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The Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal that Shaped an American Classic
The romance between F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre has been celebrated as one of the greatest of the 20 th century. From the beginning, their relationship was a tumultuous one, in which the couple’s excesses were as widely known as their passion for each other. Despite their love, both Scott and Zelda engaged in flirtations that threatened to tear the couple apart. But none had a more profound impact on the two—and on Scott’s writing—as the liaison between Zelda and a French aviator, Edouard Jozan. Though other biographies have written of Jozan as one of Scott’s romantic rivals, accounts of the pilot’s effect on the couple have been superficial at best.
In The Gatsby Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal That Shaped an American Classic, Kendall Taylor examines the dalliance between the southern belle and the French pilot from a fresh perspective. Drawing on conversations and correspondence with Jozan’s daughter, as well as materials from the Jozan family archives, Taylor sheds new light on this romantic triangle. More than just a casual fling, Zelda’s tryst with Edouard affected Scott as much as it did his wife—and ultimately influenced the author’s most famous creation, Jay Gatsby. Were it not for Zelda’s affair with the pilot, Scott’s novel might be less about betrayal and more about lost illusions.
Exploring the private motives of these public figures, Taylor offers new explanations for their behavior. In addition to the love triangle that included Jozan, Taylor also delves into an earlier event in Zelda’s life—a sexual assault she suffered as a teenager—one that affected her future relationships. Both a literary study and a probing look at an iconic couple’s psychological makeup, The Gatsby Affair offers readers a bold interpretation of how one of America’s greatest novels was influenced.
In The Gatsby Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal That Shaped an American Classic, Kendall Taylor examines the dalliance between the southern belle and the French pilot from a fresh perspective. Drawing on conversations and correspondence with Jozan’s daughter, as well as materials from the Jozan family archives, Taylor sheds new light on this romantic triangle. More than just a casual fling, Zelda’s tryst with Edouard affected Scott as much as it did his wife—and ultimately influenced the author’s most famous creation, Jay Gatsby. Were it not for Zelda’s affair with the pilot, Scott’s novel might be less about betrayal and more about lost illusions.
Exploring the private motives of these public figures, Taylor offers new explanations for their behavior. In addition to the love triangle that included Jozan, Taylor also delves into an earlier event in Zelda’s life—a sexual assault she suffered as a teenager—one that affected her future relationships. Both a literary study and a probing look at an iconic couple’s psychological makeup, The Gatsby Affair offers readers a bold interpretation of how one of America’s greatest novels was influenced.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 8, 2018
14 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Kendall Taylor
132 books13 followersKendall Taylor, Ph.D., is a cultural historian who has taught at George Washington University, The American University, and State University of New York. She also served as Head of the National Exhibitions Program at the Library of Congress, Academic Director of The American University’s Washington Semester Program in Art and Architecture, and Vice President for Planning, Research, and Institutional Advancement at Friends World College in Huntington, Long Island. A Fulbright scholar and winner of numerous awards, Taylor is the author of the critically acclaimed biography of the Fitzgeralds, Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom, which was published in 2001. She lives in New York and Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
August 14, 2018
I have been fascinated with F. Scott Fitzgerald for years, since my college days and to this day The Great Gatsby is my favorite novel. So I thought I would love this book but it’s 3.5 stars and not quite 4 for me because the title is deceiving. This is not the book I was expecting. Only a small part of the book discussed the affair that the author says had an influence on The Great Gatsby. This was more of an expose of their tumultuous marriage, a tell all with details of the things they did, things that happened in their lives from their courtship to their deaths. I do have to admit there were things told here that were new to me . This is a very detailed telling of their life together and is obviously very well researched. I was expecting something different given the title. It wasn’t until a third of the way in that Eduardo Jozan is introduced, other than in introductory material . The affair didn’t last very long, but had an impact on Zelda throughout her life. When it ended was when she started to become mentally and physically ill. The affair had an impact on Scott as well as the affair almost ended theirs marriage. He does say that Gatsby’s character was in part based on Jozan, but I wasn’t totally convinced that the affair “shaped” this novel.
If you know anything about Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald’s relationship you might think that it was doomed from the beginning. She would only agree to marry him when she was sure he could be successful. They were reckless - drinking, crazy antics, affairs early on in their marriage. They themselves were larger than life in ways and and the characters in his novels are so much like them. A marriage fraught with more chaos and pain than I had previously envisioned. I was sad for them and how caught up they got in the life they led, sad for how things ended up for them, even though a lot was brought on by themselves. I was sad reading about Zelda going in and out of asylums, probably misdiagnosed and treated and things just seemed be in a downward spiral for her. There were more details here than I wanted to read about - who her doctors were, what medications and treatment she had.
When I decided to read this I was expecting it to be a book about the novel and it was only that in part. However, it is a well researched and detailed picture of their lives and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the Fitzgeralds. But for anyone who is interested in The Great Gatsby, I would highly recommended Maureen Corrigan’s fantastic book, So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers through Edelweiss.
September 8, 2018
3.5 I've never read a biography of either of the Fitzgeralds. What I know about them comes from various eotkd of fiction, either by or about them, do this provided me with much information I did not know. I knew Scott was an alcoholic, that Zelda was wild, and that she had mental problems, also that they both died very young. So reading that Scott was as wild as Zelda, was partly or maybe more so responsible for Zelda's mental state, and that their marriage was not a great love story. In fact, they were not good for each other, poisonous may be more accurate. Felt so for their poor daughter. Also never knew how much of their life, Zelda's words, Scott put into his fiction.
Coming across the name Bleuler again was another one of those strange book coincidence, I seem to be running into more and more lately. I had never heard of this learned man of psychiatry until I recently encountered his name in the book , Inkspots. All the leading men of the time tried to treat Zelda at one time or another. I came away from this book, with a deep sympathy for Zelda, of course one could tell the author also felt for her. She was so lost, so young, and didn't have anyone to as ctually guide her.
Whenever I read books featuring The greats from the jazz Age, I am always amazed at the prodigious amounts of alcohol they consumed. How they moved from place to place, traveling everywhere, constantly broke. It is amazing that they managed to pen many of the books we now call classics. This book was well put together, interesting yet easy to read, not exactly narrative style, but I never found it dry. A very informative look at this time and the two people who live on in their books.
ARC from Netgalley.
Coming across the name Bleuler again was another one of those strange book coincidence, I seem to be running into more and more lately. I had never heard of this learned man of psychiatry until I recently encountered his name in the book , Inkspots. All the leading men of the time tried to treat Zelda at one time or another. I came away from this book, with a deep sympathy for Zelda, of course one could tell the author also felt for her. She was so lost, so young, and didn't have anyone to as ctually guide her.
Whenever I read books featuring The greats from the jazz Age, I am always amazed at the prodigious amounts of alcohol they consumed. How they moved from place to place, traveling everywhere, constantly broke. It is amazing that they managed to pen many of the books we now call classics. This book was well put together, interesting yet easy to read, not exactly narrative style, but I never found it dry. A very informative look at this time and the two people who live on in their books.
ARC from Netgalley.
October 5, 2019
At this point, I am not sure what to say because of my conflicting thoughts and emotions; the only thing I can think about right now is what a despicable, selfish and jealous man F. Scott Fitzgerald was....Zelda was no saint and had her fair share of faults, but she didn't deserve this treatment from him. For all their fame, wealth and popularity, towards the end of their lives, both Scott and Zelda became sad, withering shadows of their former selves.
My thanks to Netgally, Rowman and Littlefield publishers and the author Kendall Taylor for giving me an e-Arc of the book.
My thanks to Netgally, Rowman and Littlefield publishers and the author Kendall Taylor for giving me an e-Arc of the book.
August 6, 2018
The troubled mysteriously complex marriage of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his beautiful wife Zelda Sayre is one of the most fascinating unions in literary history-- and is recalled in the intriguing biographical book; “The Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda and The Betrayal That Shaped an American Classic” by award winning author, scholar and historian Kendall Taylor PhD. Dr. Taylor is also the author of “Sometimes Madness is Wisdom: Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald: A Marriage” (2001). This outstanding notable biography of the Fitzgerald’s was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and translated in multiple languages.
Both F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) and Zelda Sayre (1900-48) were from wealthier privileged family backgrounds. When the couple met in Zelda’s hometown in Montgomery, Alabama—Scott was in the Army stationed at Camp Sheridan after discontinuing his studies at Princeton. There was nothing remarkable about him. Zelda, a popular spirited beauty and southern belle with numerous suitors was obviously waiting for a wealthy and/or famous husband. Scott was determined to win Zelda’s affection’s at any cost.
While his regiment was awaiting deployment to France, Scott’s hope to become a war hero was dashed with the signing of the Armistice. Scott was among the first to be discharged when the war ended. Scott began working on his novel-- with the overnight sensational success of “This Side of Paradise” (1920) Scott and Zelda eloped. As a NYC celebrity power couple, the Fitzgerald’s influenced the Roaring Twenties era socially and culturally through Scott’s writings of “The Jazz Age” calling Zelda (his wife and muse) the “original flapper”. The Fitzgerald’s spectacular public antics were widely covered in the press, their dramatic drunken partying, fights and allegations, outrageous conduct that included Zelda frolicking in a NYC water fountain.
The pivotal turning point in their marriage occurred while Scott was writing The Great Gatsby. While living in a villa on the French Rivera, Scott needed large blocks of time in isolation to write (1924). Zelda amused herself (with Scott’s approval) spending time with the dashing French naval pilot Edouard S. Jozan. Their affair was predictable, as were the dramatic scenes that followed. Jozan wisely extracted himself immediately from the situation to avoid conduct issues that may have impacted his military career, and never spoke to Zelda again. He always declined to acknowledge or speak publically of the affair. Surprisingly, Dr. Taylor heard from Edouard’s daughter Martine, who added additional insight of the affair and her father’s character.
Zelda was a gifted creative writer/artist in her own right. Scott used entries from her dairies verbatim in his writing and novel’s, and rejected serious offers from publisher’s to buy Zelda’s writing. Later, Scott’s tendency to use her private writings and her recognizable life situations for material in his novels would be the source of Zelda’s great emotional distress; impeding her ability to get well. Another negative influence was the experimental treatments with the use of Metrazol or Insulin coma induced Electroconvulsive Therapy used in the 1930’s-1940’s. The side effects from these treatments included headaches, acute anxiety, insomnia and obesity. Zelda had several mental breakdowns that led to confinement in numerous psychiatric hospitals; her final admission to Highland Hills, N.C. led to the tragedy that claimed her life.
* During that time period, the Baltimore Sun reported that in the Maryland mental health system only 12 registered nurses supported the care of over 9,000 patients. In North Carolina, the ratio of nurses to patients was even less.
In his younger years Scott’s friends jokingly called him “Scotch Fitzgerald”. The alcoholism affiliated with the writing careers of famous author’s including Fitzgerald is widely known, although Dr. Taylor doesn’t focus on this aspect of the Fitzgerald marriage. At the time of his death, Scott was in poor health, nearly broke-- barely able to afford Zelda’s medical expenses, they were estranged (Zelda could only contact Scott through his publisher) Scott was allegedly involved with British writer columnist Sheilah Graham. Still, his work featured elements of the marital betrayal he had endured years after Zelda’s affair. This combination that blended reality with thinly disguised fiction promoted the success and timeless appeal of Fitzgerald’s writing as readers learned more about Scott and Zelda’s historical legacy along with the people and places affiliated with them. ** With thanks and appreciation to ROMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHING via NetGalley for the advance DDC for the purpose of review.
Both F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) and Zelda Sayre (1900-48) were from wealthier privileged family backgrounds. When the couple met in Zelda’s hometown in Montgomery, Alabama—Scott was in the Army stationed at Camp Sheridan after discontinuing his studies at Princeton. There was nothing remarkable about him. Zelda, a popular spirited beauty and southern belle with numerous suitors was obviously waiting for a wealthy and/or famous husband. Scott was determined to win Zelda’s affection’s at any cost.
While his regiment was awaiting deployment to France, Scott’s hope to become a war hero was dashed with the signing of the Armistice. Scott was among the first to be discharged when the war ended. Scott began working on his novel-- with the overnight sensational success of “This Side of Paradise” (1920) Scott and Zelda eloped. As a NYC celebrity power couple, the Fitzgerald’s influenced the Roaring Twenties era socially and culturally through Scott’s writings of “The Jazz Age” calling Zelda (his wife and muse) the “original flapper”. The Fitzgerald’s spectacular public antics were widely covered in the press, their dramatic drunken partying, fights and allegations, outrageous conduct that included Zelda frolicking in a NYC water fountain.
The pivotal turning point in their marriage occurred while Scott was writing The Great Gatsby. While living in a villa on the French Rivera, Scott needed large blocks of time in isolation to write (1924). Zelda amused herself (with Scott’s approval) spending time with the dashing French naval pilot Edouard S. Jozan. Their affair was predictable, as were the dramatic scenes that followed. Jozan wisely extracted himself immediately from the situation to avoid conduct issues that may have impacted his military career, and never spoke to Zelda again. He always declined to acknowledge or speak publically of the affair. Surprisingly, Dr. Taylor heard from Edouard’s daughter Martine, who added additional insight of the affair and her father’s character.
Zelda was a gifted creative writer/artist in her own right. Scott used entries from her dairies verbatim in his writing and novel’s, and rejected serious offers from publisher’s to buy Zelda’s writing. Later, Scott’s tendency to use her private writings and her recognizable life situations for material in his novels would be the source of Zelda’s great emotional distress; impeding her ability to get well. Another negative influence was the experimental treatments with the use of Metrazol or Insulin coma induced Electroconvulsive Therapy used in the 1930’s-1940’s. The side effects from these treatments included headaches, acute anxiety, insomnia and obesity. Zelda had several mental breakdowns that led to confinement in numerous psychiatric hospitals; her final admission to Highland Hills, N.C. led to the tragedy that claimed her life.
* During that time period, the Baltimore Sun reported that in the Maryland mental health system only 12 registered nurses supported the care of over 9,000 patients. In North Carolina, the ratio of nurses to patients was even less.
In his younger years Scott’s friends jokingly called him “Scotch Fitzgerald”. The alcoholism affiliated with the writing careers of famous author’s including Fitzgerald is widely known, although Dr. Taylor doesn’t focus on this aspect of the Fitzgerald marriage. At the time of his death, Scott was in poor health, nearly broke-- barely able to afford Zelda’s medical expenses, they were estranged (Zelda could only contact Scott through his publisher) Scott was allegedly involved with British writer columnist Sheilah Graham. Still, his work featured elements of the marital betrayal he had endured years after Zelda’s affair. This combination that blended reality with thinly disguised fiction promoted the success and timeless appeal of Fitzgerald’s writing as readers learned more about Scott and Zelda’s historical legacy along with the people and places affiliated with them. ** With thanks and appreciation to ROMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHING via NetGalley for the advance DDC for the purpose of review.
July 4, 2018
I am fairly well versed in Fitzgerald lore. I have read Scott Fitzgerald's books. I have read Zelda's biography and her biographical novel, SAVE ME THE WALTZ. I have read fiction about Scott Fitzgerald's Hollywood years, and I have read both fact and fiction about their sun-soaked days on the French Riviera with the Murphy clan.
But, I was somehow not prepared for the content of THE GATSBY AFFAIR. It is not so much that I encountered new information or was exposed to fresh incidents in their lives---it is more that Kendall Taylor's chronological presentation of their courtship, marriage, and careers left me disillusioned about them at such an early stage in their relationship.
Theirs is a story that does not have a happy ending. And, that is no surprise to anyone who has even a limited interest in their lives. But, the suggestion that Zelda married, not for love, but for opportunity, was a different spin on their relationship for me. Taylor's relentless dedication to the details of Zelda's decline is heartbreaking and difficult to accept. If ever anyone was in need of a health advocate---or, just a friend, it was Zelda Fitzgerald.
Biographers will vary on their interpretation of incidents, but however you choose to view the lives of this couple, it is clear that their reputation as gay, fun-loving and gold-dust spattered sophisticates was only a lot of skillful spin. Zelda was immature and irresponsible and her husband was selfish and destructive. Ms. Taylor may not be breaking new ground with this book, but her research and scholarship very successfully debunked the Fitzgerald myth for me. My heart went out to Zelda for the loss of her youth, beauty and dreams.
But, I was somehow not prepared for the content of THE GATSBY AFFAIR. It is not so much that I encountered new information or was exposed to fresh incidents in their lives---it is more that Kendall Taylor's chronological presentation of their courtship, marriage, and careers left me disillusioned about them at such an early stage in their relationship.
Theirs is a story that does not have a happy ending. And, that is no surprise to anyone who has even a limited interest in their lives. But, the suggestion that Zelda married, not for love, but for opportunity, was a different spin on their relationship for me. Taylor's relentless dedication to the details of Zelda's decline is heartbreaking and difficult to accept. If ever anyone was in need of a health advocate---or, just a friend, it was Zelda Fitzgerald.
Biographers will vary on their interpretation of incidents, but however you choose to view the lives of this couple, it is clear that their reputation as gay, fun-loving and gold-dust spattered sophisticates was only a lot of skillful spin. Zelda was immature and irresponsible and her husband was selfish and destructive. Ms. Taylor may not be breaking new ground with this book, but her research and scholarship very successfully debunked the Fitzgerald myth for me. My heart went out to Zelda for the loss of her youth, beauty and dreams.
February 1, 2019
The Gatsby Affair is a fascinating story. I'm always intrigued by anything about Fitzgerald and Zelda. This is a well written and researched account of their marriage and problems they had. Zelda deserved better. I've always seen her as a sympathetic character. Fitzgerald is just not likable. Overall a good read. Great for anyone interested in the subject matter or time period. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2020
This book is full of inaccurate information and too much conjecture and opinion. You would think the author would at least get the bio info right about Zelda's grandfather. She kept saying that he had a tobacco farm in Virginia and was a Virginia senator. When in fact, he owned a horse farm called Mineral Mount in Kentucky, represented Kentucky in the Confederacy and was a Kentucky Senator. Much of the writing was vague and opinions given weren't based on anything. I bought it to read about the supposed new info about Edouard Jozan and was disappointed. Nothing new, just more conjecture. If you want to learn about Zelda and her life, read Zelda by Nancy Milford, followed up by Sarah Mayfield's Exiles in Paradise (for a different take), Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda (love letters of Scott and Zelda). it would be a good idea to read her novel and short stories. And if you can only read one book about Zelda, a nice compilation of all the above works; Zelda Fitzgerald: Her Voice in Paradise by Sally Cline. Forget Kendall Taylor.
August 13, 2018
The more I read about Scott Fitzgerald the more unlikable he becomes, and the more inexcusable his behaviour towards Zelda. This latest exploration of their marriage does nothing to redeem him. It’s an intelligent, well-researched and balanced portrayal of his and Zelda’s marriage, and a compassionate portrait of this poor woman who had so much potential but who was so damaged by what life threw at her. A fascinating read indeed.
January 15, 2019
I got this as a e book from Net Galley. It wasn't too bad of a book. It had some info at this time in history. It is my first book by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.
December 29, 2019
Incredibly detailed biography of these two very sad lives. 3.5 stars. Very well done but it is long and I was ready to be done w the whole affair by the end.
March 19, 2019
Like Sally Koslow’s "Another Side of Paradise" which details Scott Fitzgerald’s relationship with Sheilah Graham at the end of his (short) life during Zelda’s institutionalization, Kendall Taylor’s "The Gatsby Affair" discusses Zelda’s alleged affair with French pilot Edouard Jozan during weeks of the summer of 1924. Both books seem to assert an unspoken argument that these affairs were the actual loves of each Fitzgerald’s life.
