Just fair

The narration of this made me absolutely nuts. The reader has a good feel for the story but ruins the book by ending almost every sentence on an up inflection as in a question. The end result was that all of the characters sounded perpetually petulant so by the time things are falling apart you are so annoyed that there is no impact.

5 people found this helpful

You Can Find Better F. Scott Fitzgerald

Okay, here is my impiety. I do not think Tender is the Night is good. In fact, I find it a bore. Whatever the story has that can be allocated as a plot; is wanting. The novel opens telling of a short meeting in Europe of gallivanting American rich people. For the most part the characters that will bring this “story” along are introduced at that European beach resort. There is an idyllic family at the center of the story and the story drags us through their European meanderings. Then slowly, and yes ever so slowly, the husband, after an inexplicable extra marital love affair, has a meltdown; which is a surprising juxtaposition, because the husband is a psychiatrist who marries the wife so that he can be there for her and her supposedly less than substantial wherewithal in confronting the world. I think I just gave the plot more excitement than F. Scott Fitzgerald did?

The story is not quite an introspection rather an observation; of unexpected self-destructive undertakings. What is exciting about Tender, I suspect, is Fitzgerald has developed a new style of writing. Self-analysis. Perhaps we would never have had Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man if Tender did not start the trend. (In Tender, the main character never speaks to us, in The Invisible Man – well that is all there is!) I would suggest going directly to The Invisible Man.

2 people found this helpful

So-So...

Not much can be added about this book. A classical roman about classical people. The idea is pretty simple, but the description is a bit difficult. Too many characters, too many details and events. The narrator is not expressive, women and men talk in the same way. I guess there are books for reading and books for listening, and perhaps this book is not for listening.

1 person found this helpful

Excellent literature

The story is slow but satisfying. It describes a time and lifestyle that most of us can only imagine. It is worth listening to just for the beautiful writing.

Stunning book, well-performed and rich

What did you love best about Tender Is the Night?

I guess I thought I had read this book, and then when I began the story, WOW, it was new and fabulous. How had I missed this book so far into my life? So well-crafted, individual sentences and phrases should be savored. And its story, so compelling and memorable. Hard to put down, but wish I were still reading it!

Tender is my life

Any additional comments?

After about a couple weeks I was getting pulled further and further into this novel to the point that I couldn't stop thinking about it and talking about it to others who were not reading it. The main character is so interesting and you join the characters in his life in wanting more and more when he pulls away. Extremely interesting, classically tragic book about a marriage that flips upside down and an affair that is truly haunting.

Great pace and rhythm!

Great pace, rhythm, and inflection. Easy to comprehend and dynamic in tone. Good variating accents.

Bitter Sweet

I love F Scott Fitzgerald and this story did not disappoint. The narration was excellent and the ending.... oh ....