Nancy, Zelda, and I have been sharing space since early 1970.

Sometimes a book must gather dust before having the justice of being read, although my father read this copy before I did.

I am truly grateful to Nancy Milford for presenting us with this vivid portrait. The subject matter is indeed difficult, as one has to labor under the burden of Zelda's husband's fame, which may be distorted.

For approximately ten years, Zelda and Scott were the embodiment of the Roaring 20s. His second novel persists on Must Read lists, is taught in literature classes, and remains in print. However, in my opinion, it is overrated.

All of the fiction produced by both Fitzgeralds was autobiographical, and Milford makes good use of it, especially Zelda's. Long passages from her work are quoted effectively. Letters from both parties are also quoted, and Scott's work incorporated a significant portion of Zelda's letters to him.

The 20s decade came to an end as the couple's shine faded due to Scott's drinking and Zelda's descent into illness. The story as told by Milford surpasses the alternate fictional tellings in terms of poignancy and tragedy. For a tale that is scattered with the artistic lights of the early Twentieth century and also imbued with unintended lessons about what America is and was, "Zelda" is a must-read.

It offers great value beyond being just a biography.

Highly recommended.

Like many teenagers, I was assigned The Great Gatsby in my high school English class.

I was not overly impressed with the novel. Wealthy, spoiled, selfish people completely out of touch with their world or the concerns of ordinary people were not interesting to me. (I was marching against the U.S. war in Vietnam. I considered myself a feminist before Ms. Magazione was born. I was reading about mental illness.)

What I still retain, all these years later, is the dim memory of a beautiful young woman (Daisy?) who speaks softly and thus compels men to lean in to hear her.

I read this biography in high school and what I found was the true story of men being self-indulgent, alcoholic, and selfish while Zelda was being blamed.

It is entirely possible that Zelda was schizophrenic and less talented than her husband. It is likely that she was as selfish, but it is also clear that she desired something for herself, to challenge herself and make something of her life beyond being merely an ornament. And it is equally clear that her husband, perhaps with the best of intentions or perhaps in an effort to protect his own ego, undermined her every effort, and deliberately conspired to have those she knew tell her she was less than she was.

He did not want her taking ballet or writing a successful novel. He found these ambitions inconvenient, though he undermined them as unhealthy to her. He used her words in his work and published his stories as his own and as co-written by him. This is incontrovertible. When she was sick and hospitalized, his visits left her less well.

Like other well-brought-up 20th century women—James Tiptoe, Jr. come to mind—Zelda was exposed to great challenge, adventure, and purpose, and was expected to marry and become a silent partner to another's accomplishments. Brilliant as she was, she could not quite manage that self-abnegation.

Today, about 10% of schizophrenics commit suicide and another 15% remain ill throughout their lives. Most schizophrenics stabilize, improve, or even recover from illness later in life, if they are supported. Zelda experienced the worst possible environment and her efforts to avoid alcohol and to live productively were seen as undermining her husband's interests. She spent the end of her life in an asylum and died in a fire. Even so, she outlived her husband who died of a heart attack seven years earlier.

This book made an enormous impression on me as a teenager. The people who should have loved her best did not listen to Zelda. I never forgave Scott.

A Southern belle embarks on a tumultuous journey that takes her from the realm of madcap antics to the brink of madness.

She finds herself deeply entwined with a highly strung, handsome, and talented alcoholic. Their relationship is a volatile mix of passion and chaos.

The Southern belle, once full of life and charm, begins to lose her grip as she tries to navigate the stormy waters of their connection.

The alcoholic's instability and addictions have a profound impact on her, pulling her further and further into a downward spiral.

As the story unfolds, we witness the belle's transformation from a lively and carefree spirit to one consumed by the madness that surrounds her.

Her world becomes a blur of emotions, and she struggles to find her way back to sanity.

The relationship between the Southern belle and the alcoholic serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the destructive power of love and addiction.

It shows how easily one can lose themselves when caught up in a toxic and all-consuming connection.

Will the Southern belle be able to break free from the madness and find her way back to a life of happiness and fulfillment? Only time will tell.

Some biographies can be rather dull and plod along, but this one was like a bubbling brook, flowing with life and energy. As Zelda might have said herself, based on her writings and her love for using an abundance of metaphors to express every concept she was trying to convey.

Nancy Milford spent years conducting exhaustive research, and it truly shows in the detailed account she presents.

She begins with Zelda's parents and her birth in Montgomery, Alabama. We get a vivid picture of the kind of family Zelda was born into, which helps us better understand why she developed into the woman she ultimately became.

Zelda's father, Judge Sayre, was strict and formidable, emotionally detached from his family. In contrast, her mother, Minnie, doted on her and let her do as she pleased.

Zelda was naturally strong-willed and craved attention. Reading about her social life was exhausting. She seemed to date every young man in Montgomery, and every weekend was filled with dances.

She was also quite daring for the time (this was the 19-teens). She wore a nude-colored bathing suit not only at the beach or pool but around town as well. She was flirtatious, bold, and addicted to being in the spotlight.

She met F. Scott Fitzgerald when he was stationed in Montgomery for the war (WWI). Fitzgerald, true to his temperament, fell for her with all the neurotic passion that would forever color his life.

Through many ups and downs in their relationship, as well as conflicts with her family, they finally married in 1920. Zelda was twenty years old, and Fitzgerald was twenty-four.

Zelda left her small, warm Southern community for the Big Apple. This might have intimidated some small-town girls, but not Zelda. For her, New York meant everything she adored on a larger scale: parties, drinking, and being the center of attention.

Neither Fitzgerald nor Zelda had temperate personalities. They did everything in excess. They spent more than they had, drank more than they could handle, and friends began to dread their parties. Their stint in Paris was no different, except that Fitzgerald's fascination with the Manic Pixie Girl he had married was starting to wane slightly. He needed to write, and their lifestyle was interfering with that.

At first, Zelda seemed to inspire his writing. After all, all of his stories were centered around her. Reading about their life together, I can safely say that most of his books are autobiographical, with the heroine being Zelda over and over again.

Some have criticized Fitzgerald, saying he "stole" her writings or ideas. But that is nonsense. Milford includes plenty of Zelda's writings to allow the reader to make an informed comparison. While Zelda was intelligent and at times bordering on brilliant, her writing simply couldn't match Fitzgerald's. After getting past the glittery surface of her descriptive phraseology, there is very little substance, and much of it is incoherent.

My only criticism of Fitzgerald's writing is that he simplified Zelda. The real Zelda was more complex, as Milford's biography reveals.

She did try to write and get published, and some of her work was indeed published. But I doubt anyone would have paid much attention if she hadn't been Fitzgerald's wife.

In her late twenties, while they were living in Paris, Zelda became obsessed with becoming a classic dancer. She practiced for hours each day with a Russian teacher. There doesn't seem to be a coherent reason why she wanted to become a professional ballet dancer. Perhaps it was to find an identity separate from her husband, but those who knew her saw something strange from the start.

I think that even without her life with Scott, Zelda probably would have become insane anyway. But the excessive drinking and night life likely accelerated her decline.

Frankly, I don't know who was worse, Zelda, who ended up in an insane asylum, or Fitzgerald, who drank and smoked himself to death at forty from a sudden heart attack.

It's a fascinating study of people who are desperately trying to find meaning in their lives through external stimulation, to the point where it pushes them over the edge. Maybe they were terrified of what they might see if they stopped and stood still for a few moments. Their frantic rush off the cliff was a continuous attempt to run away from what was inside them.

Eventually, Fitzgerald resorted to writing Hollywood scripts to pay off debts, including Zelda's stay at a good hospital and their daughter Scottie's education.

Very little is mentioned about Scottie. One can only wonder how the influence of two narcissistic and unstable parents affected her. She seems to have turned out okay and married outside the glamorous world of her parents.

While Fitzgerald stayed in Hollywood, Zelda had returned to Montgomery and lived with her mother, leading a rather invisible life after the legendary one she had led. Her illness finally deteriorated to the point where she had to return to the mental hospital. Her last words to her mother were, "It's okay. I'm not afraid of dying," and then she ran off. Was this prophetic? She was to die in the hospital as it burned to the ground.

She still outlived Fitzgerald by eight years.

I suppose there will always be an endless fascination with this infamous couple, and this is a good biography. But I'm not sure if it's really necessary because after reading it, I realize that Fitzgerald faithfully recorded their lives in all of his stories.