I am taking part in the PopSugar Reading Challenge for 2020, and one of the prompts is to read a book set in the 1920s. It is kind of hard to believe that we are already 100 years removed from the Roaring 20s, but it's true, here we are in 2020. With the resurgence of The Great Gatsby in recent years, and all the talk of the "Roaring 20s being back," I thought that Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald would be the perfect book to usher in the new decade. Boy, was I ever right!
In case you are a little vague as to who Zelda Fitzgerald is (as I was when picking up this novel), it should be noted that she was the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby. Zelda would probably cringe to hear that she is still best known as the "wife of the author of Gatsby" nearly 100 years on, as being reduced to the role of a wife and mother was a point of contention between her and Fitzgerald throughout much of their marriage. But that is something best left for you to discover when you read this book. And if you are a fan of biographical fiction, as I am, read it you must!
So let's dive in. Zelda Fitzgerald was the daughter of a prominent Alabama judge when she met F. Scott Fitzgerald, referred to by Zelda as "Scott." Scott was in the army, and he was stationed in the Montgomery area, where he met Zelda at a local dance. Both Zelda and Scott took to each other right away, and Zelda quickly became Scott's "muse" as he worked on his first novel, This Side of Paradise, in which it is said he modeled the character Rosalind after her. The couple were soon married, and their life included raucous parties and excessive drinking into all hours of the night. Zelda and Scott were aptly known as les enfants terribles of The Jazz Age.
But married life wasn't all fun and games for this young couple. As you delve further into their marriage throughout the nearly 500 pages of Z, it soon becomes apparent that the glitz and glamour that painted the Fitzgerald's public image was merely a facade for something darker lurking beneath. As quickly as the Roaring 20s came and went, so did the happiness in the marriage between these two passionate and proud, yet reckless, people. What exactly goes on within the walls of the Fitzgerald's many luxurious homes scattered across the world? Read Z to find out.
Therese Anne Fowler has outdone herself with her portrayal of Zelda Fitzgerald in Z. While much talk is given to Zelda's status as F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife, she was a talented, intelligent, and cunning woman in her own right. Fowler zeroes in expertly on what makes Zelda tick, which is what makes this novel so fascinating. Set in the first half of the 20th century when the rights of women and the opinion that they were capable of independent and intelligent thought were few and far between, Fowler shows that Zelda was often both the beauty AND brains behind the Fitzgerald operation. Just who would Scott be without Zelda? According to Fowler, not much. And so, Fowler paints a captivating, intimate portrait of a woman confined by the conventional limitations of marriage in a time when women did much of the work and men got all the credit. Fowler's Zelda is bold and brash, yet at the same time, sensual and demure ... and an absolute joy to read.
It should be noted that I listened to a Macmillan audio book of this novel, read by Jenna Lamia, which absolutely heightened my enjoyment of the book. Lamia is an excellent narrator, perfectly encapsulating Zelda and bringing her to life in a believable way. Lamia has such emotional and vocal range, that I often lost myself within the story, forgetting that it was a production of a novel that I was listening to, and not actual recordings of Zelda herself. If you enjoy audiobooks as much as I do, I highly recommend putting this one on your to-listen list.
Z will appeal most to readers who love fictional stories based on the lives of actual people, especially when those people are complex, and oft misunderstood, creatures. Fans of historical fiction will also naturally enjoy Z, as it takes place roughly between the 1920s - 1940s, and touches on many historical aspects of the times.
AVAILABILITY: - Book - Large Print Book - Audiobook - eBook & eAudiobook on CloudLibrary
RATING: ***** Stars (I loved it)
- Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH? DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS! Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald
GENRE: Biographical Fiction; Historical Fiction TONE: Melancholy; Moving STORYLINE: Character-Driven WRITING STYLE: Compelling SUBJECT: Alcoholism; Authors' Spouses; American Authors; Interpersonal Conflict; Marital Conflict; Socialites; Women with Mental Illnesses
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