I never even liked Fitzgerald at his prime.

I don't know what convinced me I'd enjoy his early works.

This was my personal hell.

His stories take me back to a much different place and time when men courted woman with marriage being the ideal. I like the language, the motion of the characters, the spunk of the women; they have something to say and are willing to take risks.

His stories make me look up the time period to have a better understanding of life and the language flappers used.

And the hair, oh the hair, from when it was long, to chop, chop, now it is gone.

Such rebels these girls were...

There were actually quite a few I had to skip, however I really liked one of the short stories (of course the title escapes me.. guess it wasn't that memorable)

Really enjoying it!

I didn't know Fitzgerald wrote such fantastic short stories; I've only ever read The Great Gatsby. I can't believe we didn't study these in my Short Narrative courses in college! He writes such vivid characters and in such phenomenal visual detail. The plots can be thin or unlikely, but it doesn't even matter because the writing is so good.

I recently read F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story (or novella) "May Day," published by Art of the Novella, which makes beautiful graphically designed books. I'm adding this book cover since it doesn't exist as a single title.
I read it alongside "The Bridge of San Luis Rey," which I am about 20 pgs. away from finishing.

"May Day" was unlike other Fitzgerald I'd read. First, the language was very simple to understand. It follows four characters who interact with each other over the period of single afternoon and evening. There's down on his luck Garret (I think), beautiful but finicky Edith, and soldiers Kay and Rose. In typical Fitzgerald style, all are generally unlikeable. Edith looks at herself in the mirror while she tells herself she's pretty and ready for love, the soldiers are slimy guys hell bent on scoring some booze, and the story opens on Garret begging money off of a friend because he's caught in a toxic relationship with a woman named Jewel.
Not much happens other than watching the characters maneuver through as the night deteoriates. But it's still beautiful. The novella I had included a single quote on the back: "All crowds need to howl." What a great line...

I've read a couple places that Scott took credit for a few short stories that Zelda wrote. It just so happened I read that while I was reading this and it made me wonder (since the language seemed so different) but who cares who wrote it? It's still great.

As I began reading this marvelous collection of Fitzgerald's early works, I came to realize why I love him so darn much, and why I shouldn't waste my time with anyone else!
He has a knack for writing about failures of human beings that no-one else ever had, or no other writer ever will have. My goodness, the way this man talks about failures and miseries of a wretched being makes you wanna weep!
Some stories were so darn dauntingly delirious that it made me feel like I could go on reading them till the end of times and still won't get bored!
Fitzgerald holds a power over my soul and everything I am, he makes me feel alive and understood, and it's no wonder that if I had one wish in life, it'd be to sit down with him and have a conversation about life and stuff!

A really interesting collection to compare to his novels. Some feel very familiar and thematically similar, like Winter Dreams - the best story in the group, with a lot in common with Gatsby. Others are of a completely different more fantastical tone, like The Diamond as Big as the Ritz and The Offshore Pirate. They're all about men trying to woo beautiful young women with money and status, but in very different ways. He's a good writer.

I haven't actually read that much Fitzgerald (yet), but a thought that occurred to me--one that I haven't subjected to much analysis but that I'll mention anyway--is that Hemingway and Fitzgerald are sort of a Lennon and McCartney for their era. Paul McCartney can grate on me sometimes. He can be too cutesy--sort of like listening to The Boston Pops. McCartney seems to want to ingratiate. Lennon is darker and has more bite. This is all a bit simplistic of course, but overall McCartney paints prettier, but not necessarily better, pictures. In the end I like some McCartney, but prefer Lennon. I think I feel similarly about Hemingway and Fitzgerald (where Hemingway=Lennon and Fitzgerald=McCartney).
Now I'll probably read more from both authors and decide that's crap. Maybe.

Benediction: Unimpressed
Head and Shoulders: Better, but the ending almost feels like bathos to me. Too quaint or something. Too cute.
The Ice Palace: This is far better than the first two stories.

More reaction to come.

Bernice Bobs Her Hair: Catty. The image of Bernice laughing with two long braids in her hands is fun.
The Offshore Pirate: Again, the ending feels a little cute. It's Paul McCartney again!
May Day: This is the longest story in the collection, and as a result many of the characters feel a bit more fleshed out in this one, which I like. The very end feels a little too obvious for me, but there are some good bits here.
The Jelly-Bean: I like when Fitzgerald writes about place. There's some of that in this story. I also like that the ending isn't too heavy handed. That said, this story isn't that meaty.
The Diamond As Big As the Ritz: This one feels a bit like a sci-fi/fantasy tale.
Winter Dreams: This is another favorite. Does it say something about me (or about Fitzgerald) that my favorites in this collection are The Ice Palace and Winter Dreams?
Absolution: I was ready to dislike this story since the other tale of religion in the collection, Benediction, was nothing special. I ended up liking this one a lot more.

Overall, a mixed bag. There are some good stories and some good parts of stories, definitely, but at times it felt like reading for school, like I had to force myself to get through--a sensation I haven't had in a long, long time.

En realidad me refiero a "Cuentos rebeldes" pero no lo encontré en Goodreads (quizás esté en inglés) por lo tanto anoto mi reseña en este que me parece el más similar.
Personajes a cual más superficial pero que llegan a caer bien. No había leído nada de Fitzgerald y no me disgustó para nada a pesar de que los relatos cortos no me atraen.

bv

If you've read The Great Gatsby, don't bother reading these stories, as you'll find the same theme in all of them. Fitzgerald was in his twenties when he wrote most of them and they're all concerned with the feelings of inadequacy young people feel when they start becoming seriously interested in the opposite sex - particularly when they feel they've had fewer advantages than others and don't quite measure up. Many of us go through that, but I wonder how many would want to read about it over and over and over.