![The Diamond as Big as the Ritz [With Envelope]](http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173227518l/261406.jpg)
My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz [With Envelope]
Stories in the Travelman Short Stories series take the reader to places of mystery, fantasy, horror, romance, and corners of the universe yet unexplored. In turn, readers take them on the bus or subway, slip them into briefcases and lunchboxes, and send them from Jersey to Juneau.
Each classic or original short story is printed on one sheet of paper and folded like a map. T
...morePaperback, 26 pages
Published
August 31st 2000
by Travelman Publishing
(first published 1922)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,677)
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz to me is the marquee story of the 20's. The language and prose is crisp and clear, and you can image the descriptions as art direction for a tux-and-flapper-dress movie or a series of art deco murals. The story is a great blend of high adventure as well as exploitive campiness. While the other stories still have that distinct art deco elegance, the Diamond story is just so over the top, like a Hollywood blockbuster.
A Diamond as Big as the Ritz was actually my least favorite short story from this collection. It sort of reminded me of that one Mark Twain story, the long one about the little boys in Germany that he wrote shortly before his death when he was quite cynical and bitter. The Mysterious Stranger, I think it was. They aren’t really the same, the two stories, but both are rather dark and fantastical. The other stories in the collection were more grounded and spoke to me a bit more. I liked the f...more
*edit* Someone checked it out today, and I told him I liked Fitgerald's writing, mentioning Great Gatsby. He was like, 'Great Gatsby? Couldn't get into it.' Are you serious?? Well, if you didn't like that one, it's pretty much guaranteed you won't be into this, either! F. Scott's characterizations are all pretty much interchangable, and the stories are shallow fluff, but it all represents the opulent 20's before the Great Depression-as it were. Take it or leave it!
F. Scott Fitz...more
F. Scott Fitz...more
The literary equivalent of a handful of diamonds. "The Offshore Pirate" was my favorite but they were all wonderful: "The Diamond As Big As the Ritz," "The Ice Palace," "Bernice Bobs Her Hair," "The Jelly-bean," "May Day." Fitzgerald's genius is evident in his short stories more than in any of his novels (save Gatsby, of course).
view 1 comment
Read for school. A very crazy story in general, but especially crazy for Fitzgerald. About a family living in the middle of nowhere. Why? Because they live in an enormous, extremely lavish, extremely grand house atop a mountain that is not just an ordinary mountain. It is (you got it!) a diamond as big as the Ritz. To keep their fortune, they must hide their wealth from everyone and as the years go by, they resort to some very extravagant and terrible means to do this (murder being the worst of...more
A strange book: On the one hand I was repelled by the excessive importance of wealth in this story. My god, why does everything that concerns human existence relate to material things, I lacked the connection to, hm, let's say more idealistic ideas, but they were there of course: As this story certainly is packed with irony, it shows in fact how wealth distorts characters, how it corrupts idealistic thinking, even to the degree of betraying love as if it were a fly on the window pane...
(to...more
(to...more
John is sent away to an expensive boarding school on the East coast, while he is there he becomes friends with Percy Washington. Percy invites hime to come for a visit to his home in Montana. On their way there Percy tells John that his father is the wealthiest man in the world. It turns out that the Washington's house sits on top of a mountain, which is one massive diamond. Percy's father will do anything to keep this a secret to protect his wealth. So you may wonder why anyone would be in...more
Jewels are absolutely useless. What purpose do they serve other than to decorate? to pronounce excess? Is there any other possession adorned with such all-consuming envy while simultaneously void of all practical use? Jewels and gold are as intrinsically meaningless in backing wealth as numbers on paper. They have cavernous souls which prey mischievously on Man's affinity for power. They fill the void of there existence by manipulating the weakness and vice of mankind. They are the instigator; a...more
Such incredible stories! This being my introduction to F. Scott Fitzgerald was indeed a classic introduction to the mind of an ingenious storyteller. I have yet to read more of his work but I am certain that anything else written by this man is sure to impress. Can't wait to get in to some more. The stories are witty and Twilight-Zone-twisted. Constantly surprising and comedic these short stories read well and remind me of one of my favorite authors Roald Dahl.
This is not a novel first and foremost. It's not nearly long enough. I think it technically is a novella. But it is a very good novella, and you can (and will want to) knock it out in one sitting. I'd recommend it if you want to get a taste of what Fitzgerald's writing is like. I actually liked this better than The Great Gatsby, one of the most celebrated books of our time (though I don't really see why).
I was desperate for something to read while traveling in Europe and found this in a hotel room. Some of the stories in the collection are deliciously bad -- you can see early Fitzgerald working his craft and floundering. Others are quite memorable. Nothing approaches the genius of Gatsby, of course.
Definately a fun read! Kismine's contentment with a life in Hades and ackowledgement of her childhood being dreamlike - with all the riches and indifference to the horrors she was accustomed to - is a brilliant metaphor for anyone that has transcended the illusions of childhood.
Un racconto breve dell'autore del Grande Gatsby condensa temi e stile dei romanzi capolavoro di poco successivi: ricerca della ricchezza e illusorietà della bellezza, nelle loro varie accezioni, sono i termini di confronto con i quali si misura il paradigma della possibile felicità dell'uomo.
O del ragazzo, in questo caso, dato che il protagonista è uno studente che viene dal profondo sud degli Usa post guerra di Secessione e si trova davanti, come spettatore fuori gara e dunque obiettivo,...more
O del ragazzo, in questo caso, dato che il protagonista è uno studente che viene dal profondo sud degli Usa post guerra di Secessione e si trova davanti, come spettatore fuori gara e dunque obiettivo,...more
Wow. I'm surprised no one has made this into a blockbuster (or have they?) Crazy, unbelievable plot, likeable characters, adventurous, shallow, very telling of how the love of money can dull the heart. This was my first Fitzgerald short-story and I really enjoyed it.
Fantastical and satirical view of America in the early 1920's. This is a noveletta or longer short story with much allegory, symbolism and social commentary.
One of Fitzgerald's finest works following The Great Gatsby. Though not narratively gripping as Gatsby, Diamond captures vividly atmosphere and characters
A great writer with a wonderful imagination almost makes it seem easy, but it's not, not even close.
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz was suprisingly more interesting to read than Fitzgerald's classic, The Great Gatsby. These books, at least to me, seemed to be written by two different authors for two different readers. Although, the ending probably can't be considered a 'happy' one, it wasn't as dark as Gatsby either. What I liked most was Fitzgerald roaming, child-like imagination. This story was a fun read and I recommend it for younger readers - like students - who want to tackle Fitzgera...more
Worth the read, pick it up if you only have time for one quick Fitzgerald.
Wild imagination. So enjoyable and fantastic.
F. Scott Fitzgerald is racist.
I am a cracked plate.
Great fun!
Fascinating.
Hello, F. Scott Fitzgerald. It had been a while. . .maybe since high school and The Great Gatsby. I really loved this collection of short stories. The writing was all good, (a bit dated language in places), but really amazing descriptions. The one about the crazy secret diamond/jewel/gold house and crazier family was delectable to read, ("Diamond as Big as the Ritz"), as well as the other stories. . .the southern gal in the ice cave was a good one too. I really enjoyed them all. ...more
i just finished 24 dorothy parker short stories and hers are shallow compared to the richness of fitzerald s work. i like them both and will read a bio of dorothy and ZELDA to help me understand f scott better. i try to get to know writers after i read their work. i have read a bio of f scott and saw the movie THE ALGONQUIN ROUND TABLE to learn of dorothy. they are both fascinating writers and characters in their own lives.
An interesting idea for a story: a family lives on a mountain, and is the wealthiest clan in the world because the entire mountain is a diamond. To hide their ridiculous wealth, they kill anyone who they invite to visit at their ridiculously lavish mountain hideaway.
Fitzgerald's customary contempt for the idle rich made its appearance too late for my taste.
Fitzgerald's customary contempt for the idle rich made its appearance too late for my taste.
This is an awesome short story. It's well written and the plot is interesting and borders on scary to me. It has a suspenseful edge to it that's really fantastic.
HA so funny and good! well diamond as big as big as the ritz is... i don't really remember the rest of them, which I suppose is not the best sign
Jodi Lu
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
someone who has nothing else around to read
i really just couldn't get into any of these stories but i'm a hard-sell with shorts. i have nothing to say about them. so it's stupid i'm typing this.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American writer of novels and short stories, whose works have been seen as evocative of the Jazz Age, a term he himself allegedly coined. He is regarded as one of the greatest twentieth century writers. Fitzgerald was of the self-styled "Lost Generation," Americans born in the 1890s who came of age during World War I. He finished four novels, left a fi...more
More about F. Scott Fitzgerald...
Share This Book
![The Diamond as Big as the Ritz [With Envelope]](http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173227518s/261406.jpg)
![The Diamond as Big as the Ritz [With Envelope]](http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173227518m/261406.jpg)
2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“Under the stars,' she repeated. 'I never noticed the stars before. I always thought of them as great big diamonds that belonged to someone. Now they frighten me. They make me feel that it was all a dream, all my youth.'
It was a dream,' said John quietly. 'Everybody's youth is a dream, a form of chemical madness.'
How pleasant then to be insane!'
So I'm told,' said John gloomily. 'I don't know any longer. At any rate, let us love for a while, for a year or so, you and me. That's a form of divine drunkenness that we can all try. There are only diamonds in the whole world, diamonds and perhaps the shabby gift of disillusion. Well, I have that last and I will make the usual nothing of it.”
—
17 people liked it
It was a dream,' said John quietly. 'Everybody's youth is a dream, a form of chemical madness.'
How pleasant then to be insane!'
So I'm told,' said John gloomily. 'I don't know any longer. At any rate, let us love for a while, for a year or so, you and me. That's a form of divine drunkenness that we can all try. There are only diamonds in the whole world, diamonds and perhaps the shabby gift of disillusion. Well, I have that last and I will make the usual nothing of it.”
“It is youth’s felicity as well as its insufficiency that it can never live in the present, but must always be measuring up the day against its own radiantly imagined future”
—
16 people liked it
More quotes…