The difference in "The Gatsby Affair" is that Zelda’s relationship with Jozan happened so early in their marriage that it influenced his writing and was immortalized in moments and characters of Gatsby as well as his future short stories. Zelda’s writing, "Save Me the Waltz" and her unpublished "Caesar’s Things," the author asserts, were also shaped by this tryst. I am certain that people can come into one’s life for a short window of time and affect the trajectory of their life and art. Readers of Fitzgerald readily acknowledge that turbulent, troubled marriages infused with infidelity and alcohol are common in his work. So it is entirely possible that this affair with Eduardo Jozan altered the fabric of the Fitzgeralds’ lives and art. However, considering that Scott and Zelda could have divorced at any time, yet remained connected and emotionally loyal throughout the ecstatic highs and paralyzing lows of their lives means something, too.
Some of the descriptions in the book seemed to paint Zelda’s affair, and Jozan in particular, as torn from the pages of a bodice-ripper: “Charismatic and powerful, Edouard possessed what the French call aplomb . . . . He might have stepped from a fashion magazine, this Frenchman . . . whose imposing presence commanded respect” (58-59). It seems whenever he is mentioned, a reader is reminded of his “massive” size and “broad”ness. Meanwhile Scott is depicted as “feminine” and “petite.” The author goes so far to disparage Scott’s sexual prowess, asserting that sex between Scott and Zelda “had never been satisfactory. . . . His sexual inadequacies were compounded by occasional impotence caused by over drinking, a tendency toward premature ejaculations, and what could only be described as a modestly sized penis” based on an expose written by a prostitute in North Carolina (77). That seems to hit below the belt, quite literally. Yet in writing about Scott’s affair with Sheilah Graham at the end of his life, Koslow repeatedly mentions the wild, animalistic sexual passion the two shared and that the two were insatiable in sexual appetites. Hmmmmm.
For a woman known for her clever wit and love of writing and language, it also seemed a bit suspect “[T]hat Edouard spoke little English and Zelda rudimentary French seemed irrelevant. They communicated without fully understanding each other’s words. The pilot had no difficulty expressing emotions through the cadence of his voice and timing of his breaths . . . . he intuited her feelings” (63). Cue the cheesy romance music. The timing of his breaths? Intuited her feelings? Yes, sexual attraction and physical chemistry is real, and a foreign accent could heighten that, but would a few weeks of that make a seemingly intelligent woman (who loved words) willing to leave her family forever for a life of well-timed breaths?
According to the author, after knowing Jozan for a few weeks, Zelda confessed her love for the French pilot and asked Scott for a divorce. Then one of the following happened: Scott lodged a formal complaint to Edouard’s commanding officer and demanded he be transferred, Scott demanded that Zelda and Edouard confess their love directly to him, or Scott challenged him to a duel/fight. The author feels that Zelda’s "Save Me the Waltz" holds the closest to the truth: “I cannot fight,” the Edouard-based character says, “I am much stronger than he.” So he just walked away from his true love instead? Okaaay.
My final note is that only 20 pages (approximately 10%) of the book is devoted to the actual relationship between Zelda and Jozan (and to get even that much material, the author had to mine his early childhood, including anecdotes about him as a rebellious 12 year-old (Zelda loved a rebel!). And the relationship that impacted 16 years of American literature occupied three or four weeks (maybe?) of Zelda’s life. (The Fitzgeralds began sailing for France on May 3rd 1924 and by July 13, they left the country and Edouard was transferred.) Edouard denied the affair to his dying day, 57 years after the alleged affair, having achieved a distinguished military career and a 50 year marriage with his wife Lucienne.
Infidelity impacts a marriage and the psyche of those involved, I agree. However, I do not agree to the extent that building up these short-lived extra-marital affairs (all of the main characters in Zelda’s unpublished Caesar’s Things have names starting in “J” in honor of her true love!) diminishes the wild ride of love and devotion and jealousy and power struggles shared by these two icons of the Roaring Twenties; that is the true love story in my book.
The difference in "The Gatsby Affair" is that Zelda’s relationship with Jozan happened so early in their marriage that it influenced his writing and was immortalized in moments and characters of Gatsby as well as his future short stories. Zelda’s writing, "Save Me the Waltz" and her unpublished "Caesar’s Things," the author asserts, were also shaped by this tryst. I am certain that people can come into one’s life for a short window of time and affect the trajectory of their life and art. Readers of Fitzgerald readily acknowledge that turbulent, troubled marriages infused with infidelity and alcohol are common in his work. So it is entirely possible that this affair with Eduardo Jozan altered the fabric of the Fitzgeralds’ lives and art. However, considering that Scott and Zelda could have divorced at any time, yet remained connected and emotionally loyal throughout the ecstatic highs and paralyzing lows of their lives means something, too.
Some of the descriptions in the book seemed to paint Zelda’s affair, and Jozan in particular, as torn from the pages of a bodice-ripper: “Charismatic and powerful, Edouard possessed what the French call aplomb . . . . He might have stepped from a fashion magazine, this Frenchman . . . whose imposing presence commanded respect” (58-59). It seems whenever he is mentioned, a reader is reminded of his “massive” size and “broad”ness. Meanwhile Scott is depicted as “feminine” and “petite.” The author goes so far to disparage Scott’s sexual prowess, asserting that sex between Scott and Zelda “had never been satisfactory. . . . His sexual inadequacies were compounded by occasional impotence caused by over drinking, a tendency toward premature ejaculations, and what could only be described as a modestly sized penis” based on an expose written by a prostitute in North Carolina (77). That seems to hit below the belt, quite literally. Yet in writing about Scott’s affair with Sheilah Graham at the end of his life, Koslow repeatedly mentions the wild, animalistic sexual passion the two shared and that the two were insatiable in sexual appetites. Hmmmmm.
For a woman known for her clever wit and love of writing and language, it also seemed a bit suspect “[T]hat Edouard spoke little English and Zelda rudimentary French seemed irrelevant. They communicated without fully understanding each other’s words. The pilot had no difficulty expressing emotions through the cadence of his voice and timing of his breaths . . . . he intuited her feelings” (63). Cue the cheesy romance music. The timing of his breaths? Intuited her feelings? Yes, sexual attraction and physical chemistry is real, and a foreign accent could heighten that, but would a few weeks of that make a seemingly intelligent woman (who loved words) willing to leave her family forever for a life of well-timed breaths?
According to the author, after knowing Jozan for a few weeks, Zelda confessed her love for the French pilot and asked Scott for a divorce. Then one of the following happened: Scott lodged a formal complaint to Edouard’s commanding officer and demanded he be transferred, Scott demanded that Zelda and Edouard confess their love directly to him, or Scott challenged him to a duel/fight. The author feels that Zelda’s "Save Me the Waltz" holds the closest to the truth: “I cannot fight,” the Edouard-based character says, “I am much stronger than he.” So he just walked away from his true love instead? Okaaay.
My final note is that only 20 pages (approximately 10%) of the book is devoted to the actual relationship between Zelda and Jozan (and to get even that much material, the author had to mine his early childhood, including anecdotes about him as a rebellious 12 year-old (Zelda loved a rebel!). And the relationship that impacted 16 years of American literature occupied three or four weeks (maybe?) of Zelda’s life. (The Fitzgeralds began sailing for France on May 3rd 1924 and by July 13, they left the country and Edouard was transferred.) Edouard denied the affair to his dying day, 57 years after the alleged affair, having achieved a distinguished military career and a 50 year marriage with his wife Lucienne.
Infidelity impacts a marriage and the psyche of those involved, I agree. However, I do not agree to the extent that building up these short-lived extra-marital affairs (all of the main characters in Zelda’s unpublished Caesar’s Things have names starting in “J” in honor of her true love!) diminishes the wild ride of love and devotion and jealousy and power struggles shared by these two icons of the Roaring Twenties; that is the true love story in my book.
May 4, 2020
Now is like to go back and read the works mentioned in here .... again.
August 24, 2019
Taylor's account of the train wreck of the Fitzgerald marriage of two clearly incompatible people was hard to read, not because of Taylor's writing but due to the extensive disastrous consequences visited on others. Scott and Zelda consumed and destroyed so many lives.
Notwithstanding other reviewers' comments that The Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal that Shaped an American Classic is misleading in emphasizing the affair in its title, Taylor's account is about the affair of Zelda Fitzgerald with Edouard Jozan and all of its ramifications, ramifications that destroyed, at least partially, the lives of Scott and Zelda because Scott could not forgive while Zelda refused to forget Edouard. On the other hand, one might see it as Zelda could not forgive -- for Scott's treatment of her afterwards and Edouard for deserting her -- and Scott could not forget because the affair was replicated in Scott's writing from then on as well as having affairs in retribution.
Perhaps the criticism in other reviews is because Taylor does not focus on the more tawdry sensational aspects of the affair. Taylor in my view is to be commended on this because a tell-all book is easy to write and the last thing the Fitzgerald or Jozan generations need.
The Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal that Shaped an American Classic is also a notable contribution to literature in this analysis of Scott's (and to a lesser extent, Zelda's) works through providing context to how the characters originated in Scott's mind and how the characters continued to develop during the course of the novel.
The Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal that Shaped an American Classic is also important for Taylor's through research of early developments in the field of psychiatry and the treatment of mental illness. It was not a pretty history, but a cruel one and though Taylor does not expressly link this sordid history with the current less-restrictive residential community mode of therapy and treatment of mental illness, Taylor's account does shed light on why the trend is to treat those who can be in the community rather than institutionalizing them. Her account also sheds light on why patient's and women's rights have developed as they have.
In sum, The Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal that Shaped an American Classic is more than just a book about a legendary affair but one worth reading for a host of other important historical and current trends reasons. The one thing that was annoying was that in the beginning (less than a 1/4 way in) the flow of the narrative was a series of fits of starts and stops.
Copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Notwithstanding other reviewers' comments that The Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal that Shaped an American Classic is misleading in emphasizing the affair in its title, Taylor's account is about the affair of Zelda Fitzgerald with Edouard Jozan and all of its ramifications, ramifications that destroyed, at least partially, the lives of Scott and Zelda because Scott could not forgive while Zelda refused to forget Edouard. On the other hand, one might see it as Zelda could not forgive -- for Scott's treatment of her afterwards and Edouard for deserting her -- and Scott could not forget because the affair was replicated in Scott's writing from then on as well as having affairs in retribution.
Perhaps the criticism in other reviews is because Taylor does not focus on the more tawdry sensational aspects of the affair. Taylor in my view is to be commended on this because a tell-all book is easy to write and the last thing the Fitzgerald or Jozan generations need.
The Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal that Shaped an American Classic is also a notable contribution to literature in this analysis of Scott's (and to a lesser extent, Zelda's) works through providing context to how the characters originated in Scott's mind and how the characters continued to develop during the course of the novel.
The Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal that Shaped an American Classic is also important for Taylor's through research of early developments in the field of psychiatry and the treatment of mental illness. It was not a pretty history, but a cruel one and though Taylor does not expressly link this sordid history with the current less-restrictive residential community mode of therapy and treatment of mental illness, Taylor's account does shed light on why the trend is to treat those who can be in the community rather than institutionalizing them. Her account also sheds light on why patient's and women's rights have developed as they have.
In sum, The Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal that Shaped an American Classic is more than just a book about a legendary affair but one worth reading for a host of other important historical and current trends reasons. The one thing that was annoying was that in the beginning (less than a 1/4 way in) the flow of the narrative was a series of fits of starts and stops.
Copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 14, 2018
On the Fitzgerald fan scale I'm probably in the middle. I loved The Great Gatsby, enjoyed Tender Is the Night and have been wanting to learn more about Zelda after Amazon's Z: The beginning of everything. So this book seemed right up my street.
I'll get my moan out of the way first - the title is a bit misleading. This book isn't a study of an affair and its impact on a novel. I don't think it is a spoiler to say that details of the affair itself are not fleshed out, because they are not really known beyond the people involved. My gossip-hungry side was disappointed by that, and I couldn't decide if I respected Jozan's dignified and respectful silence or saw it as yet another turn of the knife, that he didn't take what they had shared as seriously as Zelda had. I was also left a bit longing for more discussion around how Fitzgerald's writing was shaped by Zelda's betrayal. The book did go in to this, and it is evident that it wasn't just one of his works which picked the affair apart. But I guess I just wanted more depth in that respect.
But actually, I'm glad that the scope of the book was more than it promised at first. This is a examination of a damaged and damaging relationship, of a couple who hurt one another because they felt hurt by one another. It strips away any pretence of romance or glamour, and shows just how toxic the wrong combination of people can be for all around them. I found it fascinating to learn just how heavily both of them borrowed from their lives in their writing, and the power struggle of two creative but very broken people. In my mind, Fitzgerald was very much the villain of the piece, but Taylor gives the reader space to make their own judgement.
In short, the title lets the book down. There is so much more to this incredibly researched and accessibly written study. But then again, it was the title that hooked me in...and I'm glad that it did!
Many thanks to Rowman and Littlefield for my Netgalley copy of this book. All views my own.
I'll get my moan out of the way first - the title is a bit misleading. This book isn't a study of an affair and its impact on a novel. I don't think it is a spoiler to say that details of the affair itself are not fleshed out, because they are not really known beyond the people involved. My gossip-hungry side was disappointed by that, and I couldn't decide if I respected Jozan's dignified and respectful silence or saw it as yet another turn of the knife, that he didn't take what they had shared as seriously as Zelda had. I was also left a bit longing for more discussion around how Fitzgerald's writing was shaped by Zelda's betrayal. The book did go in to this, and it is evident that it wasn't just one of his works which picked the affair apart. But I guess I just wanted more depth in that respect.
But actually, I'm glad that the scope of the book was more than it promised at first. This is a examination of a damaged and damaging relationship, of a couple who hurt one another because they felt hurt by one another. It strips away any pretence of romance or glamour, and shows just how toxic the wrong combination of people can be for all around them. I found it fascinating to learn just how heavily both of them borrowed from their lives in their writing, and the power struggle of two creative but very broken people. In my mind, Fitzgerald was very much the villain of the piece, but Taylor gives the reader space to make their own judgement.
In short, the title lets the book down. There is so much more to this incredibly researched and accessibly written study. But then again, it was the title that hooked me in...and I'm glad that it did!
Many thanks to Rowman and Littlefield for my Netgalley copy of this book. All views my own.
April 10, 2020
Call me a romantic, but I have always been fascinated with Scott and Zelda Fitgerald. The author does an excellent amount of research into the private lives of these bigger than life representatives of the 1920's and that includes the severe ups and downs of their marriage. With her cooperation from Edouard Jozan's family members Ms. Taylor is the only author that gives us a close-up view of Zelda's brief affair with Edouard on the French Riviera in 1924 while Scott was ignoring her a great deal due to his work on The Great Gatsby. They got back together again but their marriage was permanently damaged and this comes out in various characterizations in Fitzgerald's later works. Zelda appears as a quite talented and creative woman in her own right who always had to take a back seat for her famous novelist husband. I feel that the frustration of being stuck in this role had a lot to do with her breakdowns later in life. She also seemed to be constantly reminded of her "affair" with the French pilot long after it was over. Excellent reading.
September 29, 2019
3.5 stars.
"The Great Gatsby" is one of my favorite novels of all time and I have always been intrigued by F .Scott Fitzgerald's life, particularly his marriage to Zelda and it's tragic unfolding. Focusing on Zelda's affair with Edouard Jozan, and the impact it had on the couple's life and work. I was instantly interested in "The Gatsby Affair" and could not wait to read it.
The Jozan affair is known as one of the most defining moments of Scott and Zelda's tumultuous marriage. There was a before Edouard, and then an after. Simple as that. Scott wrote what happened could never be repaired. He incorporated the betrayal into his writing, and continuously revisited it through his stories. Most known for the emotional love triangle it created between the main characters in his classic novel, The Great Gatsby. The affair also played a pivotal role in Zelda's 2 novels, and some would say that Edouard leaving Zelda was the catalyst for her mental decline.
"The Gatsby Affair" is extremely well researched and provides biographical information about Edouard and his family, as well as insights to his character. However, No new evidence is presented in relation to their affair and he still remains a mystery, his life is very briefly discussed at the end of the novel. I did learn a lot about Zelda and Scotts life, but the title of the novel is somewhat misleading to me, as it did not focus on the affair and The Great Gatsby like expected. I did really enjoy it though, a story about obsession, addiction, love, betrayal, and madness. I recommend for everyone interested in the Fitzgeralds and the Jazz Age to read.
I received my copy from Netgalley.
"The Great Gatsby" is one of my favorite novels of all time and I have always been intrigued by F .Scott Fitzgerald's life, particularly his marriage to Zelda and it's tragic unfolding. Focusing on Zelda's affair with Edouard Jozan, and the impact it had on the couple's life and work. I was instantly interested in "The Gatsby Affair" and could not wait to read it.
The Jozan affair is known as one of the most defining moments of Scott and Zelda's tumultuous marriage. There was a before Edouard, and then an after. Simple as that. Scott wrote what happened could never be repaired. He incorporated the betrayal into his writing, and continuously revisited it through his stories. Most known for the emotional love triangle it created between the main characters in his classic novel, The Great Gatsby. The affair also played a pivotal role in Zelda's 2 novels, and some would say that Edouard leaving Zelda was the catalyst for her mental decline.
"The Gatsby Affair" is extremely well researched and provides biographical information about Edouard and his family, as well as insights to his character. However, No new evidence is presented in relation to their affair and he still remains a mystery, his life is very briefly discussed at the end of the novel. I did learn a lot about Zelda and Scotts life, but the title of the novel is somewhat misleading to me, as it did not focus on the affair and The Great Gatsby like expected. I did really enjoy it though, a story about obsession, addiction, love, betrayal, and madness. I recommend for everyone interested in the Fitzgeralds and the Jazz Age to read.
I received my copy from Netgalley.
March 17, 2019
Book Court - Where I'm the Judge and Jury
CHARGE (What was the author trying to say?): To explore how Zelda Fitzgerald’s affair with Edouard Jozan affected the plot of The Great Gatsby.
FACTS: The book retraces the familiar story of the Fitzgeralds’ courtship, marriage, and dissolute lifestyle. Scott encouraged Zelda’s flirtations with other men asd it left him free to write. As the Fitzgeralds lived an extravagant lifestyle, they realized their income was sufficient to maintain them. They relocated to San Raphael, France, where the dollar had a very good exchange rate. As Scott “started a new novel and retired with strict seclusion and celibacy” Zelda met Edouard Jozan, a French Naval pilot to whom she was immediately attracted. Some have implied that Scott threw the two together to provide “more emotional stimulation that would help his writing.” Scott considered jealousy the biggest aid to making monogamy work. The affair lasted five months, but the author believes that “When one compares Scott’s first draft of The Great Gatsby with its final version, the influence of the Jozan affair becomes evident.” The book goes on to chronicle the almost current institutionalization of Zelda for much of their marriage, and the tragic end of Scott, Zelda, and their daughter Scottie.
VERDICT(Was the author successful?) : Not guilty. There was sparse evidence of the connection and the book was filled with references to relatively obscure celebrities with whom this reader was unfamiliar.#
#TheGatsbyAffair #NetGalley
CHARGE (What was the author trying to say?): To explore how Zelda Fitzgerald’s affair with Edouard Jozan affected the plot of The Great Gatsby.
FACTS: The book retraces the familiar story of the Fitzgeralds’ courtship, marriage, and dissolute lifestyle. Scott encouraged Zelda’s flirtations with other men asd it left him free to write. As the Fitzgeralds lived an extravagant lifestyle, they realized their income was sufficient to maintain them. They relocated to San Raphael, France, where the dollar had a very good exchange rate. As Scott “started a new novel and retired with strict seclusion and celibacy” Zelda met Edouard Jozan, a French Naval pilot to whom she was immediately attracted. Some have implied that Scott threw the two together to provide “more emotional stimulation that would help his writing.” Scott considered jealousy the biggest aid to making monogamy work. The affair lasted five months, but the author believes that “When one compares Scott’s first draft of The Great Gatsby with its final version, the influence of the Jozan affair becomes evident.” The book goes on to chronicle the almost current institutionalization of Zelda for much of their marriage, and the tragic end of Scott, Zelda, and their daughter Scottie.
VERDICT(Was the author successful?) : Not guilty. There was sparse evidence of the connection and the book was filled with references to relatively obscure celebrities with whom this reader was unfamiliar.#
#TheGatsbyAffair #NetGalley
August 5, 2018
Anyone who has ever had a real interest in Scott Fitzgerald will know about his wife Zelda. Over the years Zelda has held a very controversial image, hell they both have from Scott’s plagiarism to Zelda’s mental illnesses. I personally am not a fan of Scott Fitzgerald, at least compared to other authors of that time period, but I am a fan of his life story, especially Zelda’s.
The Gatsby Affair is one of the most informative novels to pick up if you aren’t familiar with the Fitzgeralds or their scandals. This one picks apart the love triangle that was Scott, Zelda and the French pilot Edouard Jozan. Kendall Taylor focuses on explaining to readers how the affair between Zelda and Edouard affected both Fitzgeralds.
As I said in the beginning, I’ve never been a big fan of Scott’s writing, but after reading this I have a newfound respect for the author. He turned something that was potentially tragic and destructive into his most famous work: The Great Gatsby.
The similarities and depictions between the Fitzgeralds and the story of the Great Gatsby are astounding and although the focus is on Zelda’s affair, Taylor delves into a few other things relevant to Zelda’s mental health. I found The Gatsby Affair an easy and informative read and recommend it to others wanting to immerse themselves in the lives of the Fitzgeralds.
The Gatsby Affair is one of the most informative novels to pick up if you aren’t familiar with the Fitzgeralds or their scandals. This one picks apart the love triangle that was Scott, Zelda and the French pilot Edouard Jozan. Kendall Taylor focuses on explaining to readers how the affair between Zelda and Edouard affected both Fitzgeralds.
As I said in the beginning, I’ve never been a big fan of Scott’s writing, but after reading this I have a newfound respect for the author. He turned something that was potentially tragic and destructive into his most famous work: The Great Gatsby.
The similarities and depictions between the Fitzgeralds and the story of the Great Gatsby are astounding and although the focus is on Zelda’s affair, Taylor delves into a few other things relevant to Zelda’s mental health. I found The Gatsby Affair an easy and informative read and recommend it to others wanting to immerse themselves in the lives of the Fitzgeralds.
October 30, 2019
I've never read a biography about either Scott or Zelda. I definitely read The Great Gatsby and started to watch Amazon TV series about Zelda. When this book came across, i knew i had to request for it and thanks to #netgalley and the publisher, i received the advanced copy.
It took me a long time to finish the book since I got a little bored in the middle. When I picked the book back up, it took me 2 days to finish the rest of it.
The Gatsby Affair by Kendall Taylor is a very interesting book for everybody who loves untold biographies of famous people. I learned a lot of interesting facts that I was eager to share with my friends. It is a portrait of relationship of a Jazz Age. He is a famous man, and she can only be famous because of him. It was an unfair relationship but it was what it was.
To think that Scott was a great author, without knowing the powerful influence from his wife, is false. She was a great sidekick in a way. Could she be famous on her own? Could she be a great author or a dancer? This book really gives you some food to think about and discuss.
It took me a long time to finish the book since I got a little bored in the middle. When I picked the book back up, it took me 2 days to finish the rest of it.
The Gatsby Affair by Kendall Taylor is a very interesting book for everybody who loves untold biographies of famous people. I learned a lot of interesting facts that I was eager to share with my friends. It is a portrait of relationship of a Jazz Age. He is a famous man, and she can only be famous because of him. It was an unfair relationship but it was what it was.
To think that Scott was a great author, without knowing the powerful influence from his wife, is false. She was a great sidekick in a way. Could she be famous on her own? Could she be a great author or a dancer? This book really gives you some food to think about and discuss.
June 27, 2018
F. Scott Fitzgerald's books were the stories of those around him, and The Great Gatsby was no different. However, all parties denied an affair during their lifetimes, even though it was highly speculated to have taken place. In The Gatsby Affair; Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal That Shaped an American Classic, Kendall Taylor affirms that it did actually take place. She was given unprecedented access to personal journals and correspondence of all three; Scott, Zelda, and Edouard Jozan which confirm the affair. The Gatsby Affair touches on the affair, but it is more about how the affair effected Scott, Zelda, and their marriage. Ms. Taylor is very knowledgeable about the entire circle of friends that Scott and Zelda were a part of. She has also researched in depth, the asylums and medical practices that were a part of Zelda's life. If you want the facts behind The Great Gatsby, this is the only resource you need!
January 6, 2019
Comprehensive, scholarly book about Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald. One has to put oneself back to the 1920s to understand the expectations on Zelda of her southern upbringing. This was my grandparents' era, so the book helped me to understand them a little better. I always knew the Fitzgeralds had troubles with alcohol, but the extent of drinking during that time was still shocking. Even more shocking is the primitive treatment at inpatient care facilities for the "nervous," or "insane" or "mentally unstable." That these places were filled with women speaks volumes about the frustrations many women experienced during this period, with the expectations of wifedom and motherhood. Being in one of those facilities would surely drive you mad if you weren't already.
I learned more about Zelda as a creative person, and how living with Scott thwarted her attempts to create, since he wanted to be the one to tell their story, even taking parts of her diaries and including them in his own works.
I learned more about Zelda as a creative person, and how living with Scott thwarted her attempts to create, since he wanted to be the one to tell their story, even taking parts of her diaries and including them in his own works.
August 1, 2019
The Gatsby Affair by Kendall Taylor was a fabulous and informative read that gave more background information about another facet of the crazy relationship involving Zelda Sayre and F Scott Fitzgerald.
Their relationship was so outlandish, complicated, dramatic, messy, and all-consuming. This book focussed moreso on the rationship that Zelda entered with the French aviator Jozan and all of the cascading complications that occurred thereafter.
This is a well-researched novel that gives the reader another snippet and direction of insight into the horribly sad and heartbreaking relationship that has been such a fascination for so many years. One cannot help but feel so sorry for Zelda.
Great and informative read.
5/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Rowman and Littlefield Publishers for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
Their relationship was so outlandish, complicated, dramatic, messy, and all-consuming. This book focussed moreso on the rationship that Zelda entered with the French aviator Jozan and all of the cascading complications that occurred thereafter.
This is a well-researched novel that gives the reader another snippet and direction of insight into the horribly sad and heartbreaking relationship that has been such a fascination for so many years. One cannot help but feel so sorry for Zelda.
Great and informative read.
5/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Rowman and Littlefield Publishers for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
August 13, 2018
My favorite author is F. Scott Fitzgerald. Kendall Taylor does meticulous research in the lives of the glitterai in the 1920s. Far from being dry and boring, one feels as if you are in Paris with the Hemingways, Zelda and Scott and in NYC at the Algonquin Round Table with writers of the 1920s. This is a book about the writing of The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night and how Fitzgerald used contempories and his wife as models. He believed that important experiences in your life needed to be written in different guises. Also Taylor poses the question was Zelda really mentally ill or was she was she merely a free spirit? Also in the book are excerpts from her novels Save Me the Waltz and one that was never published.
November 8, 2018
I've read a lot about the relationship between Scott and Zelda over the years but this book really brought out so much more. Frankly, I think many would agree that Scott Fitzgerald needed some psychological help as much as his famous wife! First of all, he took portions of their marital life and used it whole cloth. He wasn't letting it be an inspiration, he was using actual conversations and her letters. As he got older he became more and more controlling and in at least one situation locked her up because of jealousy. They were both very flawed people who were toxic with each other. I recommend this book for anyone with an interest in either Scott or Zelda. Expect more than you've read before.
January 14, 2019
I absolutely enjoyed and hated reading this at the same time. The Fitzgeralds were such an unmitigated train wreck. It breaks your heart that these talented people were so unbridled in their ego and hedonistic tastes that they could not see the destruction they wrought. I think of people who crave the talents and artistry they both had and would have cherished and nurtured those gifts while this couple drank themselves away. Beyond that, the callous way they hurt each other and the cruel and inhumane psychiatric treatment of the day makes me vicariously ill. If you weren't ill when you entered, you were certainly ill when you escaped. I have to go read something a bit more light-hearted.
April 22, 2019
I've been fascinated by the life and work of the Fitzgeralds since university so was excited to read this.
It is thoroughly researched and the end notes and bibliography is extensive.
The book focuses on the profound effects that Zelda's short affair had on the Fitzgeralds' relationship, Scott's writing and Zeldas mental health.
The details regarding the misdiagnosis and subsequent treatments faced by Zelda and the long-term impact are heart-breaking. This book shows the stark reality of a doomed relationship that is far from the glamour of the roaring 20s.
A must-read for those interested in the Fitzgeralds, Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby.
Thank you Netgalley for this digital copy in return for an honest review.
It is thoroughly researched and the end notes and bibliography is extensive.
The book focuses on the profound effects that Zelda's short affair had on the Fitzgeralds' relationship, Scott's writing and Zeldas mental health.
The details regarding the misdiagnosis and subsequent treatments faced by Zelda and the long-term impact are heart-breaking. This book shows the stark reality of a doomed relationship that is far from the glamour of the roaring 20s.
A must-read for those interested in the Fitzgeralds, Jazz Age and The Great Gatsby.
Thank you Netgalley for this digital copy in return for an honest review.
September 11, 2019
I gave this one a really good shot, got to about 70% and in the end, just had to give up because it was a chore to read.
Despite what the name suggests, it only very briefly touches upon Zelda's affair, and instead tends to focus on her struggles with mental illness and her life in and out of psychiatric care.
While interesting to see how her life and her health issues impacted Scott's work, ultimately, the book doesn't really offer a lot that existing Fitzgerald biographies haven't already covered.
This would work better as an undergraduate thesis work, rather than a standalone book for general audiences.
I wanted to like this book, but in the end, just couldn't keep going as enduring this was keeping me from enjoying reading, or reading books I wanted to get stuck into.
Despite what the name suggests, it only very briefly touches upon Zelda's affair, and instead tends to focus on her struggles with mental illness and her life in and out of psychiatric care.
While interesting to see how her life and her health issues impacted Scott's work, ultimately, the book doesn't really offer a lot that existing Fitzgerald biographies haven't already covered.
This would work better as an undergraduate thesis work, rather than a standalone book for general audiences.
I wanted to like this book, but in the end, just couldn't keep going as enduring this was keeping me from enjoying reading, or reading books I wanted to get stuck into.
July 11, 2019
Since reading The Great Gatsby, I have been fascinated with the life of the Gatsbys. I read all of Scott’s short stories and a biography of Zelda.
I wanted this to be a five star read, but for me it was pretty slow and had a deceiving title. With a title like The Gatsby Affair, I thought the entire book, if not most of it would focus on the affair that Zelda had with Eduardo but that wasn’t the case.
There was a lot of really great content and it did follow the lives of the couple very well but Eduardo wasn’t even introduced until 1/3 of the way through.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers through Netgalley.
I wanted this to be a five star read, but for me it was pretty slow and had a deceiving title. With a title like The Gatsby Affair, I thought the entire book, if not most of it would focus on the affair that Zelda had with Eduardo but that wasn’t the case.
There was a lot of really great content and it did follow the lives of the couple very well but Eduardo wasn’t even introduced until 1/3 of the way through.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers through Netgalley.
September 4, 2018
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I've always been fascinated with F. Scott Fitzgerald. Kendall Taylor does a fantastic job bringing to life the lives of all involved. The book is well researched and goes into great detail.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who know very little or think they know all there is about F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda.
I've always been fascinated with F. Scott Fitzgerald. Kendall Taylor does a fantastic job bringing to life the lives of all involved. The book is well researched and goes into great detail.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who know very little or think they know all there is about F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda.
December 3, 2018
Really comprehensive, incredibly upsetting account of the Fitzgerald's marriage/relationship that involved a LOT of control and emotional abuse, some physical violence alluded to as well. Also there's a lot about Zelda's mistreatment/punishment at various mental institutions - again, super disturbing. Really interesting read about not just the two of them but their peers and the times they were living in between US and Europe, but very very heavy.
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