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The Romantic Egoists: A Pictorial Autobiography from the Scrapbooks and Albums of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald
The "pictorial autobiography" of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald is a fascinating chronicle of two lives that have become legendary. The Romantic Egoists draws almost entirely from the scrap books and photograph albums which the Fitzgeralds scrupulously kept as their personal record. That record contains a wealth of material that had never before published.
In a unique and permanent way this book gives Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's own story. The variety is surprising: a dance program of Zelda Sayre's; Scott's thoughts about his early loves in St. Paul, Minn.; a picture of the country club in Montgomery, Alabama, where the first two met; reviews of This Side of Paradise; poems to them from Ring Lardner; snapshots of their trips abroad; Scott's careful accounting of his earnings; a photograph of the house on Long Island where The Great Gatsby was conceived; the postcards drawn by Scott for his daughter. It all combines into a narrative in which the rare pictures and memorabilia are augmented by selections from Scott and Zelda's own writings, setting the spirit of a particular moment in their lives. Scottie Fitzgerald Smith says in her introduction, "We've tried hard to balance the literary with the personal, and the familiar with the more obscure...to make it their book, rather than a book about them."
The Romantic Egoists has a special feature - a section of eight pages in color of Zelda Fitzgerald's paintings, most of them now reproduced for the first time.
In a unique and permanent way this book gives Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's own story. The variety is surprising: a dance program of Zelda Sayre's; Scott's thoughts about his early loves in St. Paul, Minn.; a picture of the country club in Montgomery, Alabama, where the first two met; reviews of This Side of Paradise; poems to them from Ring Lardner; snapshots of their trips abroad; Scott's careful accounting of his earnings; a photograph of the house on Long Island where The Great Gatsby was conceived; the postcards drawn by Scott for his daughter. It all combines into a narrative in which the rare pictures and memorabilia are augmented by selections from Scott and Zelda's own writings, setting the spirit of a particular moment in their lives. Scottie Fitzgerald Smith says in her introduction, "We've tried hard to balance the literary with the personal, and the familiar with the more obscure...to make it their book, rather than a book about them."
The Romantic Egoists has a special feature - a section of eight pages in color of Zelda Fitzgerald's paintings, most of them now reproduced for the first time.
264 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1974
11 people are currently reading
1371 people want to read
About the author
Matthew J. Bruccoli
331 books39 followersMatthew Joseph Bruccoli was an American professor of English at the University of South Carolina. He was the preeminent expert on F. Scott Fitzgerald. He also wrote about writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe and John O'Hara, and was editor of the 'Dictionary of Literary Biography'.
Bruccoli's interest in Fitzgerald began in 1947 when he heard a radio broadcast of Fitzgerald's short story 'The Diamond as Big as the Ritz'. That week he tracked down a copy of 'The Great Gatsby', "and I have been reading it ever since," he told interviewers. Bruccoli graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1949, and studied at Cornell University where one of his professors was Vladimir Nabokov and at Yale University where he was a founder member of the fledgling Manuscript Society, graduating in 1953. He was awarded a master's degree and doctorate from the University of Virginia in 1960. Bruccoli, who also taught at the University of Virginia and the Ohio State University, spent nearly four decades teaching at the University of South Carolina. He lived in Columbia, South Carolina, where, according to his New York Times obituary, he "cut a dash on campus, instantly recognizable by his vintage red Mercedes convertible, Brooks Brothers suits, Groucho mustache and bristling crew cut that dated to his Yale days. His untamed Bronx accent also set him apart" (Grimes).
Over the course of his career, he authored over 50 books on F. Scott Fitzgerald and other literary figures. His 1981 biography of Fitzgerald, Some 'Sort of Epic Grandeur: The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald', is considered the standard Fitzgerald biography. He has edited many of Fitzgerald's works, from 'This Side of Paradise' to Fitzgerald's unfinished final novel, 'The Love of the Last Tycoon'. Bruccoli has also edited Scott's wife Zelda Fitzgerald's only novel 'Save Me the Waltz'.
While studying Fitzgerald, Bruccoli and his wife Arlyn began to collect all manner of Fitzgerald memorabilia. Bruccoli owned the artist's copy of Celestial Eyes, the cover art by Francis Cugat which appeared on the first edition, and most modern editions, of The Great Gatsby. In 1969, Bruccoli befriended F. Scott and Zelda's daughter Frances "Scottie" Fitzgerald. In 1976, Bruccoli and the Fitzgeralds' daughter Scottie (as Scottie Fitzgerald Smith) published The Romantic Egoists, from the scrapbooks that F. Scott and Zelda had maintained throughout their lives of photographs and book reviews. Later in life Bruccoli and his wife donated their collection to the Thomas Cooper Library at USC. The collection is valued at nearly $2 million.
Bruccoli was general editor of the 'Pittsburgh Series in Bibliography', published by the University of Pittsburgh Press. As part of this series, he produced 'F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Descriptive Bibliography' and, with Richard Layman, 'Ring W. Lardner: A Descriptive Bibliography' (1976). A working draft of the Lardner book was prepared in the summer of 1973 by Bruccoli.
Along with Richard Layman, a Dashiell Hammett scholar and former graduate assistant, and businessman C. E. Frazer Clark, Jr., Bruccoli launched the 'Dictionary of Literary Biography'. The 400-volume reference work contains biographies of more than 12,000 literary figures from antiquity to modern times.
Bruccoli continued working at the University of South Carolina until being diagnosed with a brain tumor, and died June 4, 2008.
Bruccoli's interest in Fitzgerald began in 1947 when he heard a radio broadcast of Fitzgerald's short story 'The Diamond as Big as the Ritz'. That week he tracked down a copy of 'The Great Gatsby', "and I have been reading it ever since," he told interviewers. Bruccoli graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1949, and studied at Cornell University where one of his professors was Vladimir Nabokov and at Yale University where he was a founder member of the fledgling Manuscript Society, graduating in 1953. He was awarded a master's degree and doctorate from the University of Virginia in 1960. Bruccoli, who also taught at the University of Virginia and the Ohio State University, spent nearly four decades teaching at the University of South Carolina. He lived in Columbia, South Carolina, where, according to his New York Times obituary, he "cut a dash on campus, instantly recognizable by his vintage red Mercedes convertible, Brooks Brothers suits, Groucho mustache and bristling crew cut that dated to his Yale days. His untamed Bronx accent also set him apart" (Grimes).
Over the course of his career, he authored over 50 books on F. Scott Fitzgerald and other literary figures. His 1981 biography of Fitzgerald, Some 'Sort of Epic Grandeur: The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald', is considered the standard Fitzgerald biography. He has edited many of Fitzgerald's works, from 'This Side of Paradise' to Fitzgerald's unfinished final novel, 'The Love of the Last Tycoon'. Bruccoli has also edited Scott's wife Zelda Fitzgerald's only novel 'Save Me the Waltz'.
While studying Fitzgerald, Bruccoli and his wife Arlyn began to collect all manner of Fitzgerald memorabilia. Bruccoli owned the artist's copy of Celestial Eyes, the cover art by Francis Cugat which appeared on the first edition, and most modern editions, of The Great Gatsby. In 1969, Bruccoli befriended F. Scott and Zelda's daughter Frances "Scottie" Fitzgerald. In 1976, Bruccoli and the Fitzgeralds' daughter Scottie (as Scottie Fitzgerald Smith) published The Romantic Egoists, from the scrapbooks that F. Scott and Zelda had maintained throughout their lives of photographs and book reviews. Later in life Bruccoli and his wife donated their collection to the Thomas Cooper Library at USC. The collection is valued at nearly $2 million.
Bruccoli was general editor of the 'Pittsburgh Series in Bibliography', published by the University of Pittsburgh Press. As part of this series, he produced 'F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Descriptive Bibliography' and, with Richard Layman, 'Ring W. Lardner: A Descriptive Bibliography' (1976). A working draft of the Lardner book was prepared in the summer of 1973 by Bruccoli.
Along with Richard Layman, a Dashiell Hammett scholar and former graduate assistant, and businessman C. E. Frazer Clark, Jr., Bruccoli launched the 'Dictionary of Literary Biography'. The 400-volume reference work contains biographies of more than 12,000 literary figures from antiquity to modern times.
Bruccoli continued working at the University of South Carolina until being diagnosed with a brain tumor, and died June 4, 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
dnf
June 9, 2021Either this wine has made me tipsy and I have lost the ability to read words, or at least half of these photos contain bits of letters and journal writings that are COMPLETELY illegible
July 22, 2018
If you are a fan of the Fitzgeralds this is a must read. Scott kept several scrapbooks of various time periods of his and Zelda’s life. The editors, one of which is their daughter, uses his scrapbooks and other’s memorabilia as well as letters and short selections from their writing, to piece together their lives. There are many newspaper clippings, which can be difficult to read but very telling of the opinions of the time. I especially loved all of the photographs of the couple including a 1924 “selfie” of Scott!
This book was well worth the read but it definitely is not a quick read. Reading tiny, faded, and sometimes blurred newsprint from 80 years ago made for strained reading. But still, I loved it!! It was so cool to read for myself from the original newspapers and magazines. The editors added captions and important information needed to understand the context of the pictures and texts.
One big flaw of the book was the decision of the editors not to “translate” hand written letters, notes, postcards, ledger entries, and other commentaries into a typed text form. It was very disappointing to realize that you have a first hand account from Scott himself only to realize you have no idea what it says because you can’t read his handwriting.
This book was well worth the read but it definitely is not a quick read. Reading tiny, faded, and sometimes blurred newsprint from 80 years ago made for strained reading. But still, I loved it!! It was so cool to read for myself from the original newspapers and magazines. The editors added captions and important information needed to understand the context of the pictures and texts.
One big flaw of the book was the decision of the editors not to “translate” hand written letters, notes, postcards, ledger entries, and other commentaries into a typed text form. It was very disappointing to realize that you have a first hand account from Scott himself only to realize you have no idea what it says because you can’t read his handwriting.
March 20, 2016
Tragic, Insightful, Heartfelt & Tragic! An Amazing Read! I Loved It!
July 30, 2018
242 pages of Fitzgerald's (and Zelda's and Scottie's) personal pics, letters, reviews, etc. Only real complaint is editors do not provide transcriptions of most letters, making interesting pieces from the likes of Edith Wharton and Ernest Hemingway unreadable or almost so. Book reviews are faded and in quite small font (usual of newspapers). While I appreciate the authenticity of the Fitzgerald family scrapbooks and the limited intrusion from the editors, this book is literally hard to read.
October 10, 2018
Just a heads up, there's not much of a narrative here--rather, it really is a scrapbook. If you are unfamiliar with the events and people in the Fitzgeralds' life, you may be a little confused by references and pictures of people with no background information.
March 5, 2010
A must read for any Fitzgerald fanatic!
Read
November 8, 2010A great, overlooked collection of photos and memorabilia, taken from Fitzgerald's scrapbooks. Stuff you'd never see in standard biographies.
August 12, 2015
Beautiful book! Full of interesting pictures, love letters and memorabilia! I would not have even considered myself a fan of Fitzgerald before.
September 8, 2025
I found this one a great book for following the course af Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's life: it is the closest to a joint autobiography we will get.
This volume features a large selection of informal pictures, drawn from Scott Fitzgerald's scrapbooks, letters, notebooks, private correspondence, published fiction and essays, and other sources. Many of Zelda's drawings and paintings are here (she was very talented) as is their joint short stories and brief sections from her own novel, SAVE MR THE WALTZ.
I should also note that there are several dozen newspaper clippings reproduced here, in their original type and therefore hard to read, at least for me. But the copious and handy liner notes make up for that. It is a brisk read for two lives that burned out all too soon.
Scott Fitzgerald famously said, "There are no second acts in American lives". His own death at forty-four left us with an incomplete novel, THE LAST TYCOON, and he missed the great "Fitzgerald Revival" that kicked off around the end of the 1940s. It was a "third act" of sorts, one where he could enjoy being a literary lion to a new and more appreciative generation.
This volume features a large selection of informal pictures, drawn from Scott Fitzgerald's scrapbooks, letters, notebooks, private correspondence, published fiction and essays, and other sources. Many of Zelda's drawings and paintings are here (she was very talented) as is their joint short stories and brief sections from her own novel, SAVE MR THE WALTZ.
I should also note that there are several dozen newspaper clippings reproduced here, in their original type and therefore hard to read, at least for me. But the copious and handy liner notes make up for that. It is a brisk read for two lives that burned out all too soon.
Scott Fitzgerald famously said, "There are no second acts in American lives". His own death at forty-four left us with an incomplete novel, THE LAST TYCOON, and he missed the great "Fitzgerald Revival" that kicked off around the end of the 1940s. It was a "third act" of sorts, one where he could enjoy being a literary lion to a new and more appreciative generation.
December 31, 2018
Though it was occasionally difficult to read the handwritten notes and the sometimes blurry newspaper and magazine articles, overall this was a fascinating look at the lives of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Sad, too, as their lives eventually took very tragic turns and both died before their time, quite possibly feeling completely unappreciated. I had re-read "The Great Gatsby" a couple of years ago and was struck by its beauty and poignancy, so I wanted to know more about Fitzgerald. And I'd read some about his wife. I wanted to know more about both and this book -- more a scrapbook put together by each of them over the course of their lives -- really offered an inside look at their lives and talent. I read it in two days and couldn't put it down.
March 28, 2021
This fascinating book made me feel like I was going through personal papers and scrapbooks of a famous author as a family member. F. Scott and Zelda were both very creative people who wrote and did artwork and clipped newspaper articles about themselves and reviews of their books. They also corresponded with other famous authors such as Hemingway and Thomas Wolfe and kept their letters. Their daughter Scottie was very generous to share all this material with the public. I have looked through this book as a picture book several times but I decided to read it which was a challenge interpreting handwriting and reading newspapers with small print, but it was well worth it. A true treasure of a book.
June 17, 2019
What a valuable resource for English teachers and Fitzgerald enthusiasts. I felt like I was sitting in Scottie Fitzgerald Smith’s living room looking through scrapbooks and photo albums of her parents as she reminisced about their short lives. All of the tragedy, drama, chaos, but always love, are represented in this collection of letters, newspaper clippings, pictures, notes, and literature excerpts. I would have absolutely given five stars had it not been for the difficulty reading some of the hand-written letters and faded clippings.
August 27, 2017
This is an amazing book. It has been my "white whale" for years and the fact that it was gifted to me by one of my dearest friends, adds to the splendor.
Crammed full of Fitzgerald esoterica, this scrapbook captures the lives of Scott, Zelda, and Scottie so poignantly and is the perfect companion to "Some Sort of Epic Grandeur" and "Zelda." I hate to be "that girl" and rub it in (because it is so hard to find)...but if you have any interest at all in Fitzgerald, this book is a MUST.
Crammed full of Fitzgerald esoterica, this scrapbook captures the lives of Scott, Zelda, and Scottie so poignantly and is the perfect companion to "Some Sort of Epic Grandeur" and "Zelda." I hate to be "that girl" and rub it in (because it is so hard to find)...but if you have any interest at all in Fitzgerald, this book is a MUST.
January 29, 2021
This was a delicious follow up to Therese Anne Fowler's Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald. The photographs confirm how handsome F Scott was and how beautiful Zelda was. This book is filled with bits and pieces of their correspondence, reviews of their work, handwritten financial accounts, and a color pages of Zelda's art. The editors (including the Fitzgerald's daughter Scottie) did a fine job...I am thinking it might have been a labor of love:)
August 7, 2019
I wish only that there were more descriptions and that the descriptions were written a bit larger. Sometimes the handwriting was left to the reader's discretion, which was not ideal, but manageable.
The photographs were the best part - trying to see what was going on in their lives written on their faces or figures.
The photographs were the best part - trying to see what was going on in their lives written on their faces or figures.
November 13, 2018
I enjoyed the intimate look at the lives of F. Scott and Zelda. Several of their letters were rather difficult to read (cursive was quite different 80 years ago) though so some of their significance was lost on me. I wish there would have been more captions translating what had been written.
May 12, 2017
Fantastic! The book is a scrapbook-style compilation of first-hand accounts: their letters, artwork, and photographs. It also includes reviews of their books.
Their story is captivating and tragic.
Their story is captivating and tragic.
May 14, 2020
I almost classified this as a 'picture book,' but Scott would not approve...it's so much more. Baby books, scrap books, newspaper clippings, reviews, photos. This book, co-written by Scotty Fitzgerald, compiles so many memories of this little doomed family, and shares it all with us.
We see Scott and Zelda grow up, fall in love, gain notice, abuse their fame, destroy themselves and each other. But through it all, they were curiously devoted to each other.
Some observations:
All the bestseller lists Scott included with his own books? I didn't recognize one title of any of those lists...his were the only books to survive.
Scotty had a lovely smile and it appears her parents adored her.
They both seemed to want to work...for him that was writing, but Zelda seemed to reach for some way to contribute...she wrote, not badly; she painted, not badly; she danced...badly. She just wanted to be seen as a talented person...not just a crazy.
Scott's star was badly tarnished at his death. Royalties for the previous year were a whopping $13.13. Gatsby was out of circulation, and the Princeton Library refused to acquire his papers for $3500. The librarian was horrible...nearly called him a hack.
Scott was an awful speller...and it didn't matter...except he seemed to misspell "Hemingway" every time he wrote it. Hemingway got back...with "Snows of Kilimanjaro," A snotty letter from Scott to Ernest is included in the book.
I think the most touching entry for me was a page where, every year until he was 21, he experimented with his signature...'Scott Fitzgerald' for several years, until he settled on 'F. Scott.' We all can remember playing around with our signatures...
If you care about these two romantic egoists, you will love this book. So much background. So much Scott and Zelda.
We see Scott and Zelda grow up, fall in love, gain notice, abuse their fame, destroy themselves and each other. But through it all, they were curiously devoted to each other.
Some observations:
All the bestseller lists Scott included with his own books? I didn't recognize one title of any of those lists...his were the only books to survive.
Scotty had a lovely smile and it appears her parents adored her.
They both seemed to want to work...for him that was writing, but Zelda seemed to reach for some way to contribute...she wrote, not badly; she painted, not badly; she danced...badly. She just wanted to be seen as a talented person...not just a crazy.
Scott's star was badly tarnished at his death. Royalties for the previous year were a whopping $13.13. Gatsby was out of circulation, and the Princeton Library refused to acquire his papers for $3500. The librarian was horrible...nearly called him a hack.
Scott was an awful speller...and it didn't matter...except he seemed to misspell "Hemingway" every time he wrote it. Hemingway got back...with "Snows of Kilimanjaro," A snotty letter from Scott to Ernest is included in the book.
I think the most touching entry for me was a page where, every year until he was 21, he experimented with his signature...'Scott Fitzgerald' for several years, until he settled on 'F. Scott.' We all can remember playing around with our signatures...
If you care about these two romantic egoists, you will love this book. So much background. So much Scott and Zelda.
June 7, 2016
I borrowed this over-sized book from my university library and enjoyed it very much. It gives a full and detailed account of both Scott and Zelda's lives and how they were intertwined, skillfully weaving together their own scrapbooks, critical reviews, letters, telegrams, and excerpts from their written works. It even includes full glossy page prints of Zelda's paintings, which are beautiful and strange. I thought this book demonstrated how much a part of each other's lives Scott and Zelda remained up until the end of Scott's, which I had not been able to glean based on the Collected Works of Zelda Fitzgerald, having read that first.
October 23, 2011
Insanely brilliant. Gives insight into the life of F. Scott via original documents and the personal scrapbooks he kept and the clippings he kept of his own fame. Very endearing look at a writer whom we think of as a genius, someone who perhaps automatically wrote a novel that we all "had" to read in high school... but in reality he was actually very prone to insecurity and self doubt.
December 11, 2014
This (enormous) book is a fascinating and personal glimpse into the fascinating lives of F.Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Compiled from personal scrapbooks and the meticulous personal diaries of F. Scott by their daughter Scottie, this was such an interesting read for a person like me who is obsessed with the Fitzgeralds.
June 25, 2010
An amazing pictorial biography co-edited by Scottie Fitzgerald that contains pictures, clippings, journal entries, and letters taken from her parents' scrapbooks that have never before been printed. A must read/must have for all Scott and Zelda fans.
May 1, 2013
This is a collection of letters, clippings, photographs and stories from the scrapbooks of F. Scott, Zelda and Scottie Fitzgerald. It is great to see what they kept, photos from different periods of their lives and their versions of experiences as told through letters.
March 8, 2008
i gave myself a project to find out as much about the lost generation as i could. this book was part of that project.
May 7, 2013
I always love to look at this when I visit my friend George in Atlanta. He has a copy of this and you really get to know Zelda nad Scott visually through this wonderful scrapbook!
September 27, 2013
An absolute must for fans of the Fitzgeralds. It was like having their own personal scrapbook in your hands. I found it fascinating.
November 9, 2013
I loved The Romantic Egoists. I have been very into Hemingway and the Fitzgeralds lately and this biography, full of pictures and other memorabilia was amazing.
July 2, 2014
A veritable treasure trove for anyone who loves Fitzgerald. A dream to sift through! Five stars.
April 7, 2015
This book is stunning! Their daughter is a collab in creating this. A perfect book for lovers of their work.
June 27, 2015
A scrap book for anyone fascinated by Fitzgeralds. My most looked at coffee table book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews