A beautiful and touching short story is set in the aftermath of the 1920's Golden Jazz Age. After years of indulging in partying and finally recovering, a father endeavors to retrieve his daughter who is living with her aunt. He has to prove that he is sober enough to merit a second chance. This story delves deep into the themes of addiction, guilt, love, hate, revenge, grief, and forgiveness.

The author is perhaps the most renowned writer of the Jazz Age. Sadly, he is also an unrecovered victim of its wildness. In contrast to his character, Fitzgerald was never able to break free from the demon of drinking. He only managed to become sober one year prior to his death.

Read for The Short Story Club.

**"Babylon Revisited": A Reflection on Time and Attitudes**

The man in the story has left his young daughter in Paris with her aunt and uncle. Now, he feels settled and hopes she will come to live with him. The description of his feelings upon finding Paris empty and the strange stillness in the Ritz bar is quite vivid. The bar, which was once an American haunt where he felt at home and in control, has now gone back into France, and he feels polite rather than possessive in it.

The tone throughout the story is that of an American who had a wild and colorful youth in Paris, frequenting lively places and spending a lot of time and money. However, what annoys me is the constant mention of America and Americans as a benchmark or standard. It gives the impression that the author is comparing everything to the American way of life, which seems rather narrow-minded.

Despite being nearly 90 years old, the story still has some relevance today. The tug-of-war between adults over children and a sense of belonging is a timeless theme. Overall, while the story may be an excellent depiction of the time, the attitude towards America and Americans detracts from its overall appeal.

3.5★

It was an extremely enjoyable experience.

The activities and events that took place were truly engaging and entertaining.

Thanks to F. Scott, who played a significant role in making it all possible.

His efforts and contributions added a special charm to the entire occasion.

We had a great time socializing, sharing stories, and creating memories.

The atmosphere was filled with laughter and joy, and everyone seemed to be having a blast.

It was a day that will be remembered for a long time.

Once again, a big thank you to F. Scott for making this fun-filled event a reality.

We look forward to many more such enjoyable experiences in the future.

Charlie Wales has returned to Paris, specifically to visit his little daughter, Honoria.

Charlie was once an alcoholic and a spendthrift. However, now he restricts himself to only one drink every afternoon.

He recalls extravagantly giving thousand-franc notes to an orchestra to play a single piece and casually tossing hundred-franc notes to a doorman for calling a cab.

Tragically, his wife has passed away, and his daughter was taken away from him.

Currently, Honoria lives with Aunt Marion and Uncle Lincoln. Later, we discover that Marion is the sister of his late wife, Helen.

When Charlie sees Honoria, she expresses her desire to live with him, stating that she loves him more than anyone else and knows that he loves her more than anyone else now that her mother is gone.

Subsequently, Charlie tells Marion that he wishes to have a home with Honoria in it. He acknowledges his past misbehaviors but claims that he hasn't had more than one drink a day for over a year.

He is planning to bring his sister over from the US to manage the household for him and desperately wants Honoria to be with them as well.

Charlie had previously locked Helen out in the rain, and she arrived at Marion and Lincoln's house completely soaked.

Marion has legal guardianship of Honoria, and Charlie wants her to relinquish this.

Marion strongly dislikes Charlie.

Charlie lives in Prague, where he has a business. He will take a French governess with him to Prague and has leased a new apartment.

His income is twice that of Marion and Lincoln's.

Helen died of heart trouble, although Marion believes Charlie was responsible for her death.

Finally, Marion says, "Do what you like. She's your child."

Charlie had deeply loved Helen until they "senselessly began to abuse each other's love, tearing it into shreds."

He talks to Helen as if she were still there, and she tells him that she wants Honoria to be with him. She thinks he is being good and making progress.

He wakes up feeling happy. But he knows he mustn't love Honoria too much, as he is aware of the potential harm a father can cause to a daughter or a mother to a son by becoming too attached.

We witness how Charlie truly loves his daughter, and she loves him in return. We also see how he has transformed his life and is now capable of properly taking care of her. He is certain that Helen wouldn't have wanted him to be so lonely.

This is a simple, well-narrated, and enjoyable story, seemingly partly autobiographical.

Babylon Revisited is a captivating and bittersweet short story penned by F. Scott Fitzgerald for the Saturday Evening Post and released in February 1931. The story is enhanced by lovely illustrations throughout, adding to its charm.

Charlie Wales, an American expatriate residing in Prague, makes a journey to Paris to be with his nine-year-old daughter, Honoria. Since the death of her mother, Helen, Honoria has been living with her aunt and uncle, Marion and Lincoln, and their two children. Honoria is overjoyed to see her father and expresses her desire to live with him.

Simultaneously, this story serves as a farewell to the Roaring Twenties in Paris, with Babylon symbolizing a city in the Bible renowned for its sin and decadence. As Charlie reflects on his past life in Paris, he now feels disgusted, as he has clearly undergone a transformation. At one moment, he is haunted by the memory of Helen and the depth of their love for each other \\". . . until they had senselessly begun to abuse each other's love, tear it into shreds.\\" This is a profound tale of forgiveness and redemption, exploring the complex emotions and experiences that shape a person's life.

I found all of the stories to be quite poignant and sad.

They were all filled with a sense of regret and melancholy that really tugged at my heartstrings.

I felt that the first story was much stronger than the other two.

The second story didn't have as much of an impact on me, perhaps because it didn't resonate with my personal experiences as strongly.

The third story was really short, but it still managed to convey a powerful message in its brevity.

All the same, I preferred this collection of stories to "The Great Gatsby".

While "The Great Gatsby" is a classic and has its own merits, these stories felt more real and relatable to me.

They dealt with themes of love, loss, and the human condition in a way that made me think deeply about my own life and the choices I have made.

I would highly recommend this collection of stories to anyone who enjoys reading about the darker side of human nature.

The 30th book of 2020 is an anthology that contains three captivating stories. They are titled Babylon Revisited, The Cut-Glass Bowl and The Lost Decade. Among them, The Cut-Glass Bowl is truly a five-star story. Fitzgerald's writing in this story is nothing short of fantastic. The final line is like a burst of pure joy, much like the brilliant last line of The Great Gatsby. It shows Fitzgerald's remarkable talent for writing.

This final line doesn't give away any spoilers for the story itself. However, I've marked it as such because reading it now would undoubtedly ruin the magic and surprise that comes with reading it at the very end of the short story. If you don't have an immediate urge to read the story and simply want to read a brilliant line of literature, you can click away.

Here is the marked spoiler line: And all over the moonlit sidewalk around the still, black form, hundreds of prisms and cubes and splinters of glass reflected the light in little gleams of blue, and black edged with yellow, and yellow, and crimson edged with black.

A very revealing set of three stories with strong autobiographical elements was written towards the end of F Scott Fitzgerald's career.

The title story is the longest of the three. It spends some time on scene-setting, which might seem a bit lengthy at first. However, it makes up for this in its cutting conclusion.

The other two stories, both shorter in length, are more pointed. "The Cut-Glass Bowl" takes us on a wandering exploration of the consequences of materialism in the 1920s. It shows how the pursuit of wealth and possessions can have far-reaching effects.

"The Lost Decade" is an entertaining step back. It poses the question of what America (and Americans) might look like without the Great Depression of the 1930s. This story offers an interesting perspective on how historical events shape a nation and its people.

The last pages I read breathlessly. This story really touched me deeply. I felt that something was about to happen, yet I didn't think it would end so quickly.

I also felt and noticed traces of reality in this story. F Scott Fitzgerald is one of my favorite authors and I have read certain things about him: the tumultuous marriage with Zelda, her alcohol dependence, things that are also found in this story.

For the first time in a while, I would have liked a book to be longer. It seems that the story ended just as I was getting really involved. I wanted to know more about the characters, their future, and what would happen after the events described in the book. Maybe this is a sign of a really good story, that it leaves you craving for more. Fitzgerald's writing style is so engaging that it makes you feel as if you are part of the story itself. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more of his works in the future.

One of my favorite Fitzgerald's short stories is "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz."

This story takes readers on a fantastical journey. It tells the tale of a young man named John T. Unger who visits the wealthy Washington family. The Washingtons live in a mansion built on top of a huge diamond, which is hidden from the world.

The story is filled with elements of luxury, mystery, and adventure. Fitzgerald's vivid descriptions bring the characters and settings to life. We see the opulence of the Washington's home, with its gold-plated ceilings and marble floors. We also witness the strange and often comical behavior of the family members.

What I love most about this story is Fitzgerald's ability to create a world that is both beautiful and absurd. He uses satire to comment on the excesses of wealth and the shallowness of society. "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" is a classic example of Fitzgerald's unique writing style and his talent for telling engaging stories.

I truly adore the remarkable way in which Fitzgerald has the ability to convey so much through what is left unsaid. It is truly a masterful technique.

Charlie, the protagonist, comes across as an incredibly realistic character. He really delves into the universal experience of allowing past mistakes to define one's entire self. We can all relate to that feeling of being haunted by our past missteps and having them shape our perception of who we are.

The depiction of Paris in the story is also extremely clever. Fitzgerald shows us how a place that was once filled with so much joy and wonder can become tainted and lose its charm. It serves as a powerful metaphor for how life experiences can change our perspective on even the most beautiful and beloved things.

Overall, Fitzgerald's use of these literary devices makes the story both engaging and thought-provoking, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

Babylon Revisited by F. Scott Fitzgerald: 3.5⭐️

I purchased this book for £1.50 at OxfamGB. It is a 76-page modern classic fiction that contains 3 short stories: Babylon Revisited, The Cut-Glass Bowl, and The Lost Decade. It should be noted that the N word is mentioned on pages 8 and 38.

The first story, Babylon Revisited, is probably the longest and most engaging one. It is a great story that explores the themes of the inescapability of the past and paternal love. It is about memory, regret, and a man's desire to atone for his past. I have sympathy for both characters, but Marion seems to be using everything as an excuse. After some research, I found that the characters parallel people in Fitzgerald's life. Charlie is Fitzgerald, and his daughter (Scottie) was the same age as Honoria when the story was written. Fitzgerald's wife, Zelda, was not dead but was in a mental institution, so the custody of their daughter was a relevant issue. Marion and Lincoln Peters are based on Fitzgerald's real-life in-laws. Zelda's older sister, Rosalind, disliked Fitzgerald. Additionally, I discovered that Babylon was an ancient city in Mesopotamia known for its glorious achievements and wild lifestyle. In the Bible and myths, its decadence led to its destruction. The title is a reference to the main character's own reckless choices during his extravagant lifestyle in Paris, which caused his downfall.

The second story, The Cut-Glass Bowl, is truly devastating. Evelyn's life falls apart, and the ending is extremely painful. It follows the theme of unrealized dreams that are common in middle age.

The third story, The Lost Decade, is only 6 pages long and very short. It deals with the effects of drinking and how we can forget our surroundings and lose touch with everyday life. The main character was drunk and missed a decade of his life. I wasn't a fan of this story as it left me confused.

Overall, while I enjoyed some aspects of this book, the presence of the offensive language and the confusion caused by the third story prevented me from giving it a higher rating.