If you're a fan of
Fitzgerald, Hemingway, or Picasso, you'll be amused to find all these
characters and others putting in an appearance in this long novel.
Sara and Gerald
Murphy are expats living on the Riviera in the early 1920s after the
First World War. They're wealthy, sociable and devoted to each other
and their children to the extent that they inspire jealousy in some
of their friends. The era is depicted well from the late 1800s when
Gerald and Sara meet to the early 1900s when they've established
themselves on the French Riviera.
The first half of
the book is devoted to the strict families Gerald and Sara grew up
in. They fight through the restrictions of their time and eventually
marry. This is almost a standalone historical romance. As part of the
book, I thought it was too long with too much backstory and too much
description.
The second half of
the book focuses on the Murphy's life on the French Riviera. Here we
meet their famous and not so famous friends and glimpse the glamorous
life style of wealthy Americans in that era. Behind the glamour of
the parties, the Murphy's marriage matures with some surprising
twists.
I enjoyed this book
because I find the lost generation fascinating. However, the book is
very long. The first half was particularly slow going into detail
about life in the late 1800s.
The pace picked up
slightly in the second half of the novel. Some of the attraction was
the famous people who fell under the Murphy's spell. The portrayal of
these characters is realistic from what I've read. Zelda and Scott
are particularly well portrayed with their frighteningly fraught
marriage and uninhibited drinking.
The book has many
things to recommend it, but if you want a quick read, this is not it.
If you want to savor the 1920s on the Riviera, you may enjoy it.
I reviewed this book
for the Amazon Vine Program.
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