The Romantic Egoists: A Pictorial Autobiography from the Scrapbooks and Albums of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald (Paperback)

~ Matthew Joseph Bruccoli (Editor), Scottie Fitzgerald Smith (Editor), Joan Paterson Kerr (Editor) "Birth of Edward Fitzgerald on a farm named "Glenmary" near Rockville in Montgomery County, Maryland..." (more)
Key Phrases: sad young men, last tycoon, baby party, New York, The Great Gatsby, Maxwell Perkins (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A most interesting and fascinating book." -- Library Journal

"The book is irresistible, a narrative with a strange eloquence . . ." -- New York Times Book Review

"The title says it all, yet for lovers of The Great Gatsby, this is the ultimate book." -- Los Angeles Times

Product Description

This pictorial autobiography of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald documents two lives that have become legendary. The book draws almost entirely from the scrapbooks and photograph albums that the Fitzgeralds scrupulously kept as their personal record and provides a wealth of illustrative material not previously available. The book offers: Fitzgerald's thoughts about his early loves in St Paul, Minnesota; a photograph of the country club in Montgomery, Alabama, where the two met; reviews of "This Side of Paradise"; poems to the couple from Ring Lardner; snapshots of their trips abroad; Fitzgerald's careful accounting of his earnings; a photograph of the house on Long Island where "The Great Gatsby" was conceived; postcards with Fitzgerald's drawings for his daughter. These rare photographs and memorabilia combine into a narrative augmented by selections from Scott's and Zelda's own writings, conveying the spirit of particuular moments in their lives.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: University of South Carolina Press; illustrated edition edition (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570035296
• ISBN-13: 978-1570035296
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #239,081 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular Book for F. Scott Fitzgerald Enthusiasts!!, May 2, 2006

By	Fitzgerald Fan (Royal Oak, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

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If you are a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald, this book is an absolute must-have! While I own just about everything that is written by or about Fitzgerald, this is perhaps my favorite book to peruse. It is compiled just like a personal scrapbook and is replete with photos of the Fitzgeralds as well as articles (by and about Fitzgerald)written in the 20s and 30s. Much of this content you will not find elsewhere, at least not in such abundance. Bruccoli, America's leading Fitzgerald scholar (as well as Fitz's own daughter, Scotty) did a spectacular job of putting this together. The scrapbook format gives the book an intimate nature and the set up is extremely attractive. Best of all, at just around $20, it is an absolute steal for the price! If you love Fitzgerald, don't go without this collection! It would make a splendid addition to any high school classroom that teaches Fitzgerald or any personal library that celebrates true literary classics.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning collection of Fitzgerald ephemera, November 10, 2006

By	Christopher D. Bevard (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My girlfriend, a fellow Fitz enthusiast, bought me this for my birthday and it ranks among the best gifts I've ever received. This is an amazing and exhaustively comprehensive scrapbook of the lives of the Fitzgeralds. If you're a fan and come away from this without wanting to get your hands on every single thing those two touched...there's something very, very wrong with you. ;) Beautiful book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars so amazing!, January 16, 2008

By	amzical (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

i am a huge fan of both f. scott and zelda fitzgerald so it was great to get this glimpse into their personal lives. because their daughter was involved with this book, that gives it even more authenticity and it's like we're being given permission by scottie herself to look at her family's scrapbooks. a very surreal experience!