Status Updates From The Short Stories of F. Sco...

“The Lost Decade”: 5 stars: packs a wallop in the end
“Boil Some Water…”: 5 stars: Pat Hobby is relatable and loathable
“Last Kiss”: 5 stars: surprising and sad, well-written and thought-provoking
“Dearly Beloved”: 4 stars: different and interesting; the ending makes me think, and I like that

“More than Just a House”: 4.5 stars: moving and interesting; reminds me of Faulkner, emphasizing the impact of the past
“Afternoon of an Author”: 5 stars: succinct yet so impactful and very sad
“Financing Finnegan”: 5 stars: darkly humorous and so well-written

“Crazy Sunday”: 5 stars. Idk why the Post had a problem with this story and said it “didn’t get anywhere or prove anything.” That makes no sense to me when the Sunday motif works so well, and there is commentary about work, American movie producers, marriage, morality, drinking, and more. This story is very well-written, thoughtful, and thought-provoking. The Post was crazy themselves for turning it down.

“Six of One—“: 5 stars: so interesting and different and really made me think about money and opportunity and why some people are successful and others aren’t and how many more would be if they had the chance.
“What a Handsome Pair!”: 5 stars: thought-provoking content about marriage and whether it can ever be a true partnership without becoming competitive; interesting characters and sad details.

“A New Leaf”: 5 stars: another haunting and brutal exploration of alcoholism and its effects on people and relationships; this story really got me, especially the ending. I could relate to Julia in a lot of ways. One of my favorites in this book.
“A Freeze-Out”: 4 stars: like old Fitz but better writing, deeper, impactful dialogue and emotional analysis; it’s a good story, and the ending is satisfying.

“The Hotel Child”: 5 stars; so good! I love the characters, and Fifi is an exemplar. The ending is so strong. It reminds me of some earlier stories, like “A Short Trip Home,” but it also feels very Tender-esque.
“Babylon Revisited” has been one of my favorite stories since I first read it years ago. The movie with Van and Elizabeth is gorgeous. The story is heartbreaking and brutal yet lovely. 5 ⭐️

“The Bridal Party”: 4 stars; another Fitz story where the man cares more than the woman, but it’s well-written and takes place in Paris and has a sweet ending
“One Trip Abroad”: 5 stars; like “The Swimmers” and “Two Wrongs,” this story explores a marriage and its complexity and development over time. I love the writing, and the ending is suitably chilling.

“First Blood”: 3 stars: again, Fitz has a woman character who messes with men and knows her beauty and all that. She is heartless!! I really don’t like Josephine Perry and much prefer the Basil stories.
“Emotional Bankruptcy”: 4 stars because even though this is also Josephine, the story gets deep; Josephine realizes the price of her actions, and it makes sense. The ending made me think.

“At Your Age”: Scott and his obsession with youth; for me, this story is unsettling, but I get what he was doing; I’m glad it ends the way it does. Again, Winesburg vibes: 4 stars
“The Swimmers”: “Tender-esque; I love the setting and the concept, and the ending is intense but works. I don’t blame Henry. 5 stars.
“Two Wrongs”: 5 stars. Very moving and sad. I feel for them and for Scott and Zelda.

“The Last of the Belles”: 3.5 stars: beautiful writing and a strong ending; I like the dynamics between Andy and Ailie and Andy’s voice in the first-person narration, but again, the story is similar to others.
“Majesty”: 5 stars: this feels like old Fitzgerald—it’s suspenseful and humorous but also nostalgic and moving; I love the ending and Olive. Olive is a Melanie while Emily is a Scarlett.

“Basil and Cleopatra”: 4 stars: even though it reads like a lot of Fitz’s later stories (with the man in love with the woman, but she’s not as into it), it’s very well-written, and I love the ending.

“The Bowl”: 4 stars: I love football, but I’m still new to it and learning about it, and this is 1920s football, so there are passages I glazed over reading, but I enjoyed the human story and love the ending.
“The Captured Shadow”: 5 stars: I like and sympathize with Basil. What he does is terrible but doesn’t feel as bad as it should because of his motives. The ending brought tears to my eyes.

“Jacob’s Ladder”: 4 stars: I like the writing and the main characters; she’s 16 and he’s 33 when they meet, but that works out with the ending.
“A Short Trip Home”: 5 stars; my only complaint is I wish it ended at Part II—a more satisfying ending imo; this doesn’t read like Fitz at all, and I like the different tone and subject. It’s so eerie and creepy but also so real and deep.

“The Rich Boy”: 5 stars; practically perfect, like Gatsby. I really like the portrait of a man and seeing his development over the course of the story. It’s deep and reflective but also entertaining and interesting. I read fairly quickly, wanting to know what would happen next for the protagonist. The ending is strong, and I love a good first-person narrator who isn’t the main character, like Nick Carraway.

“‘The Sensible Thing’”: 3 stars: like other Fitz stories in the “Gatsby cluster,” as the editor calls it, but I love the ending: “There are all kinds of love in the world, but never the same love twice.”
“Love in the Night”: 4 stars: very moving; the beginning is cliche, but the sharp change in Part IV shows how drastically lives changed after WW1, especially Russians’. The ending is sweet.

“Absolution”: 3 stars: I don’t often say this, but I think Hemingway would’ve done better here. He could write a reluctant Catholic so well. The writing is beautiful, but I’m so glad Fitz didn’t use this as a prologue for Gatsby. It def would’ve taken away from the novel.
“Rags Martin-Jones”: 3 stars: cute and funny, but I prefer “The Offshore Pirate.”

“Dice, Brass Knuckles, and Guitar”: 3 stars: the intro says it’s developing Gatsby themes, which I can definitely see, and it’s well-written and funny, but I wish there was a little more depth to it. It does show how Fitz felt about the wealthy and the Northerners who had money in particular, and it’s perfectly plotted. I just needed more feeling.