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Collected Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald: Flappers and Philosophers and Tales of the Jazz Age
Known today primarily as the author of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald was famous in the 1920s and 1930s as a short-story writer. The nineteen stories in this volume were so popular that hardcover collections—Flappers and Philosophers and Tales of the Jazz Age—came out almost immediately after the stories had appeared in magazines. With stories like “The Ice Palace,” “Bernice Bobs Her Hair,” and “The Jelly Bean,” he portrayed the emotional depth of a society devoted to excess and racing heedlessly towards catastrophe that was only a few years ahead.
Flappers and philosophers.
The offshore pirate --
The ice palace --
Head and shoulders --
The cut-glass bowl --
Bernice bobs her hair --
Benediction --
Dalyrimple goes wrong --
The four fists.
Tales of the Jazz Age.
The Jelly-bean --
The camel's back --
May Day --
Porcelain and pink --
The diamond as big as the Ritz --
The curious case of Benjamin Button --
Tarquin of Cheapside --
O russet witch! --
The lees of happiness --
Mr. Icky the quintessence of quaintness in one act --
Jemina the mountain girl.
416 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1983
187 people are currently reading
937 people want to read
About the author
F. Scott Fitzgerald
2,314 books25.6k 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 46 reviews
December 3, 2025
“If ever a writer was born with a gold pen in his mouth, surely Fitzgerald is that man. The more you read him, the more he convinces you that here is the destined artist.” — The Times
F. Scott Fitzgerald was famous in the 1920s and 1930s as a short-story writer featured in weekly or monthly magazines between January 1920 and June 1922, and shortly thereafter, in two hardcover collections, Flappers and Philosophers and Tales of the Jazz Age. Fitzgerald’s stories seem to grapple with individual emotions while at the same time playing on a much larger stage.
In the Introduction to this collection David Greenstein discusses the talent and career of F. Scott Fitzgerald stating that despite his own tendency to devalue them considering his novels to be his major works of art, some of his best writing appears in his short stories. Having only read his novels for the most part, I must say that I have been so moved by these short stories and I am happy to have the Collected Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald proudly displayed in my bookcase to read again and again.
According to the Introduction, David Greenstein notes that Fitzgerald having married a classic Southern Belle in Zelda which he captured beautifully in his portraits of flappers. “The flapper was the modern girl who put on makeup and bobbed her hair. She drank, smoked, and necked with men.” It should also be noted that Fitzgerald’s flappers were not ditzy airheads. He called them “girls with an extraordinary talent for living.” The Great Depression that descended in October 1929 ended what Fitzgerald called “the greatest, gaudiest spree in [American] history.”
Known today primarily as the author of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald was famous in the 1920s and 1930s as a short-story writer. His short stories in this volume were so popular that hardcover collections of Flappers and Philosophers and Tales of the Jazz Age came out almost immediately after they appeared in magazines. And as the book cover states: “With stories like “The Ice Palace,” “Bernice Bobs Her Hair,” and “The Jelly Bean,” he portrayed the emotional depth of a society devoted to excess and racing heedlessly towards catastrophe that was only a few years ahead.” Again, this is an awesome book by one of my favorite writers, F. Scott Fitzgerald.
January 28, 2010
fitzgerald might be my favorite author
February 24, 2021
I genuinely enjoyed Fitzgerald’s consistent style, voice, and tone. Some of the short stories are absolutely delightful and exciting, while others are much more simple.
December 22, 2024
Great stories by a great author...
September 6, 2021
I think I just dislike the guy
December 26, 2017
Okay, this is my first Goodreads review ever, so bear with me, folks. For me, Fitzgerald’s short stories have always been a pleasant contrast to his novels. When reading each it is just as easy to imagine a Fitzgerald disenchanted with life, struggling to write a story that will earn back his praise or finances, as it is to imagine him so in love with the world that he must bottle some words in a jar to keep on the shelf for all of time.
That’s not to say that each story is of the same value - there are only five of which I would rate as worthy of five golden stars. The rest were either uneventful or became similar, yet I remained surprised by Fitzgerald’s imagination throughout. At times, I would come across a single sentence written so beautifully that it nearly saved an otherwise typical story, a single bloom among shrubbery.
That’s not to say that each story is of the same value - there are only five of which I would rate as worthy of five golden stars. The rest were either uneventful or became similar, yet I remained surprised by Fitzgerald’s imagination throughout. At times, I would come across a single sentence written so beautifully that it nearly saved an otherwise typical story, a single bloom among shrubbery.
April 29, 2010
Story lines are kind of similar, but it's still keeping me reading. I don't think I've read a short story I haven't liked by F. Scott.
May 12, 2020
This collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short stories is an enjoyable and light read. While Fitzgerald is not my favorite early 20th-century fiction writer (my personal favorite from this time period is Steinbeck), he is funny and lighthearted, and a number of stories contained in this collection I would recommend, like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Camel's Back," and "The Cut-Glass Bowl," to name a few. My first introduction to Fitzgerald was "The Great Gatsby," which I enjoyed; these shorter stories are not nearly as gripping as that classic, but they do show Fitzgerald's wit, style, and writing skill. I would recommend serious Fitzgerald fans to pick up this collection, but for those who have never read Fitzgerald before, I would recommend beginning with "The Great Gatsby."
October 13, 2025
El curioso caso de Benjamin Button es bastante interesante y conmovedor, me hizo emocionarme y llorar, y me maravilló aún más que con esa historia tan breve se inspiraron para hacer una película tan genial.
El resto de historias son entretenidas, pero noté un patrón en algunas de ellas.. es como si contara la historia, y todo muy bien va bien encaminada, y de repente las termina de una manera extraña, sin mucha lógica con la trama de la historia, y hasta con una frase final que sacó yo no sé de dónde 😐
Así que, no ha sido mi autor favorito, las historias son bastante disfrutables, pero con un final sin sentido en la mayoría. Y hay que saber que fueron escritos alrededor de 1920, por lo que habla de temas controversiales, el machismo, la esclavitud de gente de color, y sus personajes, casi todos, están obsesionados con la fama y la riqueza, al punto de obsesionarse con ello.
⭐⭐⭐3
El resto de historias son entretenidas, pero noté un patrón en algunas de ellas.. es como si contara la historia, y todo muy bien va bien encaminada, y de repente las termina de una manera extraña, sin mucha lógica con la trama de la historia, y hasta con una frase final que sacó yo no sé de dónde 😐
Así que, no ha sido mi autor favorito, las historias son bastante disfrutables, pero con un final sin sentido en la mayoría. Y hay que saber que fueron escritos alrededor de 1920, por lo que habla de temas controversiales, el machismo, la esclavitud de gente de color, y sus personajes, casi todos, están obsesionados con la fama y la riqueza, al punto de obsesionarse con ello.
⭐⭐⭐3
November 11, 2018
“The Offshore Pirate” was fantastic! F. Scott Fitzgerald has a way of transporting you back to the 1920s and makes you feel a part of the action. Towards the latter half of this collection though, in Tales of the Jazz Age, the stories get notably darker. “The Four Fists” and “The Camel’s Back” (Flappers and Philosophers) were funny and I enjoyed May Day too. Fitzgerald tries his hand at the supernatural in “The Cut Glass Bowl” and “The Diamond as Big as The Ritz”, which I didn’t like. Leaving a bad taste in your mouth it’s best to re-read the happier tales like Pirate, The Ice Palace, Fists, and even Bernice Bobs Her Hair, in which you’d have thought the author was a woman.
July 26, 2020
This collection contains much to appreciate about Fitzgerald's prose and drama, from his urbane vocabulary, the flights of fancy that often come central to his writing, and the veiled comments about the America that he and others then and now, experienced. Not all of his stories are created equal in terms of quality, but this is an intriguing look at an F. Scott Fitzgerald beyond The Great Gatsby.
September 10, 2017
I've only read a few stories, all of which are about aloof debutants or their aloof potential mates, but they were good. The stories may have featured the same type of people, but the writing is what kept me interested. Doesn't F. Scottie F. have a way with words?
I'll probably go back and read a story here or there if I'm feeling a little old-fashioned and casually racist.
I'll probably go back and read a story here or there if I'm feeling a little old-fashioned and casually racist.
August 4, 2023
I enjoyed the first few stories but most felt like filler. All previously published this felt like an attempt by Fitzgerald to milk a little more money out of them. It’s a shame because I really enjoyed his other short story collection Flappers and Philosophers. Those lead me to believe he was one of the finest short story writers. This one led me to think that he was short on money.
December 3, 2025
people have always just been people, for so long. loved a few of these stories, the others felt like i was just trying to get through but not in a horribly dismal way. never in my life have i experienced a work with so many words i’ve never came across in my life.
December 4, 2017
Didn't read them all. Found them too weird and dated.
December 29, 2018
Love Fitzgerald, more so for the writing style than the stories themselves. I think the ones I like the most are "Head and Shoulders" and "Porcelain and Pink."
August 2, 2019
lil tiresome still good
April 4, 2020
Dazzling like diamonds. Beautiful writing.
Read
January 27, 2021Fitzgerald is known best today for his novels, but his short stories are on another level.
July 21, 2022
I absolutely love Fitzgerald works. I loved the fast pace of the short stories and they kept me captivated the whole time without all being the same.
February 12, 2025
Some great sentences; some good stories; a few dogs
June 12, 2025
Fitzgerald might be the best writer of all times. I rly liked bernice bops her hair and babylon revisited!! The rest were kinda ehhhhh
October 13, 2017
F. Scott writes amazing short stories. He got into my head and haunted me as I then tried to write my next book. I ain't mad, tho. :)
May 29, 2009
I really liked some, liked some, some were OK, and some I didn't like...
It took me forever to get through, because there wasn't the same pull to find out what happens as in a regular novel. I'd finish one and not be as motivated to get into the next.
I love Fitzgerald, so especially liked the preface he put before the stories toward the end of the book. It added value to know his thoughts about each, and I was able to connect with why I think he's so talented. I love the way his words flow in most of his writing, and even though most of the time it doesn't end well and there is ugliness in his characters, it is nonetheless beautiful writing. He prefaced one of the stories saying it was written in a phase where he was more concerned about the poetry of the words in the story, even more-so than concerned with plot or anything else. I feel like this early phase of his permeated all of his works, and that is what I like so much about reading them.
The Offshore Pirate - liked it
The Ice Palace - it was OK
Head and Shoulders - it was OK
The Cut Glass Bowl - really liked it
Bernice Bobs Her Hair - it was OK
Benediction - didn't completely get it
Dalyrimple Goes Wrong - it was OK
The Four Fists - it was OK
The Jelly Bean - it was OK
The Camel's Back - liked it
May Day - didn't like it
Porcelain and Pink - really liked it
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz - really liked it
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - really liked it - especially the preface:
"Sir - I have read the story Benjamin Button in Colliers and I wish to say that as a short story writer you would make a good lunatic I have seen many peices of cheese in my life but of all the peices of cheese I have ever seen you are the biggest peice. I hate to waste a peice of stationary on you but I will." - anonymous admirer
Tarquin of Cheapside - didn't completely get it
O Russet Witch! - liked it
The Lees of Happiness - it was OK
Mr. Icky - didn't like it
Jemina the Mountain Girl - didn't like it
It took me forever to get through, because there wasn't the same pull to find out what happens as in a regular novel. I'd finish one and not be as motivated to get into the next.
I love Fitzgerald, so especially liked the preface he put before the stories toward the end of the book. It added value to know his thoughts about each, and I was able to connect with why I think he's so talented. I love the way his words flow in most of his writing, and even though most of the time it doesn't end well and there is ugliness in his characters, it is nonetheless beautiful writing. He prefaced one of the stories saying it was written in a phase where he was more concerned about the poetry of the words in the story, even more-so than concerned with plot or anything else. I feel like this early phase of his permeated all of his works, and that is what I like so much about reading them.
The Offshore Pirate - liked it
The Ice Palace - it was OK
Head and Shoulders - it was OK
The Cut Glass Bowl - really liked it
Bernice Bobs Her Hair - it was OK
Benediction - didn't completely get it
Dalyrimple Goes Wrong - it was OK
The Four Fists - it was OK
The Jelly Bean - it was OK
The Camel's Back - liked it
May Day - didn't like it
Porcelain and Pink - really liked it
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz - really liked it
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - really liked it - especially the preface:
"Sir - I have read the story Benjamin Button in Colliers and I wish to say that as a short story writer you would make a good lunatic I have seen many peices of cheese in my life but of all the peices of cheese I have ever seen you are the biggest peice. I hate to waste a peice of stationary on you but I will." - anonymous admirer
Tarquin of Cheapside - didn't completely get it
O Russet Witch! - liked it
The Lees of Happiness - it was OK
Mr. Icky - didn't like it
Jemina the Mountain Girl - didn't like it
October 6, 2015
F Scott's short stories are far superior to his novels, even though I really enjoyed the novels. The short stories just have more soul.
With that, I disagree that all his works follow the same plot or have the same story or tropes. I didn't not find that to be true at all. Every story seemed incredibly varied. Anyone who tells you that Benjamin Button follows the same plot as the Great Gatsby is wrong.
Now, he does use the same few words over and word again. "Peculiar" "certain" "debutante"
That is annoying. He's so particular in regards to language that he's easy to imitate.
He also proved to me he can actually end works. The ending to the Great Gatsby sucked (I still don't think his monologue fit). This Side of Paradise never really ended, etc.
His short stories usually had fantastic endings and where quote factories. Most had morals and lessons that were valuable and insightful, not cheesy.
With that, favorites.
I liked the collection "Flappers and Philosophers" the best.
The shorts I thought were the best were "Benediction" and "Offshore Pirate"
With that, I disagree that all his works follow the same plot or have the same story or tropes. I didn't not find that to be true at all. Every story seemed incredibly varied. Anyone who tells you that Benjamin Button follows the same plot as the Great Gatsby is wrong.
Now, he does use the same few words over and word again. "Peculiar" "certain" "debutante"
That is annoying. He's so particular in regards to language that he's easy to imitate.
He also proved to me he can actually end works. The ending to the Great Gatsby sucked (I still don't think his monologue fit). This Side of Paradise never really ended, etc.
His short stories usually had fantastic endings and where quote factories. Most had morals and lessons that were valuable and insightful, not cheesy.
With that, favorites.
I liked the collection "Flappers and Philosophers" the best.
The shorts I thought were the best were "Benediction" and "Offshore Pirate"
September 14, 2016
This collection of classics is a perfect addition to anyone's Kindle library. Whether you're a longtime fan of Fitzgerald and looking to explore his writing for the first time, you'll find plenty here to entertain you.
The collection is set up well, with the novels first and short stories afterward. Every title is linked in the table of contents, making it simply to navigate to the piece of your choice.
My one issue is that the formatting is a bit problematic. There are no paragraph spaces, making all the text run on continually with no breaks.
The collection is set up well, with the novels first and short stories afterward. Every title is linked in the table of contents, making it simply to navigate to the piece of your choice.
My one issue is that the formatting is a bit problematic. There are no paragraph spaces, making all the text run on continually with no breaks.
July 29, 2009
I have always enjoyed short stories, and this collection doesn't disappoint. Some stories, like "The Offshore Pirate" are charming and romantic, while others (like Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby") deal with "the emotional depth of a society devoted to excess and racing heedlessly towards catastrophe." The stories are varied and interesting; a very satisfying collection.
September 9, 2010
My favorite stories of these were:
Head & Shoulders
The Four Fists
Porcelain and Pink
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
"O Russet Witch!"
Prior to this, my only reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald was in high school and even then I think I read the Cliffs notes instead of the actual novel. I really enjoyed these stories!
Head & Shoulders
The Four Fists
Porcelain and Pink
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
"O Russet Witch!"
Prior to this, my only reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald was in high school and even then I think I read the Cliffs notes instead of the actual novel. I really enjoyed these stories!
January 4, 2011
I can't get enough of his writing.
If it wasn't for my IPhone Nook app, I wouldn't of flown through this book.
Great for in between books, waiting in line anywhere, or perfect a short story before bed.
:)
My favorites: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Ice Palace, The Cut-Glass Bowl and The Four Fists.
If it wasn't for my IPhone Nook app, I wouldn't of flown through this book.
Great for in between books, waiting in line anywhere, or perfect a short story before bed.
:)
My favorites: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Ice Palace, The Cut-Glass Bowl and The Four Fists.
June 2, 2014
I read about half of this book for a class on Fitzgerald. I also read four of his novels, and after consuming so much of his literature in only three months, I doubt I'll be finishing this collection of his short stories anytime soon. Onward and upward! More contemporary best sellers and more C.S. Lewis!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews