Author: F.Scott Fitzgerald

Publisher: Alma Classics

First published: 1920

Setting: Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Read in December 2013

My Rating ★★★  3.4

My Waterstones Review

“A University paradise is followed by life lessons”

The first novel by F.Scott Fitzgerald follows the early life of Amory Blaine and is split into two books. The Romantic Egotist is his life through to his Senior year at Princeton University, the discovery of love and the creation of a personality – Paradise. The Education of a Personage is Amory’s life in the real world and is illustrated through a series of life lessons that develops a feeling of disillusionment with life itself before turning at the end with a Road to Damascus moment.

The notes and extra material in this edition is useful and interesting and shows the parallels this book has with F.Scott Fitzgerald’s own life.

Book Review

This is the first of F.Scott Fitzgerald’s novels. It introduces us to the ambitious young Amory Blaine from the midwest and his arrival at Princeton University. It has parallels with Fitzgerald’s own life, he also attended Princeton. It is split into two books.

The first book – The Romantic Egotist – soon introduces us to the sudden revulsion felt following Amory’s first kiss with the unfortunate Myra St Claire whose party is now spoiled. But Amory is not discouraged and through his school years proceeds to collect locks of hair and rings. Amory considers himself in possession of personality, charm, magnetism, and poise, an exceedingly handsome chap with the gift of fascinating all women. Amory is sent by his mainly absent mother, Beatrice, to St Regis boarding school in Connecticut and he is also to visit a family friend, Monsignor Darcy, a Roman Catholic priest. At St Regis Amory reads voluminously, classifies men into “The Slicker” or “The Big Man” and concerns himself with the intricacies of a university social system. At 18 and while in his Sophomore year at Princeton, Amory briefly returns to Minneapolis and falls for Isabelle Borgé his arranged dinner partner. Isabelle remarks on his keen eyes, and in response Amory attempts to make his eyes look even keener. The first book completes with Amory in his Senior year at Princeton with The Great War scarcely touching him and his friends except for the sounds of the afternoon drills.

The second book – The Education of a Personage – follows a short Interlude which finds Amory as second lieutenant preparing for embarkation to Europe. The second book starts by introducing us to the Connage daughters, 19 year old Debutante Rosalind and her sister Cecilia 16. Amory is nearly 23, a second love to be won and lost. Amory is now bored and restless and no longer able to wander the bars due to the introduction of prohibition. Amory is starting to write and has some articles published but is not earning enough to make a living, his inherited investments are doing poorly. He needs a purpose and seeks help from his old friend Monsignor Darcy. We follow Amory through various incidents involving Eleanor (a third love) and her horse, and in Atlantic City with his friend Alec Connage; this had chilled following the brief encounter with Rosalind. These are life’s lessons, far from the optimism experienced at Princeton (Paradise) and in a world full of struggle where disillusionment with life itself is all too real. Following Monsignor Darcy’s funeral and Amory’s walk to Princeton when he is picked up and discusses politics with Jesse Ferrenby, the man with the googles, there is a road to Damascus moment, whether in art, politics or religion, whatever his medium Amory cries “I know myself, but that is all”.