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Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom: Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald: A Marriage

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As an English major in college, I was required to reach much of F. Scott Fitzgerald, most particularly "The Great Gatsby" and "Tender Is the Night." And like many others of my ilk, I fell madly in love with the legend that was the Fitzgeralds. I went on to read everything I could get my hands on, from Scott's collected short stories to "The Beautiful and the Damned" to "This Side of Paradise" to the tragically unfinished "The Last Tycoon."

Through all of my Fitzgerald worship, I viewed Zelda as an "also-ran"--the madcap flapper, the passionate spouse and lover, the quintessential "roaring 20s girl," the great beauty who was her husband's muse-until she went crazy. I never took her seriously as an artist in her own right, and why should I have done so? Certainly until recent years, no biography of Fitzgerald painted her that way, and I found the few biographies of Zelda opinionated and suspect.

Now, with a fascinating work that took author Kendall Taylor 30 years (!!) to write, the tragedy that was Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald finally comes to light as never before. And for the first time, I realize that the incredibly brilliant prose that made up Scott's novels was often lifted VERBATIM from Zelda's most intimate and personal diaries, which Scott viewed as his own property, to be purloined at will. I find that some of his most cunning and original turn of phrase was taken VERBATIM from Zelda's unique, brilliant, colorful, and wholly her own way of speaking (probably, in fact, a precurser of the schizophrenia that was to overtake her). I find that Scott was so possessive of Zelda as his SOURCE that he actively forbade her to write on her own, although she showed great talent. He went so far as to write long letters to her various doctors forbidding them to allow her to write, and they agreed to do so! A highly creative, completely unique human being, Zelda was thwarted at every turn, whether her painting (which Scott ridiculed) her sad attempts to become a prima ballerina (equally ridiculed and the final step to her first breakdown) to anything else she attempted to do.

Scott, a difficult, vain, selfish and jealous human being, viewed Zelda as more than his lover and wife, as more than his helpmate and muse. He felt he owned the very words that fell from her mouth, and strongly resisted any attempt on her part to express herself apart from him, feeling that their mutual story belonged to him and him alone, as the novelist and breadwinner.

We all know the end of the story. Scott died much too young of heart disease and TB brought on by acute alcoholism. Zelda, in and out of mental hospitals from her late twenties on, died in a horrible fire at the institution where she was housed. These two bright flames, these two icons of The Jazz Age, these two physically gorgeous people, the flapper and her swain, were doomed from the start. But until the recent death of their only daughter, Scottie Lanahan, many of their papers, letters, diaries, and so forth, remained unavailable to the public. Taylor was given unprecedented access to these, and tells her tale in as objective a way as she can, given her subject matter. One must commend Ms. Taylor for her Herculean efforts and her fascinating story. Unfortunately, like many authors of today, she has fallen victim to the same bad editing that plagues most paperbacks in today's marketplace. Therefore, the paperback version of this book (which is the version I read) is plagued by silly grammatical mistakes and typos that Scott OR Zelda would have noticed. It isn't fair to Taylor, but so be it. Suffice to say that, upon reading the very last sentence of the very last page, I broke into sobs. I now wish to go on and read Zelda's collected works (available from Amazon!), view all her artwork (ditto) and reread Scott's works-from the viewpoint of all I know now. I commend Ms. Taylor on a simply brilliant job.

The Fitzgeralds have been the subjects of numerous biographies; Zelda by Nancy Milford focused on Mrs. Fitzgerald specifically. Kendall Taylor has written a detailed treatment, based on extensive research, of the Fitzgeralds and their tragic relationship. Ms. Taylor's research was based on interviews with family and acquaintances and examination of their letters and records. She recounts their years as a golden couple in the 1920s where they lived in the U.S. and as expatriates in Paris, with the Hemingways and other writers and artists. The central tragedy was Zelda's descent into madness at the end of the 1920s; for the rest of her life she would be in and out of institutions. Zelda's medical condition and prescribed treatments (including hydrotherapy and shock therapy) are described. Today, perhaps, new medications on the market would have saved Zelda much agony. Zelda Fitzgerald's tragedy was compounded by the fact that it was a genetic condition; her brother and grandson were also afflicted by schizophrenia. Scott Fitzgerald's alcoholism also was highly destructive and undoubedtly caused his premature death. Much is said here about Zelda Fitzgerald's creative nature--she painted and wrote novels and short stories. Her obsession for the ballet helped to bring on her illness. Ms. Taylor emphasizes Mrs. Fitzgerald's creativity in art and literature and describes the ways her husband would stifle it. The author discusses that Zelda was used as an inspiration for her husband and some of her letters and diaries were published verbatim in his novels. Kendall Taylor's book is recommended to those interested in the Fitzgeralds; several new revelations are provided about Zelda Fitzgerald. More is also learned about their often put upon daughter, Scottie Fitzgerald.

The subject matter here is no doubt fascinating, but this effort leaves us guessing why. We're left with the troubling impression that Zelda was raised to rely on every gift except substance, and that she ultimately suffered from the realization that life is best -- or only -- lived substantively. Not exactly a piece of original thinking, and one searches in vain for more lasting lessons, or even ideas. What makes this search so ultimately fruitless is the author's decided lack of skill, both as researcher and chronicler, and the disturbing suspicion that this "biography" is nothing more than a personal attempt by the author to don Zelda's party clothes, to be the belle of the ball, or to be -- even temporarily -- interesting. Sad, and profoundly unfair to the subjects of this needlessly lengthy piece of "Page 6" journalism. Scott and Zelda deserve much more.

If you are at all interested in the Fitzgeralds, this book is a precious gem. It shows far more of Zelda's creativity and outrageousness and less of her madness than Nancy Milford's book (which Scottie Fitzgerald was very upset by). It captures the Jazz Age and shows how Scott really assisted in Zelda's madness by insisting her life was his material and that she couldn't develop a professional reputation of her own as a writer. Nearly every schizophrenic episode Zelda had was preceded by Scott's blocking her attempts at self-expression. It still presents a sympathetic portrait of Scott, however. It's the best book on the two of them that I've ever read, and really brings the period to life. It makes you want to cry afterward for the potential that was wasted with both of them.

Although quite academic and not an 'easy read', I enjoyed reading 'Sometimes Madness is Wisdom'. It has generated in me an interest to discover more about Zelda Fitzgerald which appeals to me personally, however, I do understand that some readers would find this biography frustrating in the way it leaves some questions unanswered. I think perhaps the author has set herself one goal and gotten caught up in another - ie. her introduction promises to reveal more of Zelda herself than her husband. What results is more an analysis of the marriage, as the subtitle indicates, but as a result neither Zelda nor the marriage are completely exposed. I certainly would not discourage anyone from reading 'Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom' because of this dichotomy. I would make two recommendations: 1)That this title will appeal to readers with an interest in history and/or literature as an academic pursuit more than readers of pop-bios 2) Wait for the paperback!

Kendall Taylor makes clear that her research into the life of Zelda Fitzgerald began at the same time as Nancy Milford's, yet Milford beat her to the publishers. Unfortunately, as the author is all too aware, this means her book inevitably sits in the shadow of Milford's famous biography, `Zelda'. It's a pity, because had Taylor got in first, I feel she might have produced a far more empathetic and engaging telling of the story than Milford's, which was written in such a distancing and unemotional style that I felt disappointingly far from understanding or knowing the real Zelda.

Taylor re-tells much of what is already known, but the years have allowed her to access or reveal additional insights, particularly in the discussion of Zelda's sexuality and her posthumous reputation. A postscript on the life of Scottie, the Fitzgeralds' daughter, is most insightful, and obviously could not have been published when Taylor began her initial research. The advances in the understanding of mental illness that have been made in the past few decades means that Taylor has a different perspective on Zelda's affliction. Although her turbulent relationship with F. Scott Fitzgerald was a major contributing factor, genetics was the ultimate cause for Zelda's madness. This makes a subtle but important difference in the way her story is told and understood.

I do believe that Taylor made a mistake in conceiving her book as the tale of the marriage of Zelda and Scott. Perhaps it is the author's way of distancing her from `Zelda' and not duplicating material, but it is clear from the start that this book is about Zelda, not Scott (of whom several excellent biographies already exist). I did not feel as if I gained much of an insight into what was undoubtedly a unique marriage; in fact, Milford's book gave me a greater impression of the strange, enduring love that kept these people together through madness, illness, alcoholism and the brute force of the years. The dividing of attention made the book suffer, and to my mind James R. Mellow's `Invented Lives: F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald' does the task better.

In the end, I know Zelda a little better, but I still feel as if it's the tip of a very complex iceberg. Perhaps it is because Zelda was by nature so elusive and ethereal that her personality is still to be adequately captured by any biographer. Many commentators mention how photographs were unable to convey her legendary beauty - perhaps the same can be said of the printed word.

This book, if one wants to believe, provides new information that is interesting, but a lot seems to be sensationalist conjecture. The author writes about the treaments of Zelda's disease used at the time, which one can believe she went through, but her interpretations of Zelda's thoughts and actions cannot be backed up with any proof. The author's analysis is sophmoric, and full of factual mistakes: "Noonie" was Zelda's neice, not her cousin, for example. If this author can write a biography, anyone can. Mitford's book still remains the best source on Zelda, and if that book disturbed Scottie Fitzgerald, this one would have made her hair stand on end. If you like yellow jounalism, you'll like this.

Although the author, Kendall Taylor, begins her biography with a disdainful look at how all biographies of Zelda are about F. Scott Fitzgerald, she proceeds to do the same thing, badly.

Not only does she discuss the friendship between the Fitzgerald's and the Hemingways. she also discuss all of their friends, enemies and the possible lovers of these same friends and enemies.

There is nothing new. The biography is not well written, which I generally expect from a English professor (too self-involved.} Beside the mediocre writing, the proofing is terrible, as is the editing--if there was any--leaving mistakes and errors galore.

If the reader is interested in Zelda and her descent into madness and what happened after Scott died, chose another book. I'm sorry I wasted the time and money on this one.

I found this book to be very entertaining and readable though not as many new facts and insights are delivered as it initially seems to promise. (Ms. Taylor's credibility comes into question when she first describes Scott's eyes as being lavender, then green, then blue -- all within the first chapter.) The title is a misnomer, as Ms. Taylor seems mostly interested in Zelda. Certainly the author has a great sense of sympathy and admiration for Zelda, and the vivacity and unquestionable brilliance of the Last of the Belles has never been captured or celebrated so vividly.

Ms. Taylor's disdain for Scott, however, is occassionally off putting, and to reduce Zelda to his victim is unfair to them both. The facts (and their writings) just don't support this thesis -- that Zelda was the great artist and that Scott stole her genius and stifled her talent in service of his own literary ego and ambition. (All artists -- especially writers -- "use" the people in their lives for material, don't they?) The author views Scott's elaborate declarations of love for his wife with suspicion and hidden motives. The postscript on their daughter Scottie is very interesting and a much needed updating of this sad and still fascinating story of romantic disillusionment.

I am impressed with Kendall Taylor's supreme effort in writing this book. She has invested a great deal of her life, some thirty years, in researching all the material. It is a very interesting biography, but it seems she tries to do too much. There are so many details of the Fitzgeralds' friends and contemporaries that one gets bogged down in details. There are many repetitions of facts, and areas where one sees poor editing and sentence structure errors. It would appear that the author spent too much time on the book, and therefore its presentation is somewhat disjointed and disorganized. I would have preferred to see more emphasis on Zelda herself, instead of anecdotes regarding her frivolous lifestyle.