to Beethoven, once barked outside of a party until they let him in, and got really drunk at a dinner with Hemingway and Wilson and made them alternate holding his hand while he was falling asleep at the dinner table and kept asking them if they liked him and also insulting them and then called the next day to apologize. No offense but that’s girl in her mid 20s behavior and I felt really weird reading this whole thing. He was horrible and he was wonderful, and repulsive and charming, and mediocre and brilliant. I don’t know how to feel totally about him but I do know I love his prose and that he makes my jaw drop.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

My god, I don’t know what I was expecting, but I regret buying this money grab of a book. It’s a mystery of the universe how this book gets positive reviews. Krystal claims that he is “neither for nor against Fitzgerald” and that he “had no particular expertise about the life or the work.” So apparently these are the reasons that should convince the reader that this will be a standout from all the other Fitzgerald drivel out there cashing in on a dead man. Does Krystal really think that a selling point for this book is that he has no passion for its subject matter? I mean, he literally stated that “I accepted a job and did my best to fulfill the obligations.” Basically, Krystal is saying, “I could care less about Fitzgerald, but buy this book anyways because if you don’t, I don’t get paid.” Spoiler alert. Krystal cannot stand Fitzgerald. Not that he has to. But there are better books out there if you want the narrative of Fitzgerald being a spoiled brat and a crybaby. Krystal does manage to sprinkle compliments here and there so that he’ll appear fair and balanced. But watch out for those knee jerk reactions without any nuance or any evidence of research. The guy hates Fitzgerald so much that even his expression of “melancholia” is considered “a bit much.” Take that, mental health!

My main grievance regarding this book is that it’s basically a con job. There is nothing new here, except the pretense that Krystal has some unique takes…which he doesn’t. Why buy this lame 180-page book with boring historical tidbits and sloppy analysis when I can get those things in a much longer book? And those books will even throw in some pictures.

Perhaps, Krystal wants to be the guy to get Fitzgerald cancelled because apparently nobody has realized yet that Fitzgerald was racist and anti-Semitic.

[Reggie Morrisey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book raises new points to ponder about F. Scott Fitzgerald. Was he mean to Zelda? Suppress her talent? As described, he seemed pretty sick in his relationships with his wife, daughter and fellow writers. "The drink" did him in at a young age. His writing suffered. Still, I can recall reading "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" as a teen and being blown away by his writing. I read pretty much everything he wrote after that. A great writer of my lifetime.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting info about Fitzgerald, but became redundant so about half way through, it wasn't exactly a page turner. The worst part was the horrific number of typos in this book. Arthur Krystal needs a better editor.

[Geoff Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going through a renaissance of Fitzgerald, my favorite writer, and Krystal, an impressive writer and essayist, covered some angles I hadn’t heard before. More like 3.5 stars for me.

[Michael Howells · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of all of the books on Fitzgerald