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Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda: The Love Letters of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald
Through his alcoholism and her mental illness, his career highs (and lows) and her institutional confinement, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's devotion to each other endured for more than twenty-two years. Now, for the first time, the story of the love of these two glamorous and hugely talented writers can be given in their own letters. Introduced by an extensive narrative of the Fitzgeralds' marriage, the 333 letters - three-quarters of them previously unpublished or out of print - have been edited by noted Fitzgerald scholars, Jackson R. Bryer and Cathy W. Barks. They are illustrated throughout with a generous selection of familiar and unpublished photographs.
431 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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9992 people want to read
About the author
F. Scott Fitzgerald
2,330 books25.5k 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 - 30 of 181 reviews
October 10, 2019
This collection of letters, beginning in Alabama, August 1918, and finishing in Hollywood at the end of 1940 as Scott was working on his novel The Last Tycoon, is a moving portrait of their twenty year complex and deep love affair, all in their own words to each other. You simply can't get more personal than that.
Various versions of the couple’s letters have been published over the years, but this one claims to contain the fullest collection of Zelda’s side of the correspondence.
There were so many letters here, and yet there were said to be so many more that got lost over the years. And it's when they were apart that their love seemed to grip even stronger. Their devotion to each other is clearly evident throughout, but of course. it was never plain sailing.
The first thing to say about these letters is that they were left as originally written. Spelling mistakes for example, which both of them made on a regular basis, are left as they were.
Their punctuation as well was erratic, and some letters do have inserted in brackets punctuation, but only to clarify meaning. I'd say about two thirds of the book is dominated by Zelda's letters to Scott from various sanitariums in the 30s after her breakdowns, while most of Scott's letters are sufficiently represented during what would turn out to his final year when working as a scriptwriter in Hollywood. Among the mutual assurances of powerful love and the occasional long-distance tiff, the couple sometimes discuss art, writing, dancing and painting, and of course, their precious Scottie. Money worries were often brought up later on, and I didn't realise just how bad a predicament they found themselves in. Although Scott's letters were typically better written in his high lyric style, It's Zelda's that were far more heartfelt, and thus moved me the most. From sanitariums in Switzerland, North Carolina and Maryland a troubled Zelda sat in her room, yearning for and conjuring up her beloved husband. I'd say this book is more for those interested in Zelda, as Scott doesn't get a good run of letters until the last third, so that's the only disappointment for me in what was a most memorable and affecting read. This just might be the start of me reading more literary letters, as it's one area I haven't really got stuck into yet.
Various versions of the couple’s letters have been published over the years, but this one claims to contain the fullest collection of Zelda’s side of the correspondence.
There were so many letters here, and yet there were said to be so many more that got lost over the years. And it's when they were apart that their love seemed to grip even stronger. Their devotion to each other is clearly evident throughout, but of course. it was never plain sailing.
The first thing to say about these letters is that they were left as originally written. Spelling mistakes for example, which both of them made on a regular basis, are left as they were.
Their punctuation as well was erratic, and some letters do have inserted in brackets punctuation, but only to clarify meaning. I'd say about two thirds of the book is dominated by Zelda's letters to Scott from various sanitariums in the 30s after her breakdowns, while most of Scott's letters are sufficiently represented during what would turn out to his final year when working as a scriptwriter in Hollywood. Among the mutual assurances of powerful love and the occasional long-distance tiff, the couple sometimes discuss art, writing, dancing and painting, and of course, their precious Scottie. Money worries were often brought up later on, and I didn't realise just how bad a predicament they found themselves in. Although Scott's letters were typically better written in his high lyric style, It's Zelda's that were far more heartfelt, and thus moved me the most. From sanitariums in Switzerland, North Carolina and Maryland a troubled Zelda sat in her room, yearning for and conjuring up her beloved husband. I'd say this book is more for those interested in Zelda, as Scott doesn't get a good run of letters until the last third, so that's the only disappointment for me in what was a most memorable and affecting read. This just might be the start of me reading more literary letters, as it's one area I haven't really got stuck into yet.
April 12, 2024
As perfect of a presentation as the source material can provide, which is a substantial collection of surviving personal letters between F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda. Literary historians and Great Gatsby superfans will likely hang on every word, particularly the letters which reveal details of Zelda's mental illness and Scott's struggles as an artist.
Brief footnotes and editorial commentary adds context, but generally this book allows the Fitzgeralds to speak for themselves. The audiobook is recommended here due to the ability to easily distinguish between Scott and Zelda. I do wish the brief bio sections were read by a third reader because those confused me at times.
It feels silly to critique the book, because it is a collection of historical documents and there's nothing I would change about their presentation. A challenge with the source material, however, is that most of Scott's letters did not survive. The vast majority of the book is one-sided communication from Zelda. Inability to read Scott's responses gives the narrative a melancholy tone, which can be misleading. It's almost as if Zelda, who pours her ill mind onto the page, is sending letters into a void. It doesn't help that Scott's surviving letters are mostly matter-of-fact and reveal little of his innermost character. Their love is long-distance and largely over during the bulk of these letters, though they do bond over parenting their daughter. The final years were written while Scott was in a relationship with another woman.
None of this is critique, of course. You can't change history so there's no point in being disappointed that these major literary figures didn't have a happier personal relationship. That said, I do think it's a little misleading to call these "Love Letters". Yes, there is plenty of generally romantic phrasing--particularly at the beginning of their relationship--but the context soon becomes so dark that the reading experience is a moody one, not romantic. For example, it's very hard to interpret Zelda begging her husband for money and asking to be released from her mental institution as a romance--even if the word "dear" is used with much frequency.
In the end, you probably know if you're the type of person who will devour a book of Fitzgerald private letters or if you could care less. But if you're on the fence, it might be worth trying. My reading experience comes from someone who loves Gatsby, but has no real obsession with the innermost thoughts of the author. Still, the Fitzgeralds represent American exceptionalism and tragedy, especially with the knowledge that The Great Gatsby had faded into obscurity at the time of Scott's death but would soon reemerge as an American classic. In the end, I feel thrilled the book exists and glad I read it--even if it's darker than expected and largely one-sided. Reading private letters is a unique form of biography and an experience I hope to have again.
Brief footnotes and editorial commentary adds context, but generally this book allows the Fitzgeralds to speak for themselves. The audiobook is recommended here due to the ability to easily distinguish between Scott and Zelda. I do wish the brief bio sections were read by a third reader because those confused me at times.
It feels silly to critique the book, because it is a collection of historical documents and there's nothing I would change about their presentation. A challenge with the source material, however, is that most of Scott's letters did not survive. The vast majority of the book is one-sided communication from Zelda. Inability to read Scott's responses gives the narrative a melancholy tone, which can be misleading. It's almost as if Zelda, who pours her ill mind onto the page, is sending letters into a void. It doesn't help that Scott's surviving letters are mostly matter-of-fact and reveal little of his innermost character. Their love is long-distance and largely over during the bulk of these letters, though they do bond over parenting their daughter. The final years were written while Scott was in a relationship with another woman.
None of this is critique, of course. You can't change history so there's no point in being disappointed that these major literary figures didn't have a happier personal relationship. That said, I do think it's a little misleading to call these "Love Letters". Yes, there is plenty of generally romantic phrasing--particularly at the beginning of their relationship--but the context soon becomes so dark that the reading experience is a moody one, not romantic. For example, it's very hard to interpret Zelda begging her husband for money and asking to be released from her mental institution as a romance--even if the word "dear" is used with much frequency.
In the end, you probably know if you're the type of person who will devour a book of Fitzgerald private letters or if you could care less. But if you're on the fence, it might be worth trying. My reading experience comes from someone who loves Gatsby, but has no real obsession with the innermost thoughts of the author. Still, the Fitzgeralds represent American exceptionalism and tragedy, especially with the knowledge that The Great Gatsby had faded into obscurity at the time of Scott's death but would soon reemerge as an American classic. In the end, I feel thrilled the book exists and glad I read it--even if it's darker than expected and largely one-sided. Reading private letters is a unique form of biography and an experience I hope to have again.
January 26, 2013
I have long loved F. Scott Fitzgerald. In my opinion, he may have been the greatest American author of the 20th century, as far as his prose is concerned. I never really admired his subject matter, however. It seemed self absorbed, and rather menial to me. I became fascinated with Fitzgerald, the person, when I was in college, when I read his letters, full of that same self absorption but infused with passion. Reading this rather new collection of letters, for me, was just a continuation of my study, not quite an obsession, but not casual reading, either.
The letters catalogue the train wreck of his adult life. He writes to Zelda from the time he's trying to win her (she was 18 or 19, he was about 21, freshly out of college) through their marriage, their breakdowns, their illnesses and her hospitalizations. How much of his burden was self inflicted? How much was it the fault of Zelda, equally or perhaps even more self-absorbed, but angry and fragile? Reading the letters was at times edifying, painful, heart rending, and perplexing .
I highly recommend this collection to those who are intensely interested in the subject. I'm glad I read it.
The letters catalogue the train wreck of his adult life. He writes to Zelda from the time he's trying to win her (she was 18 or 19, he was about 21, freshly out of college) through their marriage, their breakdowns, their illnesses and her hospitalizations. How much of his burden was self inflicted? How much was it the fault of Zelda, equally or perhaps even more self-absorbed, but angry and fragile? Reading the letters was at times edifying, painful, heart rending, and perplexing .
I highly recommend this collection to those who are intensely interested in the subject. I'm glad I read it.
November 29, 2020
Sadly, the majority of Scott's letters are lost or destroyed so these are mostly Zelda's letters to Scott. It would have been even better to have had more of his side of the correspondence. They both wrote gorgeous letters. This collection gives us, directly from the couple themselves, a lot of information about their relationship. Clearly, they never stopped loving each other, and the letters certainly put paid to all the ranters who call Scott a wife abuser and who claim he drove Zelda mad and ruined her chance at artistic fame. Their own daughter, Scottie, who adored both of them, says that is not how things were at all and that her mother had an intractable mental illness.
Anyone reducing their relationship to such cheap fodder understands little about the Fitzgeralds in particular, and about the complexities of marriage generally. I would add that such people are very seriously ignorant about how mental illnesses manifest and run their courses over time, and how this impacts families. Both Zelda and Scott suffered under chronic mental duress. Scott developed an addiction to alcohol very early on, and Zelda was diagnosed as schizophrenic, but would probably be reclassified today. Under such conditions, their relentless determination to lead meaningful and productive lives, and to care for each other and their family, was nothing short of heroic.
Anyone reducing their relationship to such cheap fodder understands little about the Fitzgeralds in particular, and about the complexities of marriage generally. I would add that such people are very seriously ignorant about how mental illnesses manifest and run their courses over time, and how this impacts families. Both Zelda and Scott suffered under chronic mental duress. Scott developed an addiction to alcohol very early on, and Zelda was diagnosed as schizophrenic, but would probably be reclassified today. Under such conditions, their relentless determination to lead meaningful and productive lives, and to care for each other and their family, was nothing short of heroic.
August 29, 2012
If you haven't fallen in love with Zelda after reading this I'm not sure what you're doing with your life.
This was beautiful and haunting and easily one of the best things I've ever read.
This was beautiful and haunting and easily one of the best things I've ever read.
August 20, 2017
A sad, sad story
This collection of many (though not all) of the letters written between Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald offers an intimate and unsurpassed view of their lives, personalities and, overall, their marriage. Reading the letters serves to debunk many of the Fitzgerald myths: principally, that the marriage was overwhelmingly toxic.
In truth, what we get from these is a sense of the deep and abiding bond between Scott and Zelda, however complicated and troubled they each were at times and in their own ways. Their letter-writing was mutual right to the end, despite Scott's serious affair with another woman.
Anyone who hasn't read Zelda's Save Me the Waltz may also be surprised at what a strong and distinctive voice she has, from the start when she is very young, right up to when the letters stop on Scott's death, despite her various breakdowns and institutionalisation.
In fact, her letters from when she's in the clinics are some of the most moving, especially her attempts to make sense of what is happening to her and sharing it (often apologetically) with her husband. That she wrote Waltz under such harrowing conditions makes sense of some of its flaws but is also a testament to her huge courage, artistic impetus and (not a word we often associate with the glamorous Fitzgeralds) work ethic.
Inevitably, the youthful years just after they were married are barely covered here since Scott and Zelda were rarely apart and thus had no need to write to each other. It's the last sadder, but also more thoughtful, years which gets the most exposure.
A sad, melancholy insight into a couple who had such high ambitions but ended up so disillusioned and troubled.
This collection of many (though not all) of the letters written between Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald offers an intimate and unsurpassed view of their lives, personalities and, overall, their marriage. Reading the letters serves to debunk many of the Fitzgerald myths: principally, that the marriage was overwhelmingly toxic.
In truth, what we get from these is a sense of the deep and abiding bond between Scott and Zelda, however complicated and troubled they each were at times and in their own ways. Their letter-writing was mutual right to the end, despite Scott's serious affair with another woman.
Anyone who hasn't read Zelda's Save Me the Waltz may also be surprised at what a strong and distinctive voice she has, from the start when she is very young, right up to when the letters stop on Scott's death, despite her various breakdowns and institutionalisation.
In fact, her letters from when she's in the clinics are some of the most moving, especially her attempts to make sense of what is happening to her and sharing it (often apologetically) with her husband. That she wrote Waltz under such harrowing conditions makes sense of some of its flaws but is also a testament to her huge courage, artistic impetus and (not a word we often associate with the glamorous Fitzgeralds) work ethic.
Inevitably, the youthful years just after they were married are barely covered here since Scott and Zelda were rarely apart and thus had no need to write to each other. It's the last sadder, but also more thoughtful, years which gets the most exposure.
A sad, melancholy insight into a couple who had such high ambitions but ended up so disillusioned and troubled.
May 24, 2017
¿Cómo puntúas un libro así?
He estado a punto de no hacerlo y luego he pensado que no, que es injusto y que solo por lo arriesgado de publicarlo y por el trabajo enorme de ordenar las cartas, alternarlo con la biografía y demás, se merecía 10 estrellas.
Me ha resultado muy curioso conocer los entresijos de esta relación y leer cómo se hablaban el uno al otro en su correspondencia. No me parece una relación idílica, todo lo contrario. Y, sin embargo, es una relación muy muy especial.
Me ha gustado mucho hacer el parón de narrativa para alcahuetear en sus vidas. Muy interesante.
He estado a punto de no hacerlo y luego he pensado que no, que es injusto y que solo por lo arriesgado de publicarlo y por el trabajo enorme de ordenar las cartas, alternarlo con la biografía y demás, se merecía 10 estrellas.
Me ha resultado muy curioso conocer los entresijos de esta relación y leer cómo se hablaban el uno al otro en su correspondencia. No me parece una relación idílica, todo lo contrario. Y, sin embargo, es una relación muy muy especial.
Me ha gustado mucho hacer el parón de narrativa para alcahuetear en sus vidas. Muy interesante.
August 10, 2025
„Fericiți întru fericire pînă dincolo de veșnicie – e tot ce putem face.“
(Zelda către Scott, august 1936). Plus mult alcool, pastile, depravare, talent (irosit), boalã, efervencențã, dependențã financiarã. Numele lui a rãmas în memoria colectivã ca fiind a unui mare scriitor, ea - muza lui, tovarãṣa de viațã cu multe probleme de sãnãtate mintalã, mai mult aspirantä decât autoare consacratã. Ei doi, un cuplu dificil, o relație tulbure ṣi toxicã pe care scrisorile din volumul de fațã o mai îndulcesc, aṣa cum ṣi timpul tocește asperitãțile.
(Zelda către Scott, august 1936). Plus mult alcool, pastile, depravare, talent (irosit), boalã, efervencențã, dependențã financiarã. Numele lui a rãmas în memoria colectivã ca fiind a unui mare scriitor, ea - muza lui, tovarãṣa de viațã cu multe probleme de sãnãtate mintalã, mai mult aspirantä decât autoare consacratã. Ei doi, un cuplu dificil, o relație tulbure ṣi toxicã pe care scrisorile din volumul de fațã o mai îndulcesc, aṣa cum ṣi timpul tocește asperitãțile.
May 30, 2015
Most everyone knows the love story of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, but this book of letters between the two - from courtship to togetherness to the breakdown to their final years - makes the timeless story even more poignant.
The book is very heartbreaking, in the positive sense of the word. The letters are written in a very ornate way (maybe over-the-top cheesy/bitter/sad at times) but it reminds us why the Scott and Zelda story is that darn good. Nothing could have survived that life and that love: not even them. The alcoholism, the mental instability, the constant asks and thanks for money, the long periods spent apart, the youth wasted. And the sharp point to all of that: that the love they shared together, may not have been really theirs at all.
It's not brilliant, it's illuminating. It's not wonderful, it's heart-rending. I don't love this book; it now occupies a very special place in my heart.
And Zelda's letters... Wow.
The book is very heartbreaking, in the positive sense of the word. The letters are written in a very ornate way (maybe over-the-top cheesy/bitter/sad at times) but it reminds us why the Scott and Zelda story is that darn good. Nothing could have survived that life and that love: not even them. The alcoholism, the mental instability, the constant asks and thanks for money, the long periods spent apart, the youth wasted. And the sharp point to all of that: that the love they shared together, may not have been really theirs at all.
It's not brilliant, it's illuminating. It's not wonderful, it's heart-rending. I don't love this book; it now occupies a very special place in my heart.
And Zelda's letters... Wow.
May 24, 2021
Para relaciones tóxicas pensarías que Frida Kahlo había cubierto el tema, pero te equivocas, es leer a Zelda con sus complejos, sus problemas y podrás ver que problemas los tenemos todos, es un libro epistolar complejo, donde entras por la cocina a la vida de un escritor que nos dejó grandes obras como El Gran Gatsby.
Lo recomiendo para aquellos amantes de los amores difíciles.
Lo recomiendo para aquellos amantes de los amores difíciles.
July 11, 2016
Informative, Fun & Beautiful! An Amazing Read! I Loved It!
October 1, 2018
This book is a Fitzgerald fan's dream. It honestly shouldn't have taken an assigned reading list to get me to read it, but in actual fact I'm so glad that I read it when I did, because just when I was starting to get Fitzgerald fatigue, this book came along and reignited my adoration of them all over again. I've read a lot of good stuff on the Fitzgeralds, from fascinating journal articles to the popular and incomparable biographies by Matthew J. Bruccoli and Nancy Milford, but I think this is my favourite of them all because it simply presents the Fitzgeralds as they were. It is, at the end of the day, them in their own words, and it was so enlightening and refreshing to read their own versions of events at long last.
I also think that the editing in this book is exemplary. Although Barks and Bryer (both of whom I have enormous respect for as Fitzgerald scholars) do interject every now and again with footnotes, pieces from elsewhere (most often Scott's ledger), and extended sections of biography, they leave the letters pretty much as they are. Clarifications are offered, but nothing is changed, and that makes the book seem more real on the whole. I also applaud the editors for taking a balanced view which avoids judgement of either side, particularly given the imbalance of material. Sadly, this collection is far, far more weighted with Zelda's letters than Scott's, because the majority of Scott's letters to Zelda didn't survive for one reason or another. In light of that, it's easy to read this book and come down fully on Zelda's side because Scott's voice isn't there to explain his actions (and when it is, it often doesn't come across well, because many of the Scott letters that do survive are thought to have been unsent and contain some very bitter and cruel thoughts). Yet I never felt that Barks and Bryer did that. They filled in the gaps where they could with biography and further information, and they do ultimately present this as a love story rather than a rivalry or a tale of mutual self-destruction. Altogether this felt like a very fair account of both Fitzgeralds to me, which doesn't favour one or the other and largely leaves it to the reader to make up their own mind. Nothing could be more refreshing than that. I enjoyed reading this book because of rather than in spite of the way it was edited, and there's not much higher compliment I can pay an editor than that.
Now, onto the letters themselves. Realistically, this collection is probably about 90% Zelda and 10% Scott, which, whilst unfortunate, isn't something that I'm going to complain about because I've been meaning to read some of Zelda's other writings for FOREVER and so it was nice to read what felt like one of her books. And oh, she's such a lovely writer. Her youthful letters in particular are so sensual and evocative and gorgeous. She has the most bewitching writing style which I absolutely adore, and I'm so glad to have discovered that she wrote like that in letters as well as in novels (anyone who enjoyed reading this collection should read Save Me the Waltz if they haven't already because boy is that a showcase of Zelda's extraordinary style). As well as being beautiful, however, these letters also offer a real insight into Zelda as a person. The letters she wrote from the sanitarium in Switzerland in particular are hard-going, but I feel I have much greater comprehension of her suffering after reading them. They made me want to reach through the pages of the book and hug her and listen to everything that she wanted to say. Because that's what really came across to me in this collection: all Zelda ever wanted was to be able to express herself, and to do things her own way, and to be listened to and respected. Whilst she obviously had complex mental health issues, I think that perhaps her life and recovery would have been easier if only she'd had those things. My poor Zelda. She deserved so much more than she got.
Scott's letters are less stylish on the whole, but they often contain all the romanticism of his novels, and he occasionally comes up with the most beautiful lines in the world (is it possible for anyone not to cry whilst reading 'You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known—and even that is an understatement'? Because let me tell you, I sobbed). A lot of his letters have more than just a little streak of cruelty too, which was a little painful to read if not entirely surprising. On the whole, I found this a largely heartbreaking read, and there were a variety of reasons for that. Scott being horrible to Zelda was one of those, but so was the clear infiltration of the mental and physical illnesses that they both suffered with, and the potential that they both failed to fulfil, and the love that they both clearly had for one another despite making so, so many costly mistakes. Then there were smaller moments of absolute heartbreak too, such as when Zelda bluntly, desolately writes the words 'I'm lonesome' in one letter, and, later, when she forgets what will prove to be Scott's final birthday. For a book subtitled 'love letters', there's not a huge amount of happiness in it, but it's beautiful and romantic in spite of that. Basically, to put it completely unacademically, this collection gave me a lot of feels, both good and bad. But, as a self-professed Fitzgerald obsessive, I expected nothing less.
This is a book that I highly recommend for many reasons. First of all, I'm of the belief that the world needs to be reading a lot more Zelda Fitzgerald than they are doing, so people should get on this collection if they want to find out how utterly lush her writing is. Secondly, it strikes me as a really good starting place for those who want to learn more about the Fitzgeralds. There's less myth-making and spectacularisation in here than in other accounts, and due to its structure as a collection of letters with interspersions of biography, it's not fact-heavy either. It's easy, if sad and occasionally awkward, to read, and you're guaranteed to come away from it with a much better and more rounded understanding of the Fitzgeralds than you started off with. And finally, I believe that there's always great value in letting people (especially women!) tell their story in their own words, and that's basically what Barks and Bryer allow to happen here. What a beautiful book all in all.
I also think that the editing in this book is exemplary. Although Barks and Bryer (both of whom I have enormous respect for as Fitzgerald scholars) do interject every now and again with footnotes, pieces from elsewhere (most often Scott's ledger), and extended sections of biography, they leave the letters pretty much as they are. Clarifications are offered, but nothing is changed, and that makes the book seem more real on the whole. I also applaud the editors for taking a balanced view which avoids judgement of either side, particularly given the imbalance of material. Sadly, this collection is far, far more weighted with Zelda's letters than Scott's, because the majority of Scott's letters to Zelda didn't survive for one reason or another. In light of that, it's easy to read this book and come down fully on Zelda's side because Scott's voice isn't there to explain his actions (and when it is, it often doesn't come across well, because many of the Scott letters that do survive are thought to have been unsent and contain some very bitter and cruel thoughts). Yet I never felt that Barks and Bryer did that. They filled in the gaps where they could with biography and further information, and they do ultimately present this as a love story rather than a rivalry or a tale of mutual self-destruction. Altogether this felt like a very fair account of both Fitzgeralds to me, which doesn't favour one or the other and largely leaves it to the reader to make up their own mind. Nothing could be more refreshing than that. I enjoyed reading this book because of rather than in spite of the way it was edited, and there's not much higher compliment I can pay an editor than that.
Now, onto the letters themselves. Realistically, this collection is probably about 90% Zelda and 10% Scott, which, whilst unfortunate, isn't something that I'm going to complain about because I've been meaning to read some of Zelda's other writings for FOREVER and so it was nice to read what felt like one of her books. And oh, she's such a lovely writer. Her youthful letters in particular are so sensual and evocative and gorgeous. She has the most bewitching writing style which I absolutely adore, and I'm so glad to have discovered that she wrote like that in letters as well as in novels (anyone who enjoyed reading this collection should read Save Me the Waltz if they haven't already because boy is that a showcase of Zelda's extraordinary style). As well as being beautiful, however, these letters also offer a real insight into Zelda as a person. The letters she wrote from the sanitarium in Switzerland in particular are hard-going, but I feel I have much greater comprehension of her suffering after reading them. They made me want to reach through the pages of the book and hug her and listen to everything that she wanted to say. Because that's what really came across to me in this collection: all Zelda ever wanted was to be able to express herself, and to do things her own way, and to be listened to and respected. Whilst she obviously had complex mental health issues, I think that perhaps her life and recovery would have been easier if only she'd had those things. My poor Zelda. She deserved so much more than she got.
Scott's letters are less stylish on the whole, but they often contain all the romanticism of his novels, and he occasionally comes up with the most beautiful lines in the world (is it possible for anyone not to cry whilst reading 'You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known—and even that is an understatement'? Because let me tell you, I sobbed). A lot of his letters have more than just a little streak of cruelty too, which was a little painful to read if not entirely surprising. On the whole, I found this a largely heartbreaking read, and there were a variety of reasons for that. Scott being horrible to Zelda was one of those, but so was the clear infiltration of the mental and physical illnesses that they both suffered with, and the potential that they both failed to fulfil, and the love that they both clearly had for one another despite making so, so many costly mistakes. Then there were smaller moments of absolute heartbreak too, such as when Zelda bluntly, desolately writes the words 'I'm lonesome' in one letter, and, later, when she forgets what will prove to be Scott's final birthday. For a book subtitled 'love letters', there's not a huge amount of happiness in it, but it's beautiful and romantic in spite of that. Basically, to put it completely unacademically, this collection gave me a lot of feels, both good and bad. But, as a self-professed Fitzgerald obsessive, I expected nothing less.
This is a book that I highly recommend for many reasons. First of all, I'm of the belief that the world needs to be reading a lot more Zelda Fitzgerald than they are doing, so people should get on this collection if they want to find out how utterly lush her writing is. Secondly, it strikes me as a really good starting place for those who want to learn more about the Fitzgeralds. There's less myth-making and spectacularisation in here than in other accounts, and due to its structure as a collection of letters with interspersions of biography, it's not fact-heavy either. It's easy, if sad and occasionally awkward, to read, and you're guaranteed to come away from it with a much better and more rounded understanding of the Fitzgeralds than you started off with. And finally, I believe that there's always great value in letting people (especially women!) tell their story in their own words, and that's basically what Barks and Bryer allow to happen here. What a beautiful book all in all.
July 7, 2024
The turbulent love story that defined the jazz age.
August 14, 2018
This collection of letters has been my on and off companion for about seven months now, and I feel incredibly privileged to have this glimpse into the life of the Fitzgeralds. It did nothing to demystify them for me, however, and if anything, I don’t seem to have romanticized them enough. But in all seriousness, they are... original, corageous, dignified. Grand. Completely lovely. Completely devastating. I mean, this while they are both unwell and poor, and the one writing it in a mental institution:
“Dearest: I am always grateful for all the loyalties you gave me, and I am always loyal to the concepts that held us together so long: the belief that life is tragic, that a man’s spiritual reward is the keeping of his faith: that we shouldn’t hurt each other. And I love, always your fine writing talent, your tolerance and generosity; and all your happy endowments. Nothing could have survived our life.”
America has no gods, you say?
“Dearest: I am always grateful for all the loyalties you gave me, and I am always loyal to the concepts that held us together so long: the belief that life is tragic, that a man’s spiritual reward is the keeping of his faith: that we shouldn’t hurt each other. And I love, always your fine writing talent, your tolerance and generosity; and all your happy endowments. Nothing could have survived our life.”
America has no gods, you say?
September 22, 2013
There are many misconceptions about the relationship between Scott and Zelda and this book should lay them to rest.
It shows that throughout their relationship the deep underlying constant tone is love, compassion and support for each other. The letters let you watch them grow as people and as a couple through their constant struggles.
Reading them is a very intimate experience and I would suggest doing so without distractions as if they were sent to you personally. They are absolutely beautiful and honest and their ability to express themselves through written word is unparalleled to most.
It shows that throughout their relationship the deep underlying constant tone is love, compassion and support for each other. The letters let you watch them grow as people and as a couple through their constant struggles.
Reading them is a very intimate experience and I would suggest doing so without distractions as if they were sent to you personally. They are absolutely beautiful and honest and their ability to express themselves through written word is unparalleled to most.
April 14, 2022
que ben documentat i editat tot, fa goig sincerament. l’amor eh, quin concepte. m’ha encantat irrompre en la seva intimitat, tenia molta curiositat per com havien estat ells en realitat. m’ha agradat l’arc de redempció pel que ha passat l’scott (té 1 moment de villà, però crec que és perdonable), la meva percepció d’ell ha canviat completament. ARA, ZELDA ETS UN AMOR TESTIMO ETS MAQUISSIMA COM ES POT SER TAN BONA I PETITONA com parla de la nostàlgia!! i la seva filla, de la natura, de l’amor i de la mort!! van viure massa poc però ja ho deien ells que moririen joves :( rip als fitzgerald, you would’ve loved champagne problems de la taylor swift.
February 10, 2017
We ruined ourselves -- I have never honestly thought that we ruined each other. ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
You are the only person on earth, Lover, who had ever known and loved all of me -- Men love me because I'm pretty -- and they're always afraid of mental wickedness -- or men live me because I am clever, and they're always afraid of my prettiness -- But you just do, darling -- and I do -- so very, very much -- ~ Zelda Fitzgerald
You are the only person on earth, Lover, who had ever known and loved all of me -- Men love me because I'm pretty -- and they're always afraid of mental wickedness -- or men live me because I am clever, and they're always afraid of my prettiness -- But you just do, darling -- and I do -- so very, very much -- ~ Zelda Fitzgerald
December 21, 2022
Scrisorile a două spirite rebele care s-au iubit și s-au detestat cu entuziasm, dar care au reușit cumva să facă uitate animozitățile și resentimentele în favoarea dragostei și amintirilor frumoase ce i-au legat în anii tinereții și, astfel, reușind să poarte o corespondență consistentă și plină de tandrețe, în ciuda bolii psihice a Zeldei și frustrărilor profesionale și materiale ale lui Scott.
November 27, 2012
There is a blurb from Independent on Sunday on the back of my copy which sums up this book quite well: "Scott and Zelda's letters make it clear that both of them knew they had wasted their youth, beauty and early success. And both of them understood that they were bound together". They really do, the letters.
There is one bulk of letters from before the marriage of this famous couple, but the great bulk is from after Zelda's breakdown in 1930 when the couple for long periods were not living together. Neither of them come across as people easy to deal with and with the added problems of alcoholism (Scott) and mental instability (Zelda) and the way they galloped through the roaring twenties one can't be surprised that it ended in such a mess. And these letters are really the only way to understand them from their own evidence (you can guess all you want that it was Scott's jealousy of his wife's ability to write that drove her to insanity - and would that mean that she drove him to alcoholism? things are never simple). Or as Zelda herself summarizes things (in 1939):
"Dearest: I am always grateful for all the loyalties you gave me, and I am always loyal to the concepts that held us to-gether so long (...) Nothing could have survived our lives."
There is one bulk of letters from before the marriage of this famous couple, but the great bulk is from after Zelda's breakdown in 1930 when the couple for long periods were not living together. Neither of them come across as people easy to deal with and with the added problems of alcoholism (Scott) and mental instability (Zelda) and the way they galloped through the roaring twenties one can't be surprised that it ended in such a mess. And these letters are really the only way to understand them from their own evidence (you can guess all you want that it was Scott's jealousy of his wife's ability to write that drove her to insanity - and would that mean that she drove him to alcoholism? things are never simple). Or as Zelda herself summarizes things (in 1939):
"Dearest: I am always grateful for all the loyalties you gave me, and I am always loyal to the concepts that held us to-gether so long (...) Nothing could have survived our lives."
December 8, 2007
This is the essential letters collection for the Fitzgerald's marriage. It is also provides the most balanced biography of the couple you will find. It neither portrays Zelda as a ditz (as Mizener and Turnbull did), nor does it try to redress the criticism (as Milford and other Zelda biographers do). Perhaps the most illuminating thing is how beautiful the correspondence was: always aware of how they mythologized themselves, S&Z knew they were writing for a future public, and their ornate, often lachrymose, sometimes silly professions of love are often "performances." The later recriminations are ugly in their bitterness. In the end, there is a poignant acceptance that what they had was never really theirs---the love affair of the century was their fantasy as much as it remains many of ours.
December 23, 2008
I'm a huge F.Scott fan, but after reading this book, I am equally a Zelda follower as well. In fact, reading through these letters, I came to find that I didn't like F.Scott the man so much, the writer, yes, the man, no. Zelda had an enormous influence over Fitzgerald and served not only as his muse, but his editor, creative director and support group all in one. Her story is a tragic one and a lot of his letters didn't survive, so the perspective of this book can be a bit skewed. Zelda was a beautiful writer - artist, dancer, etc. who was just trapped by mental illness. He loved her until the end though...I'll give him that. A good, slow book to read. It's like reading found love letters.
February 11, 2025
The only important quotes from this book:
“Please let me go home” - Zelda to Scott
“I am resentful; and within my right to resent this being buried alive” - Zelda to Scott (Scott is keeping Zelda unnecessarily in an asylum while he drinks himself into an early grave and carries on an affair)
My issues with this book isn’t in regard to the letters, but rather that the people who compiled them are F. Scott Fitzgerald apologists.
So much blame to the shortcomings of their marriage is placed on Zelda and her mental health struggles; however, how did she get there? Zelda was a victim of domestic violence and lived with a controlling, jealous, pedophilic (yes, he went after a 17 year old when he was 29 and married), cheating, drunken, excuse of a man.
Anyways, leave my girl Zelda alone. Reading her letters where she is holding onto every reason that Scott led to her mental health decline and how he failed her as if she’s gripping onto them for dear life because she knows when she leaves the sanatarium she can’t go back to him just to have a footnote about how she hurt his confidence unleashed years of stored feminine rage into my body.
I’m tired of people putting Scott on a pedestal because he wrote one good book, and even then, it’s not that good. And then people villainizing Zelda because she was ‘crazy.’ She was in a trauma bond and clearly suffering mentally for a plethora of reasons. Her letters show clear signs of being trauma bonded and show her trying to rationalize why she shouldn’t be with him and then shortly later asking him for comfort. While she comes to these realizations and that living with Scott won’t come to fruition, she still has to appease him since he is the only one who can release her from the facility. As the years go on and Scott sinks deeper into alcoholism and poverty, he keeps her in the sanatorium unnecessarily.
Knowing that the majority of these letters are from Zelda, this book could’ve been handled with more care, and quite frankly- feminism.
Signed- #1 F. Scott Fitzgerald hater for life
“Please let me go home” - Zelda to Scott
“I am resentful; and within my right to resent this being buried alive” - Zelda to Scott (Scott is keeping Zelda unnecessarily in an asylum while he drinks himself into an early grave and carries on an affair)
My issues with this book isn’t in regard to the letters, but rather that the people who compiled them are F. Scott Fitzgerald apologists.
So much blame to the shortcomings of their marriage is placed on Zelda and her mental health struggles; however, how did she get there? Zelda was a victim of domestic violence and lived with a controlling, jealous, pedophilic (yes, he went after a 17 year old when he was 29 and married), cheating, drunken, excuse of a man.
Anyways, leave my girl Zelda alone. Reading her letters where she is holding onto every reason that Scott led to her mental health decline and how he failed her as if she’s gripping onto them for dear life because she knows when she leaves the sanatarium she can’t go back to him just to have a footnote about how she hurt his confidence unleashed years of stored feminine rage into my body.
I’m tired of people putting Scott on a pedestal because he wrote one good book, and even then, it’s not that good. And then people villainizing Zelda because she was ‘crazy.’ She was in a trauma bond and clearly suffering mentally for a plethora of reasons. Her letters show clear signs of being trauma bonded and show her trying to rationalize why she shouldn’t be with him and then shortly later asking him for comfort. While she comes to these realizations and that living with Scott won’t come to fruition, she still has to appease him since he is the only one who can release her from the facility. As the years go on and Scott sinks deeper into alcoholism and poverty, he keeps her in the sanatorium unnecessarily.
Knowing that the majority of these letters are from Zelda, this book could’ve been handled with more care, and quite frankly- feminism.
Signed- #1 F. Scott Fitzgerald hater for life
May 29, 2010
As a lifelong fan of Fitzgerald, flappers and the 1920s in general, I've read pretty much everything Scott and Zelda wrote and am really interested in their personal history too.
I thought this book was fantastic; really well edited and well interspersed with biographical notes. Of course we all know the tragic Fitzgerald story but reading it from the inside, as it were, sheds a completely different light on things and forces you to rethink opinions on these two tragic characters who lived so publically.
I'm glad another reviewer said this but I definitely saw a bit of Zelda in myself which gave the book further resonance, although it did make the letters hardgoing at times.
A brilliant book that offers an unparalleled view into the world of two of the brightest stars of the last century. Difficult at times for those of us with an emotional disposition but a must-read nevertheless.
I thought this book was fantastic; really well edited and well interspersed with biographical notes. Of course we all know the tragic Fitzgerald story but reading it from the inside, as it were, sheds a completely different light on things and forces you to rethink opinions on these two tragic characters who lived so publically.
I'm glad another reviewer said this but I definitely saw a bit of Zelda in myself which gave the book further resonance, although it did make the letters hardgoing at times.
A brilliant book that offers an unparalleled view into the world of two of the brightest stars of the last century. Difficult at times for those of us with an emotional disposition but a must-read nevertheless.
January 28, 2025
Zelda Fitzgerald was a very endearing person to read. Her love letters to Scott demonstrate such a passion for him. It's a shame that alcoholism was such a huge component in Scott's life, which by my understanding, was a contributing factor that prevented him from giving her the proper attention and affection she so desperately craved.
I think an ideal romantic relationship would blossom when there is successful communication on both ends, a commitment to a common goal, and no jealousy of each other's personal successes.
I think an ideal romantic relationship would blossom when there is successful communication on both ends, a commitment to a common goal, and no jealousy of each other's personal successes.
Read
January 6, 2022Most of Scott’s letters from the beginning/middle years of their marriage were lost, which made reading less enjoyable because I had to guess what Scott said based on Zelda’s writings. I do think Zelda is a wonderful writer though, and some of her descriptions about nature were very colorful and dreamy.
May 27, 2022
Zelda Fitzgerald era una ragazza di enorme talento, spesso volitiva anche se la sua intera esistenza fu costellata da problemi mentali innanzitutto, in un periodo storico in cui gli studi e le cure per queste malattie psicologiche non erano certo al livello odierno, ma anche da problemi economici e dall'altalenante rapporto con il marito Francis Scott Fitzgerald.
Oltre a saper splendidamente scrivere, e in queste lettere a Scott si hanno innumerevoli esempi del suo fine, elegante talento di scrittrice, colmo di immagini e sentimenti (da qui tutte le gelosie e i litigi con Scott, veri o miticamente esagerati che siano; lei attinse al materiale del marito a piene mani per scrivere il suo romanzo? Lui 'rubò' interi passaggi scritti da lei inserendoli nei suoi libri?); fu altresì brava ballerina pur iniziando a dedicarsi alla danza non più giovanissima e entusiasta pittrice, decoratrice e creatrice di oggetti d'arte.
I suoi lavori pittorici restarono sconosciuti al pubblico per 12 anni dopo la sua morte, nascosti nella soffitta di famiglia e purtroppo solo pochi sono giunti fino a noi, la maggior parte andarono distrutti per vendetta da parte di sua madre con cui non aveva un rapporto idilliaco, o da Zelda stessa o dal Federal Art Project su sua richiesta.
Trovo siano quadri che rispecchiano le sue passioni, immaginifici, brillanti e tutt'altro che trascurabili o anonimi.
Da queste epistole che i coniugi Fitzgerald si scambiarono viene confermato il grande talento letterario di Scott, uomo minato dall'alcolismo, dai debiti e dalla sua sensibilità, ma onesto, fedele agli impegni presi, tenace, ma viene anche fuori una ragazza acuta, ironica, osservatrice e fortissima: Zelda.
Entrambi vedevano in modo lucido e critico la loro epoca storica, la sfrenata follia dei ruggenti anni '20 e la successiva decadenza, e le loro personali esistenze sfuggite, a un certo punto, dal loro controllo, anche se mai totalmente.
Un amore immenso il loro, turbolento, contrastato, messo alla prova da tradimenti, gelosie professionali, avversità e malattie, ma sempre saldo, presente, corrisposto. Dal primo all'ultimo giorno, in ogni momento, i loro cuori si parlavano. Legati nella gioia sfrenata come nella disperazione più cupa, oltre il tempo.
Caro Scott, carissima Zelda
Le lettere d'amore di F. Scott e Zelda Fitzgerald
Editore: La Tartaruga
Traduzione: Marina Premoli
Pag: 504
Font: medio
Voto: 4/5
Oltre a saper splendidamente scrivere, e in queste lettere a Scott si hanno innumerevoli esempi del suo fine, elegante talento di scrittrice, colmo di immagini e sentimenti (da qui tutte le gelosie e i litigi con Scott, veri o miticamente esagerati che siano; lei attinse al materiale del marito a piene mani per scrivere il suo romanzo? Lui 'rubò' interi passaggi scritti da lei inserendoli nei suoi libri?); fu altresì brava ballerina pur iniziando a dedicarsi alla danza non più giovanissima e entusiasta pittrice, decoratrice e creatrice di oggetti d'arte.
I suoi lavori pittorici restarono sconosciuti al pubblico per 12 anni dopo la sua morte, nascosti nella soffitta di famiglia e purtroppo solo pochi sono giunti fino a noi, la maggior parte andarono distrutti per vendetta da parte di sua madre con cui non aveva un rapporto idilliaco, o da Zelda stessa o dal Federal Art Project su sua richiesta.
Trovo siano quadri che rispecchiano le sue passioni, immaginifici, brillanti e tutt'altro che trascurabili o anonimi.
Da queste epistole che i coniugi Fitzgerald si scambiarono viene confermato il grande talento letterario di Scott, uomo minato dall'alcolismo, dai debiti e dalla sua sensibilità, ma onesto, fedele agli impegni presi, tenace, ma viene anche fuori una ragazza acuta, ironica, osservatrice e fortissima: Zelda.
Entrambi vedevano in modo lucido e critico la loro epoca storica, la sfrenata follia dei ruggenti anni '20 e la successiva decadenza, e le loro personali esistenze sfuggite, a un certo punto, dal loro controllo, anche se mai totalmente.
Un amore immenso il loro, turbolento, contrastato, messo alla prova da tradimenti, gelosie professionali, avversità e malattie, ma sempre saldo, presente, corrisposto. Dal primo all'ultimo giorno, in ogni momento, i loro cuori si parlavano. Legati nella gioia sfrenata come nella disperazione più cupa, oltre il tempo.
Caro Scott, carissima Zelda
Le lettere d'amore di F. Scott e Zelda Fitzgerald
Editore: La Tartaruga
Traduzione: Marina Premoli
Pag: 504
Font: medio
Voto: 4/5
February 16, 2018
I am a touch obsessed with the Fitzgeralds at present. Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda is one of the books which I have most looked forward to reading – ever, I think. I spotted it quite by chance in Cambridge Central Library whilst I was browsing the biography section, and may have given a tiny squeal of joy before snapping it up. To add to my excitement, it is also the favourite book of one of my absolute favourite musicians, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie.
The letters in Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda have never before been published in the same volume. The informative preface which the editors of the book, Jackson R. Bryer and Cathy W. Bates have penned, states the way in which they have chosen to adopt a chronological approach to present the correspondence of the husband and wife. This is certainly my preferred form for letter collections and works of non-fiction, and it has been used to great effect here.
Elements of biography can be found before each letter, and it is clear that Bryer and Bates have greatly respected the material which they have presented in the volume. So much thought has been put into how the letters are presented, and each section has a nicely written introduction, which sets out the point at which the lives of the Fitzgeralds were in each particular period. Eleanor Lanahan, the granddaughter of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, has written the introduction to Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda, and its inclusion feels so very fitting for a number of reasons. Her words are touching, and it is pleasing that she sets such stock by the work of her grandparents.
Throughout, I felt privileged to be able to read the correspondence of Scott and Zelda. Their letters to one another, even in the more troubled years of their marriage, are just darling. The prose is beautiful, the similes and metaphors gorgeous, and the spontaneity in each and every letter is marvellous. What characters both Scott and Zelda were, and how lucky we are as readers to be able to read their most private of works. I admire the way in which the editors have kept the original spellings and punctuation in the letters. The photographs and facsimiles of letters are a lovely addition to the text too.
The story of Scott and Zelda is often very sad, with Zelda being hospitalised for mental illness during the later years of her life, and Scott’s alcoholism, but their love is always there, no matter which situations they may find themselves in. Love is the enduring factor here, in all of its many forms.
Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda is a fascinating collection of correspondence, which continually exemplifies the depths of Scott and Zelda’s love for one another. Many of the letters here were penned by Zelda, and she writes beautifully. Some of the sentences which she crafts are breathtaking and heartfelt, such as this, written in November 1931:
“… if you will come back I will make the jasmine bloom and all the trees come out in flower and we will eat clouds for des[s]ert[,] bathe in the foam of the rain – and I will let you play with my pistol and you can win every golf game and I will make you a new suit from a blue hydrangea bush and shoes from pecan-shells and I’ll sew you a belt from leaves like maps of the world and you can always be the one that’s perfect.”
Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda comes highly recommended, and it is certainly a book which I will be purchasing my own copy of in future, so that I can read it all over again.
The letters in Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda have never before been published in the same volume. The informative preface which the editors of the book, Jackson R. Bryer and Cathy W. Bates have penned, states the way in which they have chosen to adopt a chronological approach to present the correspondence of the husband and wife. This is certainly my preferred form for letter collections and works of non-fiction, and it has been used to great effect here.
Elements of biography can be found before each letter, and it is clear that Bryer and Bates have greatly respected the material which they have presented in the volume. So much thought has been put into how the letters are presented, and each section has a nicely written introduction, which sets out the point at which the lives of the Fitzgeralds were in each particular period. Eleanor Lanahan, the granddaughter of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, has written the introduction to Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda, and its inclusion feels so very fitting for a number of reasons. Her words are touching, and it is pleasing that she sets such stock by the work of her grandparents.
Throughout, I felt privileged to be able to read the correspondence of Scott and Zelda. Their letters to one another, even in the more troubled years of their marriage, are just darling. The prose is beautiful, the similes and metaphors gorgeous, and the spontaneity in each and every letter is marvellous. What characters both Scott and Zelda were, and how lucky we are as readers to be able to read their most private of works. I admire the way in which the editors have kept the original spellings and punctuation in the letters. The photographs and facsimiles of letters are a lovely addition to the text too.
The story of Scott and Zelda is often very sad, with Zelda being hospitalised for mental illness during the later years of her life, and Scott’s alcoholism, but their love is always there, no matter which situations they may find themselves in. Love is the enduring factor here, in all of its many forms.
Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda is a fascinating collection of correspondence, which continually exemplifies the depths of Scott and Zelda’s love for one another. Many of the letters here were penned by Zelda, and she writes beautifully. Some of the sentences which she crafts are breathtaking and heartfelt, such as this, written in November 1931:
“… if you will come back I will make the jasmine bloom and all the trees come out in flower and we will eat clouds for des[s]ert[,] bathe in the foam of the rain – and I will let you play with my pistol and you can win every golf game and I will make you a new suit from a blue hydrangea bush and shoes from pecan-shells and I’ll sew you a belt from leaves like maps of the world and you can always be the one that’s perfect.”
Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda comes highly recommended, and it is certainly a book which I will be purchasing my own copy of in future, so that I can read it all over again.
August 31, 2021
~4.5stars
October 8, 2017
Scott and Zelda are like beautiful, albeit shattered mirrors reflecting each other's souls in this book.
The old adage of before you can say I Love You, you must learn to say "I" really doesn't seem to hold true for these co-dependent, spinners of words, all they can spell is d-o-o-m.But hey, that's what we love about them, right?The beautifully crafted sentences, which tap into our soul and emotions.
Ah, Scott and Zelda really embody the "Call of the void", the self destructive will to live is what these letters are all about.
The old adage of before you can say I Love You, you must learn to say "I" really doesn't seem to hold true for these co-dependent, spinners of words, all they can spell is d-o-o-m.But hey, that's what we love about them, right?The beautifully crafted sentences, which tap into our soul and emotions.
Ah, Scott and Zelda really embody the "Call of the void", the self destructive will to live is what these letters are all about.
February 12, 2024
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
Favorite quotes:
I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity, and her flaming self respect. And it’s these things I’d believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn’t all she should be. I love her and that’s the beginning and end of everything.
There’s nothing in all the world I want but you and your precious love. All the material things are nothing. I’d just hate to live a sordid, colorless existence because you’d soon love me less and less and I’d do anything — anything — to keep your heart for my own. I don’t want to live—I want to love first, and live incidentally… Don’t—don’t ever think of the things you can’t give me. You’ve trusted me with the dearest heart of all—and it’s so damn much more than anybody else in all the world has ever had.
Thanks again for saving me. Someday, I’ll save you too.
You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known- and even that is an understatement.
Favorite quotes:
I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity, and her flaming self respect. And it’s these things I’d believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn’t all she should be. I love her and that’s the beginning and end of everything.
There’s nothing in all the world I want but you and your precious love. All the material things are nothing. I’d just hate to live a sordid, colorless existence because you’d soon love me less and less and I’d do anything — anything — to keep your heart for my own. I don’t want to live—I want to love first, and live incidentally… Don’t—don’t ever think of the things you can’t give me. You’ve trusted me with the dearest heart of all—and it’s so damn much more than anybody else in all the world has ever had.
Thanks again for saving me. Someday, I’ll save you too.
You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known- and even that is an understatement.
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