Tender is the Night

By F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Required reading"—The New Yoker

"Tender is the Night, the book that caused F Scott Fitzgerald the most artistic heartache, was neither a critical nor a commercial success when it was first published in 1934. But its reputation has, rightly, grown and it remains one of my favourite books, suffused as it is wit

• Language: English
• Publisher: Woolf Haus Publishing
• Release date: Sep 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781925788198

F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) is regarded as one of the greatest American authors of the 20th century. His short stories and novels are set in the American ‘Jazz Age’ of the Roaring Twenties and include This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender Is the Night, The Great Gatsby, The Last Tycoon, and Tales of the Jazz Age.

Reviews for Tender is the Night

[tairngire · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Reprehensible characters, beautiful settings and intriguing prose: Tender is the Night is not as enjoyable as his better known novel, but it was a satisfying enough read. Though the stretch of years between parts broke the narrative up too abruptly and seemed to me to increase the dullness of the plot at times.

[salmondaze · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night shows a steep decline in quality from his earlier books. Gone is the perfection of expression so readily on display in The Great Gatsby; gone also is the sense of true tragedy (and this is another tragedy from Fitzgerald, make no mistake), the vivid characterization, and the intuitive sense of plot and pace. Where Fitzgerald was a growing artist in his first two books, showing characters that were both snobby and satisfying, here he seems to have lost the thread of those works and instead opted for characters painted exclusively in beige. I don't know whether it was the tremendous amount of time he took between Gatsby and this book, the purported alcoholic binges, or the mental decline of his wife, but never before has an artist showed such a stark dimming of talent than here. The first section is some of the worst writing in Fitzgerald's entire career as a novelist.

[robindawson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

.This novel explores the disintegration of a young American psychiatrist, Dick Diver. He’s bright, aspiring, idealistic, but makes the fatal mistake of falling for a patient, Nicole, and then marrying her. While he has a very positive effect on her mental health, he becomes the rock on which she is balanced, and he loses himself in the process. As she ascends he descends. Overall, a disappointment. The structure is odd. It seems to start in the middle, and this reduced my prospects of identifying with Dick - or caring about his disintegration. At times the prose is obscure and over dramatic. I think perhaps Fitzgerald wrestled too long with this book and lost his way. He wanted to write another mighty book; he tried a variety of characters and structures and in the end the result is a somewhat scattered and incoherent novel.

[sandsing7 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I've tried to tackle this text twice now - once with the audiobook and once with the text itself - and could not make it more than halfway through before giving up. The classic Fitzgerald lifestyle and characters that are so enthralling and rich in The Great Gatsby fall flat here, and the story is so belabored with thick prose that it was tedious trying to make some forward progress. I was hoping for more.

[juliamaria-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Diese deutsche Übersetzung "folgt der ursprünglichen Fassung von 1934. Die 1982 bei Diogenes ebenfalls unter dem Titel "Zärtlich ist die Nacht" erschienene Ausgabe beruhte auf einer 1951 bei Charles Scribner's Sons postum herausgegebenen Fassung."

[allisinner · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I debated rating this book higher and it may well deserve to rate higher as once I got through the first third of the book, I found it quite engaging. However, the first part of the book, I found the story and characters off putting enough to put it down and not touch again for a year. It may well be that high school English teahers were haunting me with their whispers of finding themes and symbols in a story that I was looking so hard for deeper meaning in every word that I was missing the story. I couldn't see the forest for the trees, so to speak. I must admit though, that once I did pick up the book again I found myself quickly involved with the story and caring about characters that I had previouly dismissed as unlikable. In the end I am glad I picked up this book once again and gave it a second chance.

[monkeypats · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tender is the Night surpasses the more popular Great Gatsby. The book again is autobiographical in nature, with Nicole, the wife of the main character Dick, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's real-life wife Zelda. The external appearance of happiness created by the rich life lived on the French Riviera covers Nicole's psychological difficulties and Dick's attempts to live only on the surface due to his inability to continue coping with Nicole's problems. In spite of her psychiatric malfunctions, I found Nicole relatable and appealing and Dick's efforts equally interesting and likeable. This book has become one of my all-time favorites and I highly recommend it!

[matt_sessions_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic book.

[mariamarthe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not an easy read - there is a lot of pain in this book, no doubt based on Fitzgerald's own experiences with his wife Zelda, who suffered from schizophrenia. It is a beautiful, touching, truthful book. I couldn't put it down.

[leslian_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't muster the tiniest about of sympathy for these characters; rich, self-involved characters who lazily make terrible decisions that will ruin their lives don't entice or interest me. I'd be more specific, but would hate to ruin the story in case someone else actually enjoys it. But I am certainly not one of those people.

[sarathena1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the greatest novels of all time, beautifully (though esoterically) written. A love story encompassing mental illness, alcoholism, infatuation, tragic flaws, power, and pride.

[smiler69 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's taken me a long time to get around to this review. Truth is, I still can't find interesting to say about it. After reading The Great Gatsby, I became an instant fan of Fitzergarld’s, which is why I picked up this book. But the style I found so enchanting in TGG quickly became cloying this time around, and furthermore I didn’t connect with any of the characters or their experiences in this story, even though they are faced with issues, such as mental health problems, which normally touch me in some ways. This book had it's moments, but it's safe to say that had I started with Tender is the Night first, it would have given me a much less favourable impression of Fitzgerald's great talent. More tedious than enjoyable, but still glad I added it to my repertoire. Three stars because no matter what, you can't deny his genius as a writer.

[juliabeth · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For me, this was a disappointment for Fitzgerald; the story is a little scattered and the characters do not interest me or seize my investment the way I'm accustomed to his characters doing.

[soylentgreen23 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A personal favourite - though I can't discuss why exactly for fearing of ruining it for everyone who hasn't read it yet. I actually almost - almost - prefer the story to "The Great Gatsby;" there's something tragic about this tale of romance and illness that goes further than an unrequited love ever could. The ultimate book of sacrifice - though depending on how you interpret what happens.

[joanneweston · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Really mixed feelings about this one! Was a re-read from approx 20 years ago, and my memory (hazy) is that I thought WOW at the time. This time, I just didn't actually get it really. Was quite pleased just to get to the end. Shame, as I suppose my expectations were high, and they were dashed. Hate not finishing a book so forced myself through it.

[neildalley · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I found it very difficult to get to know, like or even want to like most of the characters in the book. The one positive thing is that I think it makes you reassess how you view mental illness and those affected by it.

[tripleagirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A screwed up story about a bunch of people with almost unlimited resources who somehow seem deprived of the sense they were born with. I was so happy when it ended.

[edenkal_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I have to say I was very disappointed with this book. After reading The Great Gatsby I was eager to read more of F. Scott Fitzgeralds work so I thought I would read the one that took him the longest to write. I could honestly tell that he struggled to write this book. He was all over the place and it didn't even seem like a story. It took me a much longer time to read this than I had anticipated, but I was determined to finish it. The only good thing about this book is it does let you know a little bit about his life with Zelda, but he should have just written an autobiography instead of changing a few things and try to pass it off as fiction. I will read all of his other books anyway, but I really don't think Tender is the Night was worth the time.

[rainbowdarling · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I gave this book a solid try - I really did. It's been on my shelf for ages, and I've never seemed to get past the first ten pages or so. This time, I really endeavored through, only to find that not one of the characters was compelling enough to make me want to see what happened to them. The style, while highly praised to me, just grated on my nerves after several pages and I found myself hesitant to read on.Ultimately, even the ending isn't satisfying as the "main character" ends up in ruin while other characters had a standard, uneventful existence at the end.

[schmerguls · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I started reading this on Mar 10, 1952, and described it that day as eminently readable. On Mar 11 I called it a tour de force, and said it was by far the best I'd read of Fitzgerald's work. Of course I draw morals from the story: the unhappiness of wealth, the dangers of weak-willedness in regard to liquor. I thought the author a little weak when dealing with the actual exhibition of mental illness and its manifestation, but he is superb when dealing with the bored, the distressed, and the frenzied. He is wonderful at depicting social embarrassment, and the after effects. He is on such sure ground I tthink mainly because he lived the kind of life he did. He stands out in in his novels--he is much more obvious--because he lived at a full, riotous, and crazy pace and so endured so much. This is the best novel I've read so far this year.. I finsihd the book on March 12 and said the ending was weak but suitable.

[doondeck · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very troubling story about an era long gone. The writing is superb.

[reneh-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had seen a tv series after this book a long time ago, and that series left a good impression with me. Now, many years later, I have read the book, and I must say that it disappointed me. The story simply could not grip me and I even had some difficulty in finishing the book. The three stars I gave are also baded on my impression by the tv series. For the book only I would probably just give two stars.

[miguelnunonave · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not so great a story as Gatsby, though still a great exercise of style. Emotionally intense, with typically flawed Fitzgeraldian characters and a superb depiction of mental illness.

[cattylj-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think I need to re-read this. I don't know if I'll like it anymore the next time that I do, but I barely remember it.

[sandydog1_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A complex soap opera filled with unsavory, wealthy, dysfunctional characters.

[jpsnow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't even try to comment on why Fitzgerald's writing is so great. There is so much essence about human interaction, so much vivid imagery, so many nuances captured in concise ideas. Tender is the Night was the book that introduced me to Fitzgerald's genius. Examples I found clever: the description of the psychiatrist listening and nodding as if he were Sherlock Holmes, anticipating "a valet, and only a valet," that any man only has one or two ideas really, and the comparison of France "where everyone thinks he's Napoleon" vs. Italy where "everyone think's he's Christ."

[dalla_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Heavy going but beautifully written in parts. Slightly rambling and disjointed.

[morag_eyrie · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I found this book disturbing in what it revealed about the author's mindset. A misogynist and a racist from what I could tell. A bully. The era he was living in is no excuse: read Edith Wharton to see that it's not necessary to have those attitudes. I also found it surprisingly badly written; it was difficult to read and didn't flow, and I often found it difficult to know exactly what the author was alluding to, or more bluntly, what had just happened in the story. Perhaps it was his attempt to be arty, more likely there were assumptions about what his contemporary readership would understand. To me this just makes it dated. I was hoping to have found a new (old) author to explore but I won't bother. I am now interested in reading some feminist analysis of his relationship with his real life wife. Was she also sexually abused by her father I wonder or did he make that up, or take it from another person's life?

[chris_v_7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fitzgerald's beautifully written analysis of an American married couple whose life gives way under external and internal pressure while abroad. Drawn largely on his own crumbling marriage to the schizophrenic Zelda this is another of the Fitzgerald novels I could do with re-reading.

[elizabrown_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

an unusual winding tale that begins with great fourish and detail and has a non-ending tinged with hollow sadness, interesting in a historical sense ... wealthy americans in Europe in the 20's ... but left me feeling let down