Tales of the Jazz Age (Pine Street Books) [Paperback]

F. Scott Fitzgerald (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pine Street Books | Publication Date: February 20, 2003

Though most widely known for the novella The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald gained a major source of income as a professional writer from the sale of short stories. Over the course of his career, Fitzgerald published more than 160 stories in the period's most popular magazines. His second short fiction collection, Tales of the Jazz Age (1922), includes two masterpieces as well as several other stories from his earlier career. One, "May Day," depicts a party at a popular club in New York that becomes a night of revelry during which former soldiers and an affluent group of young people start an anti-Bolshevik demonstration that results in an attack on a leftist newspaper office. "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" is a fantastic satire of the selfishness endemic to the wealthy and their undying pursuit to preserve that way of life.

All of these stories, like his best novels, meld Fitzgerald's fascination with wealth with an awareness of a larger world, creating a subtle social critique. With his discerning eye, Fitzgerald elucidates the interactions of the young people of post-World War I America who, cut off from traditions, sought their place in the modern world amid the general hysteria of the period that inaugurated the age of jazz.

This new edition reproduces in full the original collection, stories that represent a clear movement in theme and character development toward what would become The Great Gatsby. In introducing each story, Fitzgerald offers accounts of its textual history, revealing decisions about which stories to include.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Fitzgerald's 1922 collection isn't his strongest work, but it does contain gems like "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz." This edition also sports several additional stories not included in the original, such as "Diamond Dick, "The Third Casket," and "The Unspeakable Egg," plus a scholarly introduction and other goodies by editor West. Nice if you can afford it.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Amusing, interesting and well done. . . . Each piece is polished."—New York Times

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Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Pine Street Books (February 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812218558
• ISBN-13: 978-0812218558
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,076,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the major American writers of the twentieth century -- a figure whose life and works embodied powerful myths about our national dreams and aspirations. Fitzgerald was talented and perceptive, gifted with a lyrical style and a pitch-perfect ear for language. He lived his life as a romantic, equally capable of great dedication to his craft and reckless squandering of his artistic capital. He left us one sure masterpiece, The Great Gatsby; a near-masterpiece, Tender Is the Night; and a gathering of stories and essays that together capture the essence of the American experience. His writings are insightful and stylistically brilliant; today he is admired both as a social chronicler and a remarkably gifted artist.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Satirizing the selfishness of the wealthy, July 20, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales of the Jazz Age (Pine Street Books) (Paperback)

Tales Of The Jazz Age is an anthology of classic short stories by the renowned 20th Century American author F. Scott Fitzgerald, who is best known for his enduring classic "The Great Gatsby". Satirizing the selfishness of the wealthy, depicting revelry that escalates into a destructive mob, while offering a sharp look at the flaws of society, and enhanced with introductions to each story by the author, Tales Of The Jazz Age is highly recommended, and this Pine Street Books edition would make a perfect choice for school and community libraries needing to replace worn copies of previous editions.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Must" reading for F. Scott Fitzgerald enthusiasts, November 6, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales of the Jazz Age (The Cambridge Edition of the Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald) (Hardcover)

Tales of the Jazz Age is an anthology of nineteen short stories by renowned author F. Scott Fitzgerald, including "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz", "Dice, Brassknuckles and Guitar", and "Love in the Night". Enhanced with an extensive record of variants, explanatory notes, as well as an extensive introduction concerning the selection and editorial principles of the anthology, Tales of the Jazz Age is a superb edition of classic literature that would grace any academic or library collection -- and is "must" reading for F. Scott Fitzgerald enthusiasts and fans.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars affordable edition, November 20, 2008

By 

Li Zhang (Hartford, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tales of the Jazz Age: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Diamond As Big As The Ritz, My Last Flappers & more (mobi) (Kindle Edition)

Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Published by MobileReference (mobi).

Kindle edition of Tales of the Jazz Age is superb. It is "must" reading for F. Scott Fitzgerald enthusiasts and fans.