Flappers and Philosophers (The Cambridge Edition of the Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald) [Hardcover]

F. Scott Fitzgerald (Author), James L. W. West III (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 13, 1999

Flappers and Philosophers was F. Scott Fitzgerald's initial encore - his first collection of short fiction, published in 1920 to capitalize on the success of This Side of Paradise, the novel that had made him famous at the age of twenty-three. Some of his best early stories are included here: 'The Offshore Pirate', 'Bernice Bobs Her Hair', 'The Ice Palace' and 'Benediction'. In these narratives Fitzgerald presented his prototypical Jazz-Age heroines, beautiful and wilful young women who later became trademarks of his fiction. Part of the authoritative Cambridge edition of F. Scott Fitzgerald, this volume now appears in paperback for the first time. It offers detailed explanatory notes, a record of variants and appendices tracing the composition and publication history of the stories.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Scott followed up his smash debut novel, This Side of Paradise, with this 1920 collection of short stories, which contains several of his signature pieces such as "Bernice Bobs Her Hair," "The Ice Palace," and "Benediction." This Cambridge scholarly edition includes six additional stories not appearing in the original incarnation. Along with the stories, it also includes illustrations, explanatory notes, and other scholarly appendixes. A tad pricey for most public libraries, but academics supporting American literature curricula should strongly consider purchase.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"The latest volume in this fine uniform edition of Fitzgerald's works maintains the high standards of the "The Cambridge Edition of the Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald" series. Of significant interest to Fitzgerald scholars and students, this fine edition, and the developing series of which it is a part, merits a place in every library serving upper-division undergraduates through faculty." Choice

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 430 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (December 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521402360
• ISBN-13: 978-0521402361
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, engrossing short stories, October 28, 2002

By 

Bobby Newman (Long Beach, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flappers and Philosophers (The Cambridge Edition of the Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald) (Hardcover)

Fitzgerald may not have been overly fond of his short stories, but his writing skill and insight shine through anyway. In The Ice Palace and Bernice Bobs her Hair and the Four Fists in particular, Fitzgerald captures individuals struggling with themselves. Who/what should they be, and why? While I wasn't too fond of the pirate story, as it lacked these elements, the other stories in the book show a depth of understanding and introspection that makes for a wonderful, thoughtful read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good sampling of Fitzgerald, May 20, 2000

By 

Christina P. Branson "Strixaluco" (Fort Collins) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flappers and Philosophers (Paperback)

This collection of short stories takes a candid look at America in the early 20th century. There isn't a stinker in the lot, but I think "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" is my favorite. Fitzgerald has a way of making his readers connect with unlikeable characters that seems almost magical.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Form and Finesse, December 21, 2002

By 

L. Dann "adhdmom" (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flappers and Philosophers (The Cambridge Edition of the Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald) (Hardcover)

Fitzgerald's stories manage to unite his otherworldly grasp of the fluctuations in the human soul. He is a master at presenting its contrivances and vanities as things that happen to people. The tension in these tales rises with almost unconscious force. Red herrings of possible conclusions are whispered but almost in the style of a trickster. Someone always gets conned and someone unmasked- all within that now long-gone era that held a fullhouse of interesting details and premonitions of an ominous future. "Beatrice Bobs her Hair" always has something more to say about savage young ladies. It deserves its place, I think, in every highschool English curriculum. The spoiled rich girls inevitably fall madly in love- with the cads or the tricksters. It was interesting to read "Benediction" in this era of the priest scandals. How priests were seen by Fitzgerald, or perhaps how he conceived his alter ego- is apparent in his return to his natural self through the heroine's choice at the end. This writer always has a trick up his sleeve for the unpredictable conclusion.
I am surprised that there are not more raves over this collection, but perhaps that is the nature of the post modern era. I on the other hand -rave. Story, resolution, all those little formulas that separate the artist from the amateur in the impossible short story form. Fitzgerald, except for perhaps in Gatsby, never achieved such form and plotting in his novels. His youth too, can be sensed in the humorous and rather light-hearted manner by which he casts his characters and those obstacles that they encounter.