The Beautiful and Damned

The story of Anthony Patch's pursuit of the beautiful, spoiled Gloria Gilbert and their financial and social decline after marriage seems interminable and rather self-indulgent; the dialog and descriptions, too, are strained. But in this audio edition of Fitzgerald's longest and arguably weakest novel, while actor/narrator Kirby Heyborne initially seems overwhelmed by the overripe verbiage, his understated style ultimately emerges as a perfect match for the callow hero, and he ably conveys the sense of wonder in audiences Fitzgerald surely intended them to feel. For Fitzgerald completists, who will savor this best reading The Beautiful and Damned is likely ever to receive, and for those who might appreciate the work for its portrait of early 20th-century New York. [Includes a full-text PDF ebook.—Ed.]—Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr. Lib.