Superzelda: L'incroyable histoire de la femme de Francis Scott Fitzgerald

by Tiziana Lo Porto, Louise Lavabre (Translator), Daniele Marotta (Translator)

Dancer, painter, writer, muse, passionate lover, and freethinker, Zelda Fitzgerald is one of the most iconic figures of the Jazz Age. Born in Alabama in 1900, she was only 18 when she met F. Scott Fitzgerald, an ambitious young writer who would turn into one the greatest American authors of all time. Beautiful, talented, irreverent, extravagant, and alcohol-driven, the newly married couple took New York's high society and the whole literary world by storm. They traveled to France, Italy, and Africa; hung out with Ernest Hemingway, Dorothy Parker, and Gertrude Stein; managed to both charm and enrage most of the people they were acquainted with; and ended up destroying their love and themselves-Zelda was diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent more than a decade in psychiatric clinics, tragically dying at 48 in a fire. Superzelda is a thoroughly researched work based on period photographs and documents, as well as on Zelda and Scott's writing. It is a biography, a love story, and a travelogue all wrapped into one. The beautiful two-color illustrations bring to life one of the most fascinating women, as well as eras, of the early 20th century.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Biography, Comics, Nonfiction, History, Graphic Novels Comics, Italian Literature

175 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2011

Reviews

[Ayrinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lei dev'essere stata una persona veramente interessante anche se da queste pagine non esce come fu, ma più che altro come venne vista. Ho il suo libro da un bel po' e davvero voglio leggerlo, purtroppo tra il migliaio che vorrei leggere, sono un centinaio quelli "urgenti". Sto messa peggio del Servizio Sanitario Nazionale in quanto a tempi d'attesa.

La graphic novel non è destinata a mio avviso a rimanere nella leggenda (nonostante appunto il soggetto interessante), i disegni non sono un granché anche se ho apprezzato la scelta del color azzurrino pigiama, molto rilassante e accattivante. La sceneggiatura ricalca quel che deve ricalcare per vendere e per accentuare la leggenda di SuperZelda, ma ho l'impressione che non sia assolutamente tutto qui, e che quello che di più interessante c'è da sapere non ci sia stato raccontato.

Scotty qui mi sembra un gran furbetto, molto più sgamato di lei che faceva la "trasgrescio" a prescindere e dunque agiva prevedibilmente fuori da ogni schema ("trasgrescio" ma di quelle sincere, non posata). Dopo i primi momenti ha saputo quali tasti suonare tanto che è perfino riuscito a farsi sposare, cosa tutt'altro che da dare per scontato nonostante l'emotività e il sentimentalismo della moglie.

Loro due, però, furono veramente uno. E io glielo invidio.

[Richard Derus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5* of five

Twitter made me do it. See why at my blog, Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.

[Gabril · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belli e dannati.

Lei, soprattutto.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tiziana LaPorto and Danielle Marotta do graphic reviews of books for La Repubblica. This is their first graphic book, a graphic biography, and doesn't add much to what we know of her from the excellent Nancy Milford biography of decades ago and many of the recent books about her I am sure do so much more with her life. I had read her Save the Waltz and about every biography of both Scott and Zelda I could get my hands on in addition to Scott's fiction, just obsessed at one time, and though this is slight, collapses her life into short episodes without much depth at all, but I still liked it a lot. I was not led to expect much from it, since the Goodreads average reviews have it at 3.52, so of course I liked it more than I expected to… in part just because I like her/their story so much, and it is good to see things from her angle more. This book is black and white with a blue watercolor wash in places and the effect is not magnificent but still quite likable. The drawing quality is great and everything Marotta does from a comics perspective seems interesting. Seems like it is drawn from archived photographs, mostly, as the text makes use mostly of actual texts from both Fitz and Zelda and friends. It's in translation, from the Italian, this text, and some of it is a little awkward, where she has written quotations coming from their mouths, when she might have changed it slightly to make it actual dialogue… and one last critique: Superzelda is a terrible title, ugh. Comic books most people associate with superheroes and "super" she may have been in one sense, but she was, if resilient, also fragile, tragic, not a comic book Wonder Woman. But having said all that, her story is just always compelling and even slight, it evokes her and that time in perfectly lovely ways, so I liked it a lot even if it is not one of the great works about her. I suggest you read the Milford biography and Save the Waltz and any letters she wrote, which are terrific, to catch who she was. I have not yet read any of the new books on her, like Z...

[Simona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il mio approccio con il mondo delle graphic novel comincia con la vita di Zelda e il suo mondo davvero unico.
Superzelda parte raccontando la vita di Zelda Fitzgerald, la moglie di Francis Scott Fitzgerald, autore di libri quali Il grande Gatsby o Tenera è la notte, solo per citare le sue opere migliori. La graphic novel racconta la vita, l'adolescenza di Zelda. Quello che si scopre sin da subito è la determinazione di una adolescente che decide da sola del suo destino. Con SuperZelda ripercorriamo gli episodi cardini della sua vita: dall'incontro con Scott, le feste, i trasferimenti in molte parti del mondo, i viaggi sino ai ricoveri, ai primi tentativi di suicidio e alla malattia che ne ha condizionato l'esistenza.
Al di là delle immagini che sembrano un po' stravolgere la sua figura e gli altri protagonisti, credo che questa graphic novel possa essere un valore aggiunto per conoscerla meglio e per avvicinarsi al suo mondo, provare a capirla e apprezzarla.

[Sharman Egan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just to be clear, this is not a graphic NOVEL; it's a graphic biography. I'm sure most people understand that when they read it but still, it's an important distinction. With all due respect to the challenges of the graphic genre, this was a disjointed and not very interesting account of Zelda's life. My sense was that the authors read a couple of the Zelda bios and Dear Scott, Dear Zelda, picked out the most interesting quotes, glommed it all together and added the graphics. The result was a thoroughly disjointed story of Zelda's life that is difficult to follow, provides little context and adds nothing original to the record of her already well-documented life (Milford, Cline and others). What a shame. They could have used the graphics genre to tell the story in a completely different way (a la Maus or Persepolis) and/or to explore new themes.

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a translated work until the end.
But when I did realize that, I went "Ohhhhhhh!"
So I guess the perspective was just a little not-amerikan.

It felt like a strict "just the facts" telling of Zelda's life. We never get under her skin. Which is kind of torturous, as she was a fascinating character. Granted, it's safer this way - more true. But less interesting, less real. Less gratifying.

It did help me reflect, though. About how she broke through boundaries, broke rules. About how to be in love. About descent into madness. But I kinda want to hear her story from a different perspective.

[Blixen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I commenti a questo libro mi sembrano ingiusti, troppo severi. Ho letto con piacere le vicende di Zelda e Fitzgerald e la narrazione ha il ritmo dei roaring twenties. I disegni non sono interessanti quanto la sceneggiatura, ma alla fine ammetto di aver letto con avidità questo libro e mi sento di consigliarne la lettura.

[Jessie Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this graphic novel. Zelda Fitzgerald seems like a powerful and a powder keg subject to take on. The writer and illustrator took the challenge on bravely and the result is an intimate look into her life without and with her husband.

[dv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una vicenda apparentemente irrilevante e un personaggio secondario noto a pochi nascondono una storia d'amore che si fa simbolo di un'epoca ("the jazz age") il cui sfarzo di superficie mostra a ben vedere molte crepe. Soprattutto interessanti le riflessioni che ispira sul tema dell'apprendimento, del "talento" e della realizzazione personale e professionale (Zelda che vuole ballare, Zelda che vuole scrivere). Bel lavoro di ricerca e recupero, stile visivo ben funzionale al racconto.

[Ffiamma · Rating 4 out of 5]

biografia di zelda sayre fitzgerald raccontata con deliziosi disegni in bianco, nero e azzurro. ben documentata, appassionante come un romanzo. (antipaticissima zelda)

[vecchiaphoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

graphic novel sulla vita di Zelda Fitzgerald, la sua storia d’amore e di follia. Un personaggio davvero ai limiti, che si ama e un po’ si detesta, un giudizio in bilico fra "ragazzina viziata e capricciosa" e "un essere speciale che appartiene a un altro mondo". Anticonformista, passionale, romantica, egocentrica, tutto e troppo.
Io, alla fine, l’ho amata.

[Electra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une vie virevoltante diront certains mais qui démontre aussi une fuite en avant et un profond désespoir. J’ai lu deux romans sur elle et à chaque fois les avis divergent sur la part de qui a fait quoi (Scott ou Zelda) - j’aime bien le choix fait ici.

[Manuela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Splendore e declino di un'icona flapper.

[Stef · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm apparently not a huge Zelda Fitzgerald fan, or else this book put her in a horrible light. Spoiled, narcissistic, lazy, ungrateful -- these were just some of the traits shown that made me wonder why I should care about her. Everything she did seemed to be a performance and it was exhausting. Maybe it was the arms-length distance from which her story was accounted: very little heart was in this; facts were stated but little was explored. This biographical graphic novel was so text-heavy I was frequently skimming pages, and the art unmemorable.

[Fancesca Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biografia a fumetti di Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald! Mi piace la tonalità pastello che percorre tutta la graphic, coinvolgente e straziante la vita di questa donna meravigliosa! Sicuramente approfondirò la sua biografia!

[Dana Jerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really piqued my interest concerning the whole ZSF phenomena. This correspondence is epic. There is another volume floating around out there of their letters/post exchanges. Nothing quite like this relationship may ever happen again in our lifetime. Exquisite and tragic.

[BC Batcheshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the best memorial to Zelda Fitzgerald would be a train wreck decked with flowers, but this monochromatic graphic novel biography is a good addition to her life's bouquet.
After reading, I'm still sad she's gone from the world, but I'm glad it wasn't a quiet passing.

[Erika Robuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first graphic novel, and I loved it!

[Laura Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

First graphic novel, like reading a comic book. Book was well researched but don't think you would enjoy it unless you are Fitzgerald lover. Like a mini bio without any details.

[DMS · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://dms.booklikes.com/post/382086/...

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too long, too purely (auto)biographical...but the graphic novel genre offers an original, vibrant look at Zelda Fitzgerald's intriguing, if depressing, person and life.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at the eccentric couple that personified the swing era.

[Mackie Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you know a lot about Zelda, this probably isn't for you. I went into it knowing nothing, so it was a really interesting read for me, and definitely got me excited to read more about her life!

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

It didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know about Zelda Fitzgerald, but a graphic novel about this fascinating woman? Yes, please!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really somewhere between a 3 and a half and a 4.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and compelling, but I found the art disorganized and confusing at times

[Deborah Bancroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Critics have said there is nothing new revealed in this graphic novel biography. For me there was and learning it through images was powerful. Very sad story.

[Cheryl Lucero · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, enjoyable, easily digested account of a beautiful yet tragic love story of two very notable twentieth century contributors.

[Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty spare, bare bones graphic biography of Zelda Sayre written and illustrated by two Italian comic artists, this may be an adequate introduction to her life, relationship with F. Scott Fitzgerald, and general influence on the culture and ethos of the Roaring ‘20s in the US and Europe. However, in spite of this, I feel like there is a lot left out, if only in light of conciseness.

The translation is pretty nice (though Zelda and Scott’s dialog was published originally in English, of course) and art is pretty nice and evocative of the period, though on occasion it can be difficult to tell people apart.

I have not yet read any of the published biographies of either Zelda or Scott, but I could tell that a lot of background material is missing or dealt with rather shallowly. This is particularly evident in that no sources are cited and no bibliography or index is included, leading to a reader interested in looking up more information on a certain event or person from her life on their own in tracking down the reference.