Magnetism

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The pleasant, ostentatious boulevard was lined at prosperous intervals with New England Colonial houses--without ship models in the hall. When the inhabitants moved out here the ship models had at last been given to the children. The next street was a complete exhibit of the Spanish-bungalow phase of West Coast architecture; while two streets over, the cylindrical windows and round towers of 1897--melancholy antiques which sheltered swamis, yogis, fortune tellers, dressmakers, dancing teachers, art academies and chiropractors--looked down now upon brisk buses and trolley cars. A little walk around the block could, if you were feeling old that day, be a discouraging affair.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Romance, Literature, Historical Fiction, American

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1928

About the author

Francis 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.

Reviews

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘The Sensible Thing’ - George is trying to make enough money in order to marry Jonquil but he hates his job (3 stars)

'The Bridal Party' - Mike Curly finds out that his ex-girlfriend Caroline is engaged (2 stars)

'Magnetism' - film star George Hannaford is so charming that his wife is starting to get worried. I could have done with a little less casual rascism (2 stars)

'Bernice Bobs Her Hair' - Bernice is visiting her cousin Marjorie who feels that Bernice is a drag on her social life, and none of the boys want to dance with Bernice. A transformation is needed to save the day (3 stars)

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Gatsby-esque quartet of short stories, Fitzgerald sticks to his favourite theme of the quest for love among the wealthy of America’s jazz-age. The young women are diaphanous, doe-eyed, viciously competitive and apt to dangle young men on the ends of strings. The young men are smooth, charming and willing to be dangled. I am tempted to describe this as a lost world but I’m not at all sure it ever really existed in the first place.

[Oscar Lye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love F. Scott Fitzgerald. He captures the ironic hedonistic glory of jazz-age so well in these 4 stories about love, jealousy, and the desire to be desired.

[Ericka Clou · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story full of Hollywood affairs and flirtations.

[andreea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very charming collection. Quite ironically the eponymous short story was the least interesting, but all in all. A gay lecture.

[dead letter office · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four stories, all about wealthy young people climbing socially and hanging out with people with names like Hamilton Rutherford. There is a heavy emphasis on romantic pairing, unpairing, prepairing, and repairing. The young man in the first story endures a romantic period of poverty, but rapidly reverses fortunes and returns triumphantly to claim his place in society. The rest of them are firmly embedded for the duration.

One of the unifying themes is a rotating cast of young, male protagonists who are entirely unconscious of the ardent admiration they inspire in their social inferiors (the domestic help, the secretary). You know, the type that is just so good-natured, affable, handsome, charming, and at-home-in-the world that they never even notice how much everyone loves them. That comes up repeatedly in Fitzgerald stories. On a related note, for a window into Fitzgerald's debilitating self-doubt, lack of confidence, and enduring sense of being an impostor, see The Trip to Echo Spring. The sections on Fitzgerald and Hemingway are fascinating.

All in all, entertaining. He's a brilliant writer.

1. 'The Sensible Thing'
2. The Bridal Party
3. Magentism
4. Bernice Bobs Her Hair

[Virencia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fitzgerald's conceptions of love are profound.

He got me as far as having to put down the book for a moment and let all that feeling overwhelms me, right after I finished reading the first story ("The Sensible Things"). Very intimate, very intense, yet very realistic. He captured 'charm' in a scandalous manner in "Magnetism", yet managed to be faithful to the responsible nature of 'love'. He produces love out of entwined virility conquest and feminine confusion in "The Bridal Party", from which we'd also learn about letting go. Lastly, in "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" he showcased how female charm and attraction could be mechanically produced, and the darkly price of such scheme.

Four stars, for a light reading with rich feelings.

[aev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chose to read this randomly (and blindly as i closed my eyes and picked this one out of the rest) from my great loves collections. Four short stories in one book. An okay quick read. This my first fitzgerald book and i think i like his writing style.

[Rahiya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite forgettable, characters were terribly flat and frankly, just not in the mood to hear about the glamour of rich people’s problems - Fitzgerald, it’s a no from me

[M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the writing style but I didn’t like the stories. If there’s two things I generally don’t care about it’s romantic love and rich people and these stories were about both.

Lads, it’s the 1920s, women cannot earn or have money of their own so they are forced to marry men who are well off to survive. Love isn’t part of this equation, pragmatism is.
If you whine about it and lie to her about your success on the job, I’m inclined to agree that she’s better off without you.

I kind of liked the last story, it felt like a precursor to every mean girl high school drama ever. Lots of trickery and backstabbing over who is the more popular girl.

[Emilie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fine, just don't get why people fall over themselves about Fitzgerald. The Bernice story was mildly amusing but the others were rather dull, a little like a Woody Allen film. A portion of society I would have hated to have been exposed to, let alone involved with, Fitzgerald just can't seem to get away from trying to explain his emotional failures and his white middle-class guilt for being such a privileged jackass. As unimpressed with his short stories as I was with the Gatsby. Much ado about nothing.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick yet entertaining read.
Fitzgerald focus' the plot on relationships among a group of somewhat stars. George is a charming and captivating man who oozes a warm personality that seams to draw many women. However, despite his apparent magnetism he is only concerned about one woman, Kay his wife, and their marriage.
Their powerful and romantic marriage is clouded by his wife's jealousy, and her actions due to her feelings. The main conflict consists of the surprise blackmailer and her unrequited love.

[Corianne Oosterbaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are four short stories in this selection. "Magnetism" is by far the star story of them all. Delicious story and wonderful sentences. The star of the story is an actual handsome Hollywood movie star who gets a lot of attention romantically but doesn't really seem to notice and has only eyes for his wife. But even if the other girls not on his radar, these ladies can be trouble...

"Bernice Bobs Her Hair" is also very nice, with a very surprising and funny ending I did not see coming.

[eliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Michael Percy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is #12 of Penguin's "Great Loves" series. It includes three I have not read before: The Sensible Thing, The Bridal Party, and Magnetism, along with the classic early flapper story, Bernice Bobs Her Hair. Published in 1928, these were the very early days of Hollywood, yet Magnetism captures the celebrity spirit in a way that is all too familiar today. One can imagine, however, the low-tech environment where famous actors still roamed the suburbs, startling elevator boys with their good looks and charm. Although Hemingway chastised Fitzgerald for writing short stories for money, instead of focusing on masterpieces like Tender is the Night, Fitzgerald's short stories are far from commercial ephemera that have lost their meaning in the present. It strikes me that the only difference is, back then, only the wealthy could experience such dramas as being considered dull and trying to project oneself as desirable, witty, and fun, whereas now almost any average consumer strives for the same thing. This is a very quick read, but Fitzgerald's work doesn't disappoint. It is only a shame that his short stories are scattered far and wide - as he would have delivered them to individual magazines in an effort to earn money - that a devoted Fitzgerald fan must constantly search for ever-more Fitzgerald stories to read. Nonetheless, part of the fun is discovering, from time to time, what seems to be an bottomless well of Fitzgerald ephemera still waiting to be discovered.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories from F. Scott Fitzgerald and they all focus on the pull that certain people have on us, and how that pull can affect you well into later life. They are all about the love between a young man and a young woman, and how that love can be either a good thing or can be something painful to the person.

They were nice short stories that were easy to read, and seemed to be quite different to other works by Fitzgerald that I have read before. Each story was complete in its own way and didn’t need to be extended in any form. If they had been extended, and made into longer stories, I think they would have lost something and could have become too much. Although, there were parts of them that didn’t seem to make much sense, in that they seemed to jump around and leave you a little bit lost.

I’m not a massive fan of Fitzgerald, it has to be said. I think most if not all of his characters are pompous and overrated and not at all what you want a likeable character to be.

While I’m not a huge fan of the short story, I do appreciate how difficult it can be to actually end the story and the ensure that you aren’t dragging it out beyond the natural conclusion. So I do appreciate the skill that authors like Fitzgerald have when it comes to these short stories.

[Sophie Waldron · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting(?) Fitzgerald collection. Maybe I’m being harsh but it’s my first Goodreads review so need a strong start.

1. ‘The Sensible Thing’ - woman turns down man’s engagement offer even when he becomes a big shot. Man sad. The end. A nice rawness to it compared to some of the other works included, but not particularly memorable except the quote I’ll add below.
- ‘There are all kinds of love in the world, but never the same love twice.’

2. The Bridal Party. Man finds out ex is engaged. Man sad. Not much more to say.

3. Magnetism. Man is too charming for his own good. Accidentally charms his co-actress, maid, and another colleague into obsession with him. Colleague then attempts to off herself and wife is left feeling unloved and despairing. Not so sure about this one…The power of man?

4. Bernice Bobs Her Hair. Quite an entertaining narration of some trivial teenage drama (Marjorie was unbelievably shady and cruel and deserved what was coming to her). At various points his commentary felt almost Wildean, which I enjoyed. Not the best but decent.

- ‘At eighteen our convictions are hills from which we look; at forty-five they are caves in which we hide.’

[Meagan Miller-McKeever · Rating 1 out of 5]

This weekend I finished “Magnetism”, a series of short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Let me start by saying probably the most unpopular thing I will say this year: I hate F. Scott Fitzgerald. I hated “Gatsby”, I hated “Tender is the Night”. For some reason I thought his short stories would be better. They were not. Oh his writing is of course exquisite. But his male characters are whining, foppish, mopes who blame their woes on women instead of taking a cold hard look at their own faults. And the women are insincere, rude, calculating and money hungry. If you like “The Great Gatsby” then this collection will probably be enjoyable. But, if like me, you just don’t like the people he writes about, steer clear of this one.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fitzgerald's collection of love stories united through the concept of 'magnetism' certainly makes for an interesting read. Something about people who are drawn to each other, torn apart, and yet cannot escape each other. Although many of these relationships are by no means to be ideals, they certainly open a window into the 'madness' of obsessive love. A compelling read, and page turner (despite the characters and plots being very similar, or should I say, familiar), this collection serves as a great study of the troubling facets of an all-consuming love.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading Fitzgerald's shorts because they're undeniably autobiographical. They each provide a fascinating insight into his experience of life, life 100 years ago. His aches, pains and anxieties radiate through each publication and in Magnetism no less. FSF's frustrations with a generally unsuccessful career in Hollywood resonate with the central character's experiences of blackmail, likewise his troubled relationship with Zelda is reflected by the romantic complications within.

[Jeremy Randolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can relate to almost all of Fitzgeralds insecurities on relationship, woman, self..
Now i'm curious how was his relationship looked like .
I recommend this for men, who is trying to know what possibilities of words that can be extracted from your insecurities through this stories.

P.s.
It never ends good enough to settle your heart. But bad enough to harden it.

[Days · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really wish this had been a bit longer because it felt a bit incomplete. Yet, for that same reason I liked it - I loved that it was just a little snapshot of a life, and that it was so vivid. Some of the characters felt a little flat and underdeveloped, but overall I enjoyed it.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four short stories in here, and the only one I didn't love was Magnetism itself. These are the sorts of stories that seem so simple that you can't work out how they elicit such an emotional punch. Like a literary magic trick.

[Emerset · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this book for four years and have only this weekend decided to read it. If you're familiar with This Side of Paradise you'll see recurring themes in this short collection. It's a fantastic read.

[Arianna C · Rating 2 out of 5]

The perfect example of a 2.5 stars kind of book. These four stories manage to be repetitive and boring even in such a small number of pages. Reading literally anything else by Fitzgerald would definitely be a much better experience.

[Ruth Brumby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very trivial. The stories are about people's social interactions in a milieu of people with nothing much to do and no real morals. There is no particular reflection on their interactions and the focus is on the least interesting aspects of their lives.

[Benjamin Trigg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since college my favourite book has been The Great Gatsby (basic, I know but for good reason), seeing Fitzgerald short stories I thought I'll give that a go to get myself back into reading, however this book overall was not the brilliant collection I had assumed it would be.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the sentimental writing but the characters are rather unlikeable.

Enjoyed Bernice bobs her hair the most - interesting life lesson disseminated by Marjorie but was very humorous

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

F Scott Fitzgerald is truly the master of short stories.

[Mollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

First three stories were fine, pretty much what you’d expect. Bernice bobs her hair was the best one for sure. Fuck off Marjorie 🖕🏻