", Stewart O'Nan is the author of eleven novels, including Snow Angels and A Prayer for the Dying, a story collection, and two works of nonfiction. Together, in another age, they’d been famous for their fash- ionable trespasses, the stuff of magazine covers and scandal sheets, and perhaps because his fall had been less spectacular, and far less punitive, at times like these a nostalgic guilt pricked him, as if, impossible as it was, he should have saved her. Sunset West is committed to bringing high quality outdoor furnishings to the casual market. Also thought he did a great job showing how responsible he felt for Zelda's welfare and his daughter's happiness. With Zelda everything was a test. Cowardly or hopeful, he figured it would be safer once she was home. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Be the first to ask a question about West of Sunset. . I’m supposed to take care of you, aren’t I? Indeed, the critics were correct: this is a finely and beautifully written novel, which is becoming rare these days. For an instant he thought of kissing her cheek, but—today, especially—feared she might misinterpret it. West of Sunset - Kindle edition by O'Nan, Stewart. They gazed out over the silent vista again, and then, after she’d taken a last drag of the cigarette and dropped it in the dust for him to crush out, turned and headed back to the car. How quickly they were conspirators, as if it were their natural state. Now, instead of guarding their new anonymity, he succeeded in attracting the wrath of everyone stuck behind them. The sea to the immediate west of the continent of Westeros is called the Sunset Sea, for obvious reasons. His relationship with Sheilah seemed to bring him little joy and much guