... Gore Vidal on Scott Fitzgerald: A Passing Phase. (Via the Kenyon Review.) Have I ever mentioned that I think Vidal is an ass? The author of Myra Breckinridge looking down on the author of The Great Gatsby. What is the world coming to?
I think you may be interested by my blog (even if it is in French language...). Some texts are about Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy, GM Hopkins, Jospeh Conrad and many others... Regards.
I think Fitzgerald was probably dyslexic but too much can be made of the amount of help he received from Perkins. Fizgerald agonised over every word and every sentence and changed nothing without good reason.
Fitzgerald did not consider himself at the top of the first division as a writer but he did believe he was at the head of the second. I think he got his assessment about right. The Great Gatsby is a minor masterpiece, and, almost uniquely, is pretty near flawless.
I don't know how good a writer Vidal is but I do know he's not in the same league as Fitzgerald.
I think you may be interested by my blog (even if it is in French language...). Some texts are about Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy, GM Hopkins, Jospeh Conrad and many others...
ReplyDeleteRegards.
I think Fitzgerald was probably dyslexic but too much can be made of the amount of help he received from Perkins. Fizgerald agonised over every word and every sentence and changed nothing without good reason.
ReplyDeleteFitzgerald did not consider himself at the top of the first division as a writer but he did believe he was at the head of the second. I think he got his assessment about right. The Great Gatsby is a minor masterpiece, and, almost uniquely, is pretty near flawless.
I don't know how good a writer Vidal is but I do know he's not in the same league as Fitzgerald.
Yes, Pundy, Fitzgerald did make a sound assessment of himself. "I had," he said, "a beautiful talent." And so he did.
ReplyDelete