I think I may have found my classic fiction temporal cutoff in Fitzgerald. This novel is largely and fictionally based on his later in life experiences complete with a sick wife and Euro-American wealthy lifestyle. What I found most stunning about the novel was how prescient it was and how relevant it remains. Set mostly in the French Riveria, ‘Night’ unfolds the story of a man knocked upside the head by circumstance of his own making. The prose is tight and metaphorically packed. I found that if I skimmed or my brain wandered in the slightest, I lost the train of Fitgeralds thought and had to begin the paragraph or sentence anew.

I have been reticent to start a classic since my venture into Dickens at the behest of Homer Wells -the fictional protagonist in John Irving’s Cider House Rules. I was utterly disappointed and personally devastated that I was not gripped by such a renowned and revered author. Thus Tender is the Night sat unread on my shelf for about 10 years. In a moment of desperation, having nothing else to read, I picked it up and trudged through the first of three sections.

Fitzgerald set the first section up with a tremendous amount of half cast foreshadows making it confusing to follow. Perhaps this was the style of the time or perhaps this enigmatic writing is what set him apart from peers such as Hemingway. Fortunately I found the story and characters compelling enough to take the second part of the story by storm. The curious effect of the scattered quality of the first part is that filling in character gaps in part two is great fun!

I really enjoyed this book and I consider it a warm up to The Great Gatsby. The only drawback is that I tend to write reflective of the style I am currently reading. I fear that I may have come across in email and chat a tad pretentious. Ah well, small price to pay for a great brain workout.