Review
Like so many of my generation, I've heard and read about the Fitzgerald/Hemingway/Stein/Murphey years in Paris and on the coast of France. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, although a work of fiction, was a breath of fresh air regarding this period of excess, escape, and artistic richness.
Much of what Ms. Fowler wrote rang true. Her depiction of the era's limitations of women, particularly in the South, was dead on. I've actually wondered if southern-belle Zelda's mental illness was in part a ruse anchored in and triggered by F. Scott's instability, ego, and alcoholism.
I think this is a valuable addition to other works about this era when Americans could live abroad like kings and queens. When the literary and art worlds fed off each other to flourish. When men ruled the roost, and most women made their way in the world by any means other than brains. When successful men's wives were easily disposable.
If you've read Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and if you've explored this heady environment through works such as The Paris Wife and beyond, I think you'll enjoy Ms. Fowler's exploration of Zelda's psyche.
Recommended.
Much of what Ms. Fowler wrote rang true. Her depiction of the era's limitations of women, particularly in the South, was dead on. I've actually wondered if southern-belle Zelda's mental illness was in part a ruse anchored in and triggered by F. Scott's instability, ego, and alcoholism.
I think this is a valuable addition to other works about this era when Americans could live abroad like kings and queens. When the literary and art worlds fed off each other to flourish. When men ruled the roost, and most women made their way in the world by any means other than brains. When successful men's wives were easily disposable.
If you've read Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and if you've explored this heady environment through works such as The Paris Wife and beyond, I think you'll enjoy Ms. Fowler's exploration of Zelda's psyche.
Recommended.
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