Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald (edition 2013)

In the tradition of The Paris Wife, Z fictionalizes the life of Zelda Fitzgerald,the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald and the original flapper, a term coined by her husband. Z paints the world of the 1920s, the Fritzgeralds' many flirtations, parties, and occasions for alcohol. Their forays into art, dance, theater, movies and literature with many of the greats of the lost generation--all living their disillusioned lives in Europe.

Fowler does a nice job of providing a plausible point of view for Zelda, who is portrayed as a woman caught in a time that relaxed some of the rigid roles for women, yet limited their freedom to pursue their dreams. Caught between her own desires to express herself and the expectations of society, Zelda often feels trapped by both Scott's expectations and what she could have been.

I found the book an engaging look at the roaring twenties and an entertaining read. It makes me want to read more biographies about the Fritzgeralds. ( )

Great Gatsby fever is mounting in Australia at the moment and the film hasn’t even been released! There’s a lot of talk about the clothes, the parties, the music and Gatsby/Leo. So what to do but read a book about the Fitzgeralds in anticipation? I didn’t realise know all that much about Scott and Zelda before I started, except that they lived a very vivacious life riddled with tragedy (thanks profile in a magazine).

This novel is a fictionalised account told in the first person by Zelda, Scott’s wife. We meet her in her hometown in Alabama just as she meets Scott. The leisurely pace picks up quickly as Zelda marries him at seventeen and takes New York by storm. The Fitzgeralds are It in town, Scott riding high on the back of his debut novel, This Side of Paradise. There are lavish excursions, fashions and drinking as Prohibition continues.

Unfortunately, the high life doesn’t continue for too long as reality and debt sink in. Scott and Zelda move around, going to Europe to try and live more cheaply. It is there that Scott meets Ernest Hemingway and they become firm friends. It’s also here that Scott’s drinking increases and Zelda becomes unwell, first physically and then mentally. As Zelda moves to a psychiatric institution, the narrative speeds up, condensing a lot of years in one. It would have been interesting to read these in more detail. Also, I would like to point out that eczema is not a sign of mental illness, as Zelda seems to think!

It’s amazing to read about all the things Zelda had seen and done at such a young age – living the high life, having a daughter, writing, painting and dancing with much of society. It seems that she was somewhat maligned for trying to do what the majority of women do today – have it all (the career, family and friendships). It would be interesting to read in more detail how much of a role she had in some Scott’s works and if this can be verified.

Fowler tackles the subject of fictionalising two real people’s lives incredibly well. I like how Zelda’s voice started out as young and naïve and then gradually became more outspoken and confident. As for the relationship with Scott, I can only liken it to Facebook – ‘it’s complicated’. Fowler portrays the relationship as passionate, yet destructive – you know it6’s going to end badly, but you can’t tear your eyes from the page.

A wonderful novel that embodies the age perfectly. This would also make an excellent film, if Baz Luhrmann is reading…

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com ( )

This book was slow going and missing a lot of emotional depth. I would like to have seen Zelda's emotions portrayed a bit stronger. Nevertheless, I loved the details of her and Scott's life and found the book very interesting. ( )

Very good read. I enjoyed the insight into the lives of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald and how careful they lived. No matter whether they had money to pay their bills or not, they consistently lived a lavish lifestyle. I am amazed that she was such a good writer on her own without the recognition.

http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/2013/04/z-novel-of-zelda-fitzgerald-by-ther...
I'll let other reviewers battle it out as to whether or not Therese Anne Fowler's debut novel, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, lived up to their ideas of the "true" Zelda. Some say she was an impetuous crazy woman. Others say she was a misunderstood artist. Some argue that she was an articulate socialite with no hint of her Southern roots. Others say she was a Southerner to the end. All I know is that she was the wife of legendary writer F. Scott Fitzgerald and one half of one of the most influential celebrity literary couples of the century (sorry Dashand Lilly). So I'll be reviewing it based on whether or not it lived up to my ideas of a good novel. And it did.

Fowler chooses the path of "boxed in wife" for her Zelda. Told entirely in the first person from Zelda's perspective, Fowler's depiction allows for the possibility of Mrs. Fitzgerald's well-publicized mental illness--after all, we only get her side of things so it is possible she is misrepresenting or misinterpreting her own mental state--but it also allows room for her to be seen as an ambitious woman whose wings were clipped by her husband and her society. I was reminded of Vivi from The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

Was that the "real" Zelda? I honestly don't know. But also, this is not a biography. It's a novel inspired by a real person. While it's important to honour the person and represent her honestly in good faith, it's not necessary to be exact or exhaustive with the facts. It's important to tell a good story, preferably one that would hold up even if the subject were not famous. And, in my opinion, Fowler has done all of those things.

Plus, the cover has been a HUGE hit in my house. My three-year-old goes around excitedly saying, "Look! Z is for Zelda! Her picture is the first letter of her name!" She finds this particularly exciting because so few people have names that start with 'Z.' So now my preschooler knows who Zelda Fitzgerald is, which is pretty darn cool.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. I was not required to write a favourable review or otherwise compensated in any way for this review. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. ( )