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A New Leaf
"A New Leaf" by Francis Scott Fitzgerald.
30 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 1931
4 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
F. Scott Fitzgerald
2,154 books25.7k followersFrancis Scott Key Fitzgerald, widely known simply as Scott Fitzgerald, was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age, a term he popularized in his short story collection Tales of the Jazz Age. During his lifetime, he published four novels, four story collections, and 164 short stories. Although he achieved temporary popular success and fortune in the 1920s, Fitzgerald received critical acclaim only after his death and is now widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century.
Born into a middle-class family in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald was raised primarily in New York state. He attended Princeton University where he befriended future literary critic Edmund Wilson. Owing to a failed romantic relationship with Chicago socialite Ginevra King, he dropped out in 1917 to join the United States Army during World War I. While stationed in Alabama, he met Zelda Sayre, a Southern debutante who belonged to Montgomery's exclusive country-club set. Although she initially rejected Fitzgerald's marriage proposal due to his lack of financial prospects, Zelda agreed to marry him after he published the commercially successful This Side of Paradise (1920). The novel became a cultural sensation and cemented his reputation as one of the eminent writers of the decade.
His second novel, The Beautiful and Damned (1922), propelled him further into the cultural elite. To maintain his affluent lifestyle, he wrote numerous stories for popular magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Collier's Weekly, and Esquire. During this period, Fitzgerald frequented Europe, where he befriended modernist writers and artists of the "Lost Generation" expatriate community, including Ernest Hemingway. His third novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), received generally favorable reviews but was a commercial failure, selling fewer than 23,000 copies in its first year. Despite its lackluster debut, The Great Gatsby is now hailed by some literary critics as the "Great American Novel". Following the deterioration of his wife's mental health and her placement in a mental institute for schizophrenia, Fitzgerald completed his final novel, Tender Is the Night (1934).
Struggling financially because of the declining popularity of his works during the Great Depression, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood, where he embarked upon an unsuccessful career as a screenwriter. While living in Hollywood, he cohabited with columnist Sheilah Graham, his final companion before his death. After a long struggle with alcoholism, he attained sobriety only to die of a heart attack in 1940, at 44. His friend Edmund Wilson edited and published an unfinished fifth novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), after Fitzgerald's death. In 1993, a new edition was published as The Love of the Last Tycoon, edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli.
Born into a middle-class family in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald was raised primarily in New York state. He attended Princeton University where he befriended future literary critic Edmund Wilson. Owing to a failed romantic relationship with Chicago socialite Ginevra King, he dropped out in 1917 to join the United States Army during World War I. While stationed in Alabama, he met Zelda Sayre, a Southern debutante who belonged to Montgomery's exclusive country-club set. Although she initially rejected Fitzgerald's marriage proposal due to his lack of financial prospects, Zelda agreed to marry him after he published the commercially successful This Side of Paradise (1920). The novel became a cultural sensation and cemented his reputation as one of the eminent writers of the decade.
His second novel, The Beautiful and Damned (1922), propelled him further into the cultural elite. To maintain his affluent lifestyle, he wrote numerous stories for popular magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Collier's Weekly, and Esquire. During this period, Fitzgerald frequented Europe, where he befriended modernist writers and artists of the "Lost Generation" expatriate community, including Ernest Hemingway. His third novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), received generally favorable reviews but was a commercial failure, selling fewer than 23,000 copies in its first year. Despite its lackluster debut, The Great Gatsby is now hailed by some literary critics as the "Great American Novel". Following the deterioration of his wife's mental health and her placement in a mental institute for schizophrenia, Fitzgerald completed his final novel, Tender Is the Night (1934).
Struggling financially because of the declining popularity of his works during the Great Depression, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood, where he embarked upon an unsuccessful career as a screenwriter. While living in Hollywood, he cohabited with columnist Sheilah Graham, his final companion before his death. After a long struggle with alcoholism, he attained sobriety only to die of a heart attack in 1940, at 44. His friend Edmund Wilson edited and published an unfinished fifth novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), after Fitzgerald's death. In 1993, a new edition was published as The Love of the Last Tycoon, edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 11, 2015
This short book is timeless and hits home. It covers alcoholism in a realistic light for everyone affected: from those who battle it themselves to those who have loved ones who suffer from it. I think Fitzgerald was able to write this so poignantly because he was an alcoholic himself, and his relationship with Zelda (his wife) also deteriorated.
This is a beautifully written story. The writing is done with a lot of imagery and descriptions so it may come off as "old fashioned" with too much detail. But for those with that mindset, please keep in mind that this story is about the struggles of living with an alcoholic; don't just blow it off or not read the 20 pages just because the author's writing style is not as simple as popular fiction written today.
This is a beautifully written story. The writing is done with a lot of imagery and descriptions so it may come off as "old fashioned" with too much detail. But for those with that mindset, please keep in mind that this story is about the struggles of living with an alcoholic; don't just blow it off or not read the 20 pages just because the author's writing style is not as simple as popular fiction written today.
October 20, 2014
Wow, what a disappointment. One absolutely fantastic, breathtaking quote brought me to this? At least it wasn't interminable. I must say, it did have a nice little life lesson tucked away amidst it, however, once again, I am put off by the old fashioned writing. The classics are, unfortunately not for me.
January 31, 2022
So happy I found this after years of searching. Originally published in a newspaper, I’d say this is his best short story. Any classic fan should read it once, twice or twenty times. Timeless, and beautiful.
March 10, 2017
love life and alcoholism
August 19, 2015
I saw a beautiful quote of this short story and knew I had to read it! I recommend it.
"Her heart sank into her shoes as she realized at last how much she had wanted him. No matter what his past was, no matter what he had done. Which is not to say that she would ever let him know, but only that he moved her chemically more than anyone she had ever met, that all other men seemed pale beside him."
The book didn't exactly turn out how I thought it would, but maybe it was greater because of it.
"Her heart sank into her shoes as she realized at last how much she had wanted him. No matter what his past was, no matter what he had done. Which is not to say that she would ever let him know, but only that he moved her chemically more than anyone she had ever met, that all other men seemed pale beside him."
The book didn't exactly turn out how I thought it would, but maybe it was greater because of it.
November 4, 2015
"She saw him the first day on board, and then her heart sank into her shoes as she realized at last how much she wanted him. No matter what his past was, no matter what he had done. Which was not to say that she would ever let him know, but only that he moved her chemically more than anyone she had ever met, that all other men seemed pale beside him."
July 19, 2022
Not the Original Text
This version must have been translated into another language and translated back with artificial intelligence. Seriously. There are slight synonyms used in place of the original words, but it distorts the meaning of the sentences, sometimes to the point of total nonsense. Confirmed when compared against copies from other publishers.
This version must have been translated into another language and translated back with artificial intelligence. Seriously. There are slight synonyms used in place of the original words, but it distorts the meaning of the sentences, sometimes to the point of total nonsense. Confirmed when compared against copies from other publishers.
December 18, 2014
Honestly I love everything Fitzgerald does. This story did hit home a little with everything that has happened within my marriage. (the subject of alcoholism) A must read.
April 5, 2024
Here w3 have a short story about Dick, an alcoholic who finds love and recovery in Julie. All goes well until Phil turns up.
Read
February 10, 2025Self sabotaging final boss
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews