Book club selection (via Lon?)Fitzgerald's first novel. Amory Blaine is handsome, smart, indulged. Basically: seems to not know how to be happy.
The story line traces through his upbringing with his eccentric mother, close friendship with a priest-friend of his mother's, several romances (none of which goes anywhere), adventures at Princeton, a WWI stint (no details provided), working at (and resigning from) an ad agency, poverty, heavy drinking (prohibition comes into play), tries to be a fall guy in NJ, etc. Searching.
Fitzgerald does give the reader a feel for what the world may well have felt like at the WWI fault line. Political, social, literary trends; rapid change. And Fitzgerald is good with the language, though I thought a bit glib.
Amory wasn't a particularly likable character. Having troubles, but not sympathetic.
The ambiguities here yielded worthwhile "book club" discussion.
Still don't know why Fitzgerald is considered so wonderful, though this was worth reading.
And: still not a fan of his best-regarded work.
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