Enjoyable and easy read.
Unlike many of the reviewers here, I did grow to like and sympathize with the main character, Ginevra Perry (based on Fitzgerald's young love Ginevra King).
It seems that a significant number of reviewers were anticipating a life-altering piece of literature, but this is not the case.
However, it is an entertaining, fictionalized account of the woman who served as the inspiration for some of Fitzgerald's most memorable heroines.
The story provides an interesting perspective on the relationship between Ginevra Perry and Fitzgerald, and how it may have influenced his writing.
While it may not be a profound or earth-shattering work, it is still an engaging read that offers a glimpse into the world of Fitzgerald and his muses.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or is interested in the life and works of F. Scott Fitzgerald.
A fictionalized account of Ginerva King, the muse and character basis for Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby, offers an interesting perspective. Fitzgerald, in his portrayal, made her seem more cruel and shallow than perhaps she really was. She was just a 17-year-old girl who ended things with a dreamer who was struggling in geometry and had a drinking problem. Yes, she was careless, but that's not uncommon for a teenager.
This book has the charm that it doesn't require the reader to have devoured all of Fitzgerald's works or be well-versed in his biography to enjoy it. However, being a die-hard Fitzgerald fan myself, I absolutely loved it and found it utterly fascinating.
The writer's prose is quite good, which added to my enjoyment. I picked up this book mainly because of my admiration for Fitzgerald. I wasn't really anticipating a great novel, but I was pleasantly surprised. It offers a unique look at the inspiration behind one of Fitzgerald's most iconic characters, and it's a must-read for any fan of his works or those interested in the literary world.
Certainly, and this is openly admitted by the author, it is a work of fiction that is loosely based on a few facts and filled with the broad strokes of imagination to round it out. I have to say that if even a fraction of this story is actually true, it provides an explanation for why I always found "The Great Gatsby" to be so lonely and depressing. If Daisy was Ginevra and Gatsby was Fitzgerald himself, it becomes obvious what a profound impact Ginevra had on him, an impact that resounded throughout the remainder of his much too short life. Both Scott and Ginevra were barely likable and far more pitiable than anything else. I found that the book kept me turning the pages, not because of entertainment or a fantastically woven tale, but rather in the way that one can't help but look at a wreckage. At the end, I just felt...sad.