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The Jelly-Bean
She stepped daintily out of the gasolene and began scraping her slippers, side and bottom, on the running-board of the automobile. The Jelly-bean contained himself no longer. He bent double with explosive laughter and after a second she joined in.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1920
7 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
F. Scott Fitzgerald
2,141 books25.7k followersFrancis Scott Key Fitzgerald, widely known simply as Scott Fitzgerald, was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age, a term he popularized in his short story collection Tales of the Jazz Age. During his lifetime, he published four novels, four story collections, and 164 short stories. Although he achieved temporary popular success and fortune in the 1920s, Fitzgerald received critical acclaim only after his death and is now widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century.
Born into a middle-class family in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald was raised primarily in New York state. He attended Princeton University where he befriended future literary critic Edmund Wilson. Owing to a failed romantic relationship with Chicago socialite Ginevra King, he dropped out in 1917 to join the United States Army during World War I. While stationed in Alabama, he met Zelda Sayre, a Southern debutante who belonged to Montgomery's exclusive country-club set. Although she initially rejected Fitzgerald's marriage proposal due to his lack of financial prospects, Zelda agreed to marry him after he published the commercially successful This Side of Paradise (1920). The novel became a cultural sensation and cemented his reputation as one of the eminent writers of the decade.
His second novel, The Beautiful and Damned (1922), propelled him further into the cultural elite. To maintain his affluent lifestyle, he wrote numerous stories for popular magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Collier's Weekly, and Esquire. During this period, Fitzgerald frequented Europe, where he befriended modernist writers and artists of the "Lost Generation" expatriate community, including Ernest Hemingway. His third novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), received generally favorable reviews but was a commercial failure, selling fewer than 23,000 copies in its first year. Despite its lackluster debut, The Great Gatsby is now hailed by some literary critics as the "Great American Novel". Following the deterioration of his wife's mental health and her placement in a mental institute for schizophrenia, Fitzgerald completed his final novel, Tender Is the Night (1934).
Struggling financially because of the declining popularity of his works during the Great Depression, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood, where he embarked upon an unsuccessful career as a screenwriter. While living in Hollywood, he cohabited with columnist Sheilah Graham, his final companion before his death. After a long struggle with alcoholism, he attained sobriety only to die of a heart attack in 1940, at 44. His friend Edmund Wilson edited and published an unfinished fifth novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), after Fitzgerald's death. In 1993, a new edition was published as The Love of the Last Tycoon, edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli.
Born into a middle-class family in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald was raised primarily in New York state. He attended Princeton University where he befriended future literary critic Edmund Wilson. Owing to a failed romantic relationship with Chicago socialite Ginevra King, he dropped out in 1917 to join the United States Army during World War I. While stationed in Alabama, he met Zelda Sayre, a Southern debutante who belonged to Montgomery's exclusive country-club set. Although she initially rejected Fitzgerald's marriage proposal due to his lack of financial prospects, Zelda agreed to marry him after he published the commercially successful This Side of Paradise (1920). The novel became a cultural sensation and cemented his reputation as one of the eminent writers of the decade.
His second novel, The Beautiful and Damned (1922), propelled him further into the cultural elite. To maintain his affluent lifestyle, he wrote numerous stories for popular magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Collier's Weekly, and Esquire. During this period, Fitzgerald frequented Europe, where he befriended modernist writers and artists of the "Lost Generation" expatriate community, including Ernest Hemingway. His third novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), received generally favorable reviews but was a commercial failure, selling fewer than 23,000 copies in its first year. Despite its lackluster debut, The Great Gatsby is now hailed by some literary critics as the "Great American Novel". Following the deterioration of his wife's mental health and her placement in a mental institute for schizophrenia, Fitzgerald completed his final novel, Tender Is the Night (1934).
Struggling financially because of the declining popularity of his works during the Great Depression, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood, where he embarked upon an unsuccessful career as a screenwriter. While living in Hollywood, he cohabited with columnist Sheilah Graham, his final companion before his death. After a long struggle with alcoholism, he attained sobriety only to die of a heart attack in 1940, at 44. His friend Edmund Wilson edited and published an unfinished fifth novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), after Fitzgerald's death. In 1993, a new edition was published as The Love of the Last Tycoon, edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 8, 2025
Contentless
This story felt completely pointless.
It has no real plot, no emotional depth, and no character development. It reads like a single random scene cut out of a movie—without context, without purpose, and without anything that connects the reader to the characters.
We follow a man nicknamed Jelly Bean, a shy, directionless guy who returns from the military. He sees a woman, feels immediately drawn to her, and meets her again briefly at a party. They share a shallow conversation about life and freedom, and somehow this single encounter makes him decide he’s in love and that he is “a nobody.”
The next day, he hears a scandal: she married a random man while intoxicated and then fled the country.
…And that’s it.
Where is the story? The plot? The emotional arc?
Nothing feels meaningful or connected. There is no message, no moral, no growth, no insight, no purpose—just a series of events that go nowhere.
This wasn’t just underwhelming; it genuinely felt empty.
This story felt completely pointless.
It has no real plot, no emotional depth, and no character development. It reads like a single random scene cut out of a movie—without context, without purpose, and without anything that connects the reader to the characters.
We follow a man nicknamed Jelly Bean, a shy, directionless guy who returns from the military. He sees a woman, feels immediately drawn to her, and meets her again briefly at a party. They share a shallow conversation about life and freedom, and somehow this single encounter makes him decide he’s in love and that he is “a nobody.”
The next day, he hears a scandal: she married a random man while intoxicated and then fled the country.
…And that’s it.
Where is the story? The plot? The emotional arc?
Nothing feels meaningful or connected. There is no message, no moral, no growth, no insight, no purpose—just a series of events that go nowhere.
This wasn’t just underwhelming; it genuinely felt empty.
December 6, 2018
Masterful and witty! I was chuckling from the first sentence itself... and incredulously, got bored only when the girl enters the guy's life. A funny trip back into the jazz age, but so lucid in illustrating the American mind that it easily applies to today.
April 16, 2018
Nancy aveva una bocca come un bacio ricordato e occhi misteriosi…
In italiano suona un po’ strano, ma rende bene il tono elegiaco e sognante di Fitzgerald. In questo bel racconto si trovano molti temi cari a Fitzgerald, la gioventù dorata dei ruggenti anni ’20, una piccola città nel Sud degli Stati Uniti: la fanciulla è bruciata dall’avidità di vivere tutto d’un fiato, deliziosa ma scriteriata, il giovane Jelly-bean (“mollaccione”) rimasto solo al mondo trascina pigramente la sua vita lavorando il minimo per sopravvivere, finchè non incontra lei. Nell’infatuazione trova un’energia e una progettualità che non immaginava di avere e si propone di recuperare la posizione sociale che sarebbe stata sua per nascita. Purtroppo, all’alba sfuma il sogno d’amore e così le motivazioni dello sfortunato cavaliere. Fitzgerald è molto bravo a rievocare conversazioni, incontri, feste da ballo alle quali non ho partecipato ed è particolarmente felice nel rappresentare Jelly-bean, il giovane di famiglia decaduta, rimasto progressivamente ai margini della vita, di bell’aspetto, goffo e di buona educazione che sfugge le donne perché non sa come affrontarle: direi che lo tratta con una certa pietas rispettosa.
In italiano suona un po’ strano, ma rende bene il tono elegiaco e sognante di Fitzgerald. In questo bel racconto si trovano molti temi cari a Fitzgerald, la gioventù dorata dei ruggenti anni ’20, una piccola città nel Sud degli Stati Uniti: la fanciulla è bruciata dall’avidità di vivere tutto d’un fiato, deliziosa ma scriteriata, il giovane Jelly-bean (“mollaccione”) rimasto solo al mondo trascina pigramente la sua vita lavorando il minimo per sopravvivere, finchè non incontra lei. Nell’infatuazione trova un’energia e una progettualità che non immaginava di avere e si propone di recuperare la posizione sociale che sarebbe stata sua per nascita. Purtroppo, all’alba sfuma il sogno d’amore e così le motivazioni dello sfortunato cavaliere. Fitzgerald è molto bravo a rievocare conversazioni, incontri, feste da ballo alle quali non ho partecipato ed è particolarmente felice nel rappresentare Jelly-bean, il giovane di famiglia decaduta, rimasto progressivamente ai margini della vita, di bell’aspetto, goffo e di buona educazione che sfugge le donne perché non sa come affrontarle: direi che lo tratta con una certa pietas rispettosa.
March 20, 2011
I learned that this was meant as a sequel to "The Ice Palace" with some character name changes. Truthfully, I didn't like it nearly as much. The South did not come off as the same heaven which it had in Palace. In fact, it touched on the same dreary themes from other stories: how social popularity or unpopularity can have different brands of detriment on a character, women having trouble distinguishing themselves with integrity within those social constructs, etc. Perhaps my bias approach to this story impeded my ability to appreciate it for its own merits.
October 22, 2025
Powell rescues Nancy from a major gambling debt, and Nancy drunkenly proclaims that contrary to the popular saying, Powell is “lucky in dice and I – love him.” He realizes he has been used by her, but decides in spite of this to leave town and become “a gentleman” in order to keep her affections.
When Powell discovers that Nancy got drunk and married her original beau, he gives up on the plan to better himself. He returns to a familiar pool-hall to find a “congenial crowd.”
Powell's attempt to remodel himself in order to attract a woman of society is a clear model for Jay Gatsby. Here, Fitzgerald just touches upon the theme of love motivating self-improvement, which five years later would be a central focus of The Great Gatsby.
When Powell discovers that Nancy got drunk and married her original beau, he gives up on the plan to better himself. He returns to a familiar pool-hall to find a “congenial crowd.”
Powell's attempt to remodel himself in order to attract a woman of society is a clear model for Jay Gatsby. Here, Fitzgerald just touches upon the theme of love motivating self-improvement, which five years later would be a central focus of The Great Gatsby.
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June 4, 2025This book made me want to drink the corn.
December 3, 2018
I have arranged my thoughts into a haiku:
"There's no happy end
To flimsy goals set to woo
Ill-conceived prizes."
"There's no happy end
To flimsy goals set to woo
Ill-conceived prizes."
December 30, 2025
A Jelly-Bean is slang for a person who is very stylish, but also contentless, just like this story.
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November 13, 2017Originally published in the periodical The Metropolitan, this story was first published in book form in Tales of the Jazz Age in 1922.
And F. Scott Fitzgerald said the following about it:
"This is a Southern story, with the scene laid in the small Lily of Tarleton, Georgia. I have a profound affection for Tarleton, but somehow whenever I write a story about it I receive letters from all over the South denouncing me in no uncertain terms. "The Jelly-Bean," published in "The Metropolitan," drew its full share of these admonitory notes.
It was written under strange circumstances shortly after my first novel was published, and, moreover, it was the first story in which I had a collaborator. For, finding that I was unable to manage the crap-shooting episode, I turned it over to my wife, who, as a Southern girl, was presumably an expert on the technique and terminology of that great sectional pastime."
And F. Scott Fitzgerald said the following about it:
"This is a Southern story, with the scene laid in the small Lily of Tarleton, Georgia. I have a profound affection for Tarleton, but somehow whenever I write a story about it I receive letters from all over the South denouncing me in no uncertain terms. "The Jelly-Bean," published in "The Metropolitan," drew its full share of these admonitory notes.
It was written under strange circumstances shortly after my first novel was published, and, moreover, it was the first story in which I had a collaborator. For, finding that I was unable to manage the crap-shooting episode, I turned it over to my wife, who, as a Southern girl, was presumably an expert on the technique and terminology of that great sectional pastime."
June 8, 2017
I think this was an interesting story to read- for one, it was a bit different than the short stories I read before it, but also because he worked a bit with Zelda to write it. Clearly Fitzgerald edited so that the bit his wife helped on was seamless in the story, but just knowing the added influence was there made me read it differently. Maybe that's good, maybe that's bad, but there it is.
The story is good, with classic Fitzgerald Wild Girls, but it wasn't overwhelming. I think Fitzgerald was more than aware (as he got plenty of feedback by his own admission) that writing a good Southern story wasn't his particular skill set. Still, the plot and content is good, even if the 'Southern-ness' of it felt like a caricature at times.
The story is good, with classic Fitzgerald Wild Girls, but it wasn't overwhelming. I think Fitzgerald was more than aware (as he got plenty of feedback by his own admission) that writing a good Southern story wasn't his particular skill set. Still, the plot and content is good, even if the 'Southern-ness' of it felt like a caricature at times.
March 16, 2013
Boring. Super fast paced in the sense that it takes away from the story. Not really sure if I even understand where it ends up. It's very vague as to how the characters feel and why they react the way they do. This is the worst F. Scott Fitzgerald work I have ever had the dissatisfaction of having read.
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March 6, 2023Zelda mustn’t have written this one cause it was pretty shit
February 10, 2025
This was supposed to be read after The Ice Palace. Which I did. But Fitzgerald only referenced to Sally Carroll once and I was kind of bummed to see where she was in her life at this point. But as to this book - I listened to the audio version. It moves so fast, just like the other book, that I had to listen to the whole book three times to actually understand what was happening. I wish I just read the book. I know now that any of Fitgeralds writings that I will need to read it and not do the audio.
As far as how I liked this, well it’s another quick read. Which can be nice since I am reading so many other books too at the moment. But it goes to show us how quickly men can fall for a pretty face and how quickly they can just move on. Both books really were about falling so quickly but not with “the one”.
I think Jelly-Bean would like to settle down and renounce the nickname. But in the end it still fits him. I adore how he can manipulate dice. And uses his hidden talent to become the hero.
I like how Fitzgerald writes, it’s very no-non sense. Makes you think about the times in which it took place and how scandalous Nancy really was. Modern days This wouldn’t make the news…. Well unless you’re a celebrity.
As far as how I liked this, well it’s another quick read. Which can be nice since I am reading so many other books too at the moment. But it goes to show us how quickly men can fall for a pretty face and how quickly they can just move on. Both books really were about falling so quickly but not with “the one”.
I think Jelly-Bean would like to settle down and renounce the nickname. But in the end it still fits him. I adore how he can manipulate dice. And uses his hidden talent to become the hero.
I like how Fitzgerald writes, it’s very no-non sense. Makes you think about the times in which it took place and how scandalous Nancy really was. Modern days This wouldn’t make the news…. Well unless you’re a celebrity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2014
Jim Powell è un "Jelly-Bean", un mollaccione, un perdigiorno, come si dice solitamente in questi casi. Ultimo esponente di una famiglia che aveva un nome passa le proprie giornate tra lavoretti saltuari e bighellonamenti. In città è conosciuto e guardato dall'alto persino da quelle persone che non erano nessuno quando la famiglia era qualcuno. Ha un unico talento, per così dire: sa giocare ai dadi. Di natura timida e schiva ha sempre evitato le feste ma sarà proprio una di quelle feste che in gioventù, ai tempi della scuola per intenderci, aveva tanto accuratamente evitato che, un giorno, anzi una sera, anni dopo, quando il nostro mollaccione è ormai tornato a casa dopo il periodo di ferma per la guerra, che segnerà, in un certo senso, un punto di svolta nella vita di Jim il mollaccione.
Verso la fine di questa festa infatti Jim aiuterà Nancy Lamar, una ragazza che lui conosce da lungo tempo, pur non essendo mai stato eccessivamente in confidenza, anzi non essendo mai stato un suo eccessivo simpatizzante, per così dire, ad evitare una pesante perdita al gioco dei dadi. Rientrato nel proprio alloggio, situato sopra l'autofficina nella quale il nostro mollaccione fa qualche saltuario lavoretto, Jim il mollaccione si rende conto che quella ragazza, Nancy Lamar, gli si è insinuata nella mente e nel cuore e questo gli provoca una sofferenza che mai aveva provato prima. Questa sofferenza lo porta alla decisione di cambiare vita radicalmente. Basta con Jim il mollaccione! È tempo di cambiare e di tornare ad essere una persona guardata con rispetto. Jim Powell si convince a lasciare la città per trasferirsi nella fattoria di uno zio su al Nord dove lavorerà, si impegnerà e, a tempo debito, coi soldi che ha da parte, potrebbe decidere di investire in quella fattoria, ritirandola e mandandola avanti in prima persona.
Queste sono le buone intenzioni di Jim Powell. Poi però, come sempre, "tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare" e basta la notizia che Nancy Lamar si è sposata poche ore prima per cambiare di nuovo tutte le carte in tavola. Troviamo infatti, alla fine, Jim Powell che, lungi dal lasciare la città, si infila in un bar dove sà di trovare alcune persone conosciute con le quali intrattenersi in passatempi squisitamente non costruttivi.
Verso la fine di questa festa infatti Jim aiuterà Nancy Lamar, una ragazza che lui conosce da lungo tempo, pur non essendo mai stato eccessivamente in confidenza, anzi non essendo mai stato un suo eccessivo simpatizzante, per così dire, ad evitare una pesante perdita al gioco dei dadi. Rientrato nel proprio alloggio, situato sopra l'autofficina nella quale il nostro mollaccione fa qualche saltuario lavoretto, Jim il mollaccione si rende conto che quella ragazza, Nancy Lamar, gli si è insinuata nella mente e nel cuore e questo gli provoca una sofferenza che mai aveva provato prima. Questa sofferenza lo porta alla decisione di cambiare vita radicalmente. Basta con Jim il mollaccione! È tempo di cambiare e di tornare ad essere una persona guardata con rispetto. Jim Powell si convince a lasciare la città per trasferirsi nella fattoria di uno zio su al Nord dove lavorerà, si impegnerà e, a tempo debito, coi soldi che ha da parte, potrebbe decidere di investire in quella fattoria, ritirandola e mandandola avanti in prima persona.
Queste sono le buone intenzioni di Jim Powell. Poi però, come sempre, "tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare" e basta la notizia che Nancy Lamar si è sposata poche ore prima per cambiare di nuovo tutte le carte in tavola. Troviamo infatti, alla fine, Jim Powell che, lungi dal lasciare la città, si infila in un bar dove sà di trovare alcune persone conosciute con le quali intrattenersi in passatempi squisitamente non costruttivi.
January 13, 2024
A quaint fable-like short story of a young man post WWI, Jim Powell. His “idleness” is the centre point which, being an inherently empty trait, gave everything a rather dry feel. Yet, the introduction of the character Nancy Lamar, beguiling Jim with her infectious, radiant lightheartedness, when paralleled with Jim’s dogged routes to self expression, creates an enthralling, tortured romance story.
August 18, 2009
Sad and Sardonic: Fitzgerald.
September 5, 2014
So, so, so useless! I really don't know why this was written. Might have been better as a novel. As a short story, it sucked!
February 20, 2016
I kinda felt bad for Jim. Great read, I enjoyed it!
June 6, 2025
The Jelly-Bean is a short but poignant piece by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and once again he proves just how well he understands the quiet struggles of ordinary people. He’s my favourite author for a reason — his ability to paint vivid emotional landscapes in just a few pages is nothing short of brilliant.
The story follows Jim Powell, a drifting Southern man often labelled a “jelly-bean” — someone charming, idle, and seemingly unmotivated. But as the story unfolds and he meets the vivacious Nancy Lamar, you start to realise that Jim’s life, and his feelings, run much deeper than others give him credit for.
This isn’t a tale full of action or dramatic twists, but rather a subtle, aching glimpse at class divisions, romantic illusions, and the pain of unspoken hopes. One of my favourite quotes from the story was:
“He was in love with a tragic brightness that would flame and flicker and be gone, leaving him full of a vague sadness.”
That line says so much — not just about Jim’s feelings, but about Fitzgerald’s entire worldview.
Fitzgerald has such a gift for capturing fleeting moments and emotions that linger long after the story ends. Even in a short format like this, he delivers depth and atmosphere with every sentence. The Jelly-Bean might be overlooked by some, but for me, it’s a quiet gem — understated, wistful, and beautifully human.
If you’re a fan of stories that explore what lies beneath the surface of ordinary lives, this one’s well worth a read.
The story follows Jim Powell, a drifting Southern man often labelled a “jelly-bean” — someone charming, idle, and seemingly unmotivated. But as the story unfolds and he meets the vivacious Nancy Lamar, you start to realise that Jim’s life, and his feelings, run much deeper than others give him credit for.
This isn’t a tale full of action or dramatic twists, but rather a subtle, aching glimpse at class divisions, romantic illusions, and the pain of unspoken hopes. One of my favourite quotes from the story was:
“He was in love with a tragic brightness that would flame and flicker and be gone, leaving him full of a vague sadness.”
That line says so much — not just about Jim’s feelings, but about Fitzgerald’s entire worldview.
Fitzgerald has such a gift for capturing fleeting moments and emotions that linger long after the story ends. Even in a short format like this, he delivers depth and atmosphere with every sentence. The Jelly-Bean might be overlooked by some, but for me, it’s a quiet gem — understated, wistful, and beautifully human.
If you’re a fan of stories that explore what lies beneath the surface of ordinary lives, this one’s well worth a read.
August 25, 2020
This one is supposed to be the sequel to the story "The Ice Palace" and Sally Carrol is even mentioned in this story. Our protagonist is Jim and he's known as a "Jelly Bean" idle and just slides through life. Jim's friend Clark invites him to a town party where his crush, Nancy Lamar is there with her rich new beau, and a chance with Nancy might give Jim a reason to change his ways.
This is a sweet short story about how other's can influence your life decisions. Jim is content with his life and is shy, but Nancy has made a strong impression over the years. Her supposed worldliness, because she's been to England and reads a lot, makes him think she's worth it. Jim momentarily comes out of his shell for her, but she doesn't take notice. We have all experienced crushes but often times we get crushed in the end. I like Jim and think he deserves nothing, but the best. He's a nice and sweet guy, just a bit shy. I identify with not being very comfortable with social gatherings. Since this was published originally in the 1920s, just like "The Offshore Pirate", this story does refer to black people as Niggers. It's a nice sequel to "The Ice Palace" that once again comments on the southern way of life that Fitzgerald's wife, Zelda was part of.
This is a sweet short story about how other's can influence your life decisions. Jim is content with his life and is shy, but Nancy has made a strong impression over the years. Her supposed worldliness, because she's been to England and reads a lot, makes him think she's worth it. Jim momentarily comes out of his shell for her, but she doesn't take notice. We have all experienced crushes but often times we get crushed in the end. I like Jim and think he deserves nothing, but the best. He's a nice and sweet guy, just a bit shy. I identify with not being very comfortable with social gatherings. Since this was published originally in the 1920s, just like "The Offshore Pirate", this story does refer to black people as Niggers. It's a nice sequel to "The Ice Palace" that once again comments on the southern way of life that Fitzgerald's wife, Zelda was part of.
June 30, 2025
The Jelly-Bean is Fitzgerald doing what he does best: capturing the charm, confusion, and quiet tragedy of people who want more from life but aren’t quite sure how to get it — or if they even deserve it. This time, it’s set in the American South with a guy who literally gets called a “jelly-bean,” which back then meant someone kind of... well, meh. Like, soft. A dabbler. Peak no-ambition energy.
Jim Powell’s just floating through life — cards, whiskey, and daydreams — until he gets tangled up with Nancy, a wild Southern belle who’s basically a walking fire hazard of flirtation and recklessness. Their dynamic is fun, flirty, and ultimately kind of sad in that classic Fitzgerald way: expectations versus reality, fantasy versus disappointment, and someone always getting the short end of the emotional stick.
Three stars because while it’s got that signature Fitzgerald sparkle (dripping atmosphere, solid banter, emotional gut-punch at the end), it doesn’t hit quite as hard or as deep as his better stuff. It’s a solid short story — a little shallow, a little sad, and very stylish — but not quite unforgettable.
Basically: it’s the literary version of a strong cocktail at a party you’re not sure you were invited to. Tastes good, ends weird.
Jim Powell’s just floating through life — cards, whiskey, and daydreams — until he gets tangled up with Nancy, a wild Southern belle who’s basically a walking fire hazard of flirtation and recklessness. Their dynamic is fun, flirty, and ultimately kind of sad in that classic Fitzgerald way: expectations versus reality, fantasy versus disappointment, and someone always getting the short end of the emotional stick.
Three stars because while it’s got that signature Fitzgerald sparkle (dripping atmosphere, solid banter, emotional gut-punch at the end), it doesn’t hit quite as hard or as deep as his better stuff. It’s a solid short story — a little shallow, a little sad, and very stylish — but not quite unforgettable.
Basically: it’s the literary version of a strong cocktail at a party you’re not sure you were invited to. Tastes good, ends weird.
July 5, 2023
🖊. This is a Southern story, crisp and warm, with a perfect description of the jelly beans of the time – well-dressed fops with little more to do than dress well and strut around like a peacock. I laughed and laughed. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
📙 This book was published in 1922.
🟢The e-book version can be found in Tales of the Jazz Age on Project Gutenberg.
✿●▬●✿●✿●▬●✿
📙 This book was published in 1922.
🟢The e-book version can be found in Tales of the Jazz Age on Project Gutenberg.
✿●▬●✿●✿●▬●✿
May 11, 2022
It was alright! A kind of confusing short story following Jim Powell- aka the jelly bean. We see how the consequences of drinking and gambling can ruin someone’s life. Good life lesson, but I honestly expected a little more from Fitzgerald given how much I loved Gatsby. But I suppose one cannot compare a short story to a novel.
July 20, 2023
This short story was not my favorite. FSF admitted that he had help from his wife Zelda on this story since it’s setting is in The South. It’s a story on how one’s life can be negatively affected by allowing other’s to always influence your decisions and not being true to you.
July 31, 2018
This reminded me of The Catcher in the Rye
March 15, 2019
In Georgia, a man reluctantly attends a glamorous social gathering, falls in love with a woman and then meets disappointment.
October 28, 2020
The first 2/3rds or so is compelling -- classic Fitzgerald character and setting work, with all of his unique motifs and imagery. The end is quite anti-climactic.
December 22, 2022
A short emotional story not one of my favourites but readable
May 9, 2023
slowly working my way through Fitzgerald's short stories. Not the best, although the opening paragraph(s) were straight up hilarious.
May 12, 2023
I wanna be a jelly-bean.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews