Dalyrimple Goes Wrong

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

La mauvaise t^ete, written and drawn by Franquin, is the eighth album in the Spirou et Fantasio series. After serial publication in Spirou the complete story was published, along with the Marsupilami short story Touchez pas aux rouges-gorges, in a hardcover album in 1957.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Audiobook, American

24 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 19, 1920

About the author

Francis 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.

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scott Fitzgerald tells us the story of Dalrymple, who returns to his native place as a war hero after World War 1. After the initial enthusiasm sets down, he finds himself stuck in a job that has no satisfaction and less chance of advancement. It makes him frustrated. He decides to do some dangerous things due to this frustration.

“The world was opening up suddenly.”

The author tells us the problems faced by the people who participated in the war after their return. He also tries to view society's attitude towards them in the 1920s. Even though this book was published one century ago, the ideas discussed by the author in it are still relevant.

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[Agnė · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pity it is so short with an abrupt ending, however, I really liked the character, his moral musing and overall Fitzgerald's keen eye when it comes to describing other characters.

[Anna Pattle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dalyrimple Goes Cringe

(This guy is an ordinary worker who starts robbing locals for fun)

“The night came that drew him out on his second venture, and as he walked the dark street he felt hinself in great resemblance to a cat- a certain supple, swinging litheness. His muscles were rippling smoothly and sleekly under his spare, healthy flesh- he had an absurd desire to bound along the street, to run dodging among trees, to turn “cartwheels” over soft grass.

This was literally me in year 5 drama lessons pretending I was a bird of prey.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dalyrimple was a fun character, and I enjoyed rooting for him to succeed. There's a certain kinship to someone trying to make it in the world. Trying to find their place. And trying to find someone to give you a chance. I was rooting for Daly the whole story. This was much too quick (even for a short story). I so wanted to give this 4-stars but it couldn't quite make it! If I had gotten a little more closure, maybe. :)

[Jason Koivu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Average joe frustrated with the work-a-day doldrums tries his hand at crime, then really dives into the criminal world.

[Mathias Madsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my goods book/short story from Fitzgerald!
Like the charterer development that Samuel goes through

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story by a classic author, dealing with despair and bad decisions. Listened to on classic Tales podcast.

[Rebecca Timberlake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fitzgerald plays with the idea of morality here in a way that makes Dalyrimple's actions seem realistic and almost forgivable, but still does it in a way that leaves the reader understanding he still "goes wrong". I wonder how much if Fitzgerald's own frustrations with youth and work were put into this short story? Regardless, it works, and makes for an interesting read.

[Eylül · Rating 3 out of 5]

Realizing he cannot achieve what he wants, a man Dalyrimple has his own dishonest ways.

Awakening moments were significant in the story:
'So that was it! He was to sit and see man after man pushed over him: sons, cousins, sons of friends, irrespective of their capabilities, while he was cast for a pawn, with ''going on the road'' dangled before his eyes- put off with the stock remark...'

'A great protest swelling into revolt surged up in him. Ideas half forgotten, chaotically perceived and assimilated, filled his mind. Get on- that was the rule of life- and that was all. How he did it, didn't matter...'

And we can see the Puritan discourse in the story : 'Cutting corners meant rejecting the old childhood principles that success came from faithfulness to duty, that evil was necessarily punished or virtue necessarily rewarded- that honest poverty was happier than corrupt riches.'

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story with an abrupt ending involving a soldier returning from the war a hero to praise. He is offered multiple jobs on his return but is lazy and lets opportunities pass by until he is nearly destitute. As he has no real education or skills He gets an entry level job but is dissatisfied and complains a lot. To supplement his meager income he takes to robbery. He has no remorse and no redeeming qualities. After a while he stops complaining at his job and for some reason his boss thinks he has qualities that would make him a politician.

It shows poor judgement, indifference, bad behavior and entitlement is rewarded.

I am assuming this is typical of the author’s take on society at the time.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

As FSF short stories go, this is not one I enjoy as much as the others he wrote around this time. This story is one based on plot with a twist, for me this is not where I feel he shines. This would not be in a collection I would put together.

[Diana Serbanica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know it's a short story. And a very good one, in Fitzgerald's style. Cynical, witty and with that resentment of the '20, the shadow of the Great War and all the struggles of a world in reconstruction. Yet, I would have loved it to be a little bit longer.

[Linds · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man frustrated at grinding just to pay his bills decides to become a burglar. This is a story in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s collection Flappers and Philosophers.

[Galicius · Rating 2 out of 5]

A surprising but not so strange an ending.

[Anitka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Cinderella Anorexic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on a main villain character! Its short so I don`t mind it...

[Jagoda Maria Magdalena Kalemba · Rating 2 out of 5]

3/10

[Deity World · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short war hero book

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed this at first but the ending was very abrupt.

[Megan Beavers · Rating 1 out of 5]

very meh read

[A.A.B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short but very clear illustration of the proximity and allure of unethical choices.

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story explains the career trajectories of many politicians.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Sigh.*

🖊 Bryan Dalyrimple, a self-centered twenty-something-year-old man enjoyed far too many indulgences and privileges. Dalyrimple's deeds are genuine, and it leaves the reader knowing he still fails and goes wrong.

📕Published in 1920.

જ⁀ 🍓 🟢 E-book version on Project Gutenberg.
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[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lower fringe of the middle classes. There aren't any resting places; a man who is a strong criminal is after the weak criminals- it's guerilla warfare- men who broke the laws of justice and charity lied to all the world.