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On Booze
“First you take a drink,” F. Scott Fitzgerald once noted, “then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” Fitzgerald wrote alcohol into almost every one of his stories. On Booze gathers debutantes and dandies, rowdy jazz musicians, lost children and ragtime riff-raff into a newly compiled collection taken from The Crack-Up, and other works never before published...more
Paperback, 96 pages
Published
June 28th 2011
by New Directions
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Not quite as funny, wise, vivid, or interesting as you'd think it might be.
A lot of it is recycled (obviously) but it's some vague, mildly amusing letters mixed in with long passages from The Crack-Up (which I've already read before) and this doth not a FSF compendium of booze ruminations make....
There is this, though:
"When he urinated, it sounded like a night prayer."
Two stars. That last quote just made it under the one-star gun.
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I enjoyed it on the basis that it was a collection of Fitzgerald's writings, but it did kind of feel like the editors did a Find-Replace of his work for anything that mentioned the words "drink" "gin" "drunk" "booze" etc., and copy-pasted them together to make a book. The back said it was his thoughts and experiences with drinking, and yet some stories would be 5, 10 pages and only mention the narrator sipping a drink at some point. So it was a little random in that respect. I think "The Crack-U...more
The longest section of this very short novel was, unfortunately, what I found to be the most boring part. However, while boring, it's still written by Fitzgerald and still, therefore, has beautiful imagery. I read it fluidly and lazily, like a poem. I just listened to the rhythm and the sound instead of focusing on the details of all the hotels he and Zelda stayed in over several years.
I'll have to reread this after I've read more Fitzgerald. Unfortunately, I've only tackled The Great Gatsby so...more
I'll have to reread this after I've read more Fitzgerald. Unfortunately, I've only tackled The Great Gatsby so...more
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Hardly pertaining to booze and lacking any specific focus, this literary hodgepodge of nonfiction from F. Scott Fitzgerald begins with a bunch of random fragments and freshly-jotted ideas before it becomes a book of short essays and autobiographical writings. The writer's gift showcased in this collection is the most compelling reason to pick up this collection. Very few other authors could have written such a disjointed and imprecise work and still have left the reader feeling as though they ha...more
Mar 08, 2012
Abbi Dion
added it
"Drunk at 20, wrecked at 30, dead at 40.
Drunk at 21, human at 31, mellow at 41, dead at 51."
"Debut: the first time a young girl is seen drunk in public."
I made a note during "My Lost City" -- "Major problem with FSF's writing: relies heavily on privileged anedcotes, knowlege and interest in the gossip of a society we care little about--particularly because the gossip is of the most mundane variety. From this tale, I pulled the beauty: "All is lost save memory, yet sometimes I imagine [...]"
"and...more
Drunk at 21, human at 31, mellow at 41, dead at 51."
"Debut: the first time a young girl is seen drunk in public."
I made a note during "My Lost City" -- "Major problem with FSF's writing: relies heavily on privileged anedcotes, knowlege and interest in the gossip of a society we care little about--particularly because the gossip is of the most mundane variety. From this tale, I pulled the beauty: "All is lost save memory, yet sometimes I imagine [...]"
"and...more
Don't expect drunken debauchery after the first few pages. There's hardly even two mentions of booze (which is coincidentally the number of shots you might need to get through some of this) within the three short pieces provided. "The Crack-up" can be whiny at times and doesn't live up to other stories or novels with the same cynicism and topic. "Show Mr. and Mrs. F to Room-" is rich in detail, but lacks connectivity between thoughts. It reads more like sketches of things not fully developed. Bu...more
I felt that this book was an excuse for editors to stick random parts of Fitzgerald's work that ever mentioned the word drink or alcohol, not necessarily writings about drinking or Fitzgerald's alcoholism. However, I think the book redeems itself in at it seems to look directly into Fitzgerald's psyche. "the Crack Up" is a 3 part autobiographical piece where fitzgerald describes a nervous breakdown and a desire to avoid contact with former relations. "Show Mr. And Mrs. F To..." is another autob...more
I could spend my life pulling quotes out of this little ditty.
"On the side of the bed I put my head in my hands. Then silence, silence--and suddenly--or so it seems in retrospect--suddenly I am asleep. Sleep--real sleep, the dear, the cherished one, the lullaby. So deep and warm the bed and the pillow enfolding me, letting me sink into peace--nothingness--my dreams now, after the catharsis of the dark hours, are of young and lovely people doing young, lovely things...."
The stuff in the book is...more
"On the side of the bed I put my head in my hands. Then silence, silence--and suddenly--or so it seems in retrospect--suddenly I am asleep. Sleep--real sleep, the dear, the cherished one, the lullaby. So deep and warm the bed and the pillow enfolding me, letting me sink into peace--nothingness--my dreams now, after the catharsis of the dark hours, are of young and lovely people doing young, lovely things...."
The stuff in the book is...more
I feel like this was a good idea that was told to some publishing exec who thought they could make some quick money on it so pushed it through before it could be done in any real quality.
Because come on, who doesn't want to read about Fitzgerald's thoughts on booze?
It doesn't HAVE much booze in it though. Sure, it's mentioned in all of the stories, but with the exception of the clippings at the beginning, it's just tangential, and all of the writings seem to be from his much later career - speci...more
Because come on, who doesn't want to read about Fitzgerald's thoughts on booze?
It doesn't HAVE much booze in it though. Sure, it's mentioned in all of the stories, but with the exception of the clippings at the beginning, it's just tangential, and all of the writings seem to be from his much later career - speci...more
Dec 08, 2012
Marlène
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
american-literature,
non-fiction
Contrairement à ce que peut laisser penser le titre, il n'est pas ici question d'alcool. L'alcoolisme de Fitzgerald est pourtant le compagnon silencieux de ses diverses anecdotes et pensées qui peuplent ce petit recueil.
Et quel étrange recueil! Une écriture fluide et faussement joyeuse (pas mal de passages au ton désabusé également) pour partager le temps qui passe, quelques anecdotes sur la vie et les changements de l'auteur et de son monde. Tout un chapitre consacré à une succession de séjours...more
Et quel étrange recueil! Une écriture fluide et faussement joyeuse (pas mal de passages au ton désabusé également) pour partager le temps qui passe, quelques anecdotes sur la vie et les changements de l'auteur et de son monde. Tout un chapitre consacré à une succession de séjours...more
I'm going to have to agree with some of the other criticism I've seen of this volume. It appears hastily thrown together out of Fitzgerald material that happens to mention booze. As a theme, given what writings are actually there, it's kind of weak. Beyond that, I'm just not that fond of what I found inside. As far as I'm concerned it is far from Fitzgerald's best material...certainly not enough to stand on it's own as a volume. But, maybe that's just me and I'm just being cranky, or maybe I jus...more
As noted, the title is misleading. It's a marketing ploy for a slim, handsome collection by an artist known for one of the most perfectly-written books of all time and almost simultaneously for his extraordinarily heavy drinking. Notebooks, excerpts from The Crack-Up, a bit more prose and a couple of letters. The book has more of a brief biographical impact than a prosaic ebb and flow, more vacantly depressing than crushing in its scattered admissions.
The title and the author say enough for the...more
The title and the author say enough for the...more
After almost a year and several instances of restarting from the beginning, I FINALLY finished this! It's a slim volume: once I actually got into it, it went quickly. The title is a touch misleading - it's not exactly his "best drinking stories" but more so pieces that mention alcohol here or there, or he was actually buzzed while writing. It's a bit dense at times but contains some really fantastic observations. I love the imagery and excitement of 1920s NYC on many of these pages.
"Life was som...more
"Life was som...more
The first thing I want to say about this book, is that hardly any of it relates to booze. I found this utterly bizarre, seeing as the book was titled "On Booze". However, this didn't particularly bother me or affect my enjoyment of the book.
I'm not going to say this is a brilliant book that everyone should read, because it isn't. If you're a Fitzgerald fan then you might as well pick it up if you're looking for a quick read. It was definitely more style over substance, and seems an odd collectio...more
I'm not going to say this is a brilliant book that everyone should read, because it isn't. If you're a Fitzgerald fan then you might as well pick it up if you're looking for a quick read. It was definitely more style over substance, and seems an odd collectio...more
Was fairly sure this was a cynical repackaging when I picked it up, but it was travel size and I was seduced by the first page of 'The Crack Up.' As others have said, the bulk is fairly boring notes from hotels as the Fitzgerald's wander Europe. But I'd not read 'The Crack Up' or 'My Lost City' and for those short pieces it's almost worthwhile. They're 4s/4.5s, the bulk is a 1, hence the 3 rating.
While reading this book, I flip-flopped between appreciating his words and hating him, with similar back and forth feelings about what his values seemed to be. That being said, the book was enjoyable in the way that leaves me with the urge to quote from it and conjure up some of his eloquence when similar topics come up in conversation. I appreciate that his writing is honest, but at the same time I do not agree with him.
"Handle With Care" was so good that I thought I might die reading it.
"Handle With Care" was so good that I thought I might die reading it.
A beautifully written collection of short pieces. These are pretty clearly potboilers, but Fitzgerald boiled a very tasty pot.
My only complaint would be that the title is misleading; alcohol isn't completely absent here, but it doesn't play a huge role in the book. Page for page there is probably more about liquor in The Great Gatsby than here. But it's fun reading.
My only complaint would be that the title is misleading; alcohol isn't completely absent here, but it doesn't play a huge role in the book. Page for page there is probably more about liquor in The Great Gatsby than here. But it's fun reading.
Some sections better than others, but I suspect whoever wrote the synopsis never read the book. It's more Fitzgerald discussing his alcoholism and snippets of his writings when he was in his cups, so to speak, than "fun drinking stories" as the publishers would like you to think. Definitely worth a read if you're a Fitzgerald fan though.
An awful book, basically a collection of sentences at the start followed by a couple of boring short stories and random paragraphs posing as stories. Not worth the time or effort to read it, although some small sections (usually the opening lines of a story) were quite descriptive and nice but the rest was just crap I'm afraid and a way to grab some quick cash for the publishers.
"And with the awful realization that New York was a city after all and not a universe, the whole shinning edifice that he had reared in his imagination came crashing to the ground".
"So perhaps I am destined to return some day and find in the city new experiences that so far I have only read about".
"So perhaps I am destined to return some day and find in the city new experiences that so far I have only read about".
A worthy compilation, but it still feels very random. As one other reviewer said, it is like the editor has done a Ctrl+F search for 'alcohol', 'gin', 'champagne', and 'booze'. Still worth a read if you are interested in Fitzgerald's more tragic life with Zelda, as well as the effect of his rising fame on his sanity.
Fitzgerald writes with clarity about the excess alcoholism of his day, although perhaps my favourite bits in On Booze were actually his pieces 'The Crack Up' and 'Sleeping and Waking,' about depression and insomnia, respectively. These pieces were very relatable and also thrillingly insightful.
I thought this collection was going to be about Fitzgerald's mishaps while drunk and in Paris, but it ended up being a testament of his alcoholism and coming to terms with the fact that writing was all he ever knew how to do well. I love Fitzgerald, and the more I read about him, the more I emphasize with his struggle as a writer. Read this one quickly, and then read something happy.
i can't get over how beautiful this book is. from the slim design, to the matted textured cover, to the well thought out selections. it's a pleasure to read and reminds me why i love holding books. to feel their weight between my fingertips.
Sadly this is little more than a collection of scraps of Fitzgerald's work. as others have mentioned if it has gin or alcohol mentioned then it has been rammed into this slim volume.
I would seriously suggest to avoid this book unless you are a die hard fan and stick to his novels and not this blatent money making concept.
I would seriously suggest to avoid this book unless you are a die hard fan and stick to his novels and not this blatent money making concept.
When he was my age, he was dead. This book makes it pretty clear why. But he was a genius. And a terrible father. I bet he was a lot of fun the first two hours of a party. The last two hours, not so much.
Fitzgerald writes about his many trip and party experiences with his wife, Zelda. This book allows the reader to clearly see Fitzgerald's thoughts relating alcohol as well as many other topics. Nicely written.
I love Fitzgerald. His reflections and comments regarding booze and brilliant. I only give it 3 stars due to the somewhat manic way the editor arranged it. The content is well done and engrossing, the arrangement, not so much. Worth reading, especially for Cracking Up.
Certain sections had profound and interesting thoughts about humanity, culture, and life at the time of writing. Other parts were just basic journal entries that didn't delve into any emotional depth or offer anything that entertaining.
The title is misleading. While alcohol plays a role in all the pieces here, it is a major part in only the early excerpts and the letters at the end. All in all, except the letters, these are fine examples of the exquisiteness of Firzgerald's writing.
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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 fifth unfini...more
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“In the real dark night of the soul it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day.”
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