Yawnsville...

All the beauty is in getting there...learn to appreciate literature!

I guess in order to really appreciate the power of Fitzgerald's work, you have to have been exposed to looking for symbolism and great writing. I once had a high school teacher that everyone thought was a little crazy, but when she made us read The Great Gatsby, she would pick out these little phrases that meant nothing if you simply were "reading" the book for the dry content. Now that I am reading This Side of Paradise for myself, these little phrases jump out at me. Example: In Spires and Gargoyles, the section called Under The Arc-Light, the first sentance is "Then tragedy's emerald eyes glared suddenly at Armory over the edge of June." That sort of thing can slip past you so easily if all you are doing is reading and not trying to analyze. What could that mean? Emerald = green = envy. Glared = contempt. Tragedy = fate. So fate glared with envy at him during june when the whole car accident tragedy was to occur. What normal person do you know would lead into something with an outstanding symbolic sentance like that? Im not sure that there are or have been very many. That is just one example, thee are millions more, you just have to learn to recognise and appreciate the genious of Fitzgerald.

I'd have to say This Side of Paradise was a tough read for myself, not because of the wording, but because it was so dry and boring. Amory is a fellow who tends to just overanylize things -- as is exeplified by his so-called romance with Isabelle -- that are emotional. He spends half the book thinking about emotions, and really doesn't come to any real conclusions of any pertinence until the last twenty or so pages. I have a long ways to go on learing to understand underlying meaning, I'll be the first to admit that, but FSF just took too long getting this party started.

You claim that Amory "doesn't come to any real conclusions of any pertinence until the last twenty or so pages." Hmm. I feel like the fact that he DOESN'T do that makes Amory all the human--what person really does come to deep meaningful conclusions about life and love before they have some real life experience? To me this book isn't about the conclusions reached but more about the journey to get them.