Z

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald (2013) by Therese Anne Fowler. Told from Zelda's point of view in the first person, this novel paints a rather unflattering portrait of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Some scholars hold that Zelda ruined Scott, others that Scott abused Zelda. This book takes a fairly balanced view, although Scott comes out looking like a misogynistic bully and petty tyrant, while Zelda just looks weak and selfish. Both were prone to overindulging in alcohol, and were famously immature. It makes for an interesting read no matter how you slice it, and it certainly name-checks plenty of famous artists and writers of the 20th century. In particular, Ernest Hemingway is portrayed as a manipulative friend of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and an enemy to Zelda. This book deserves to be added to the canon of Scott-and-Zelda literature. Grade: B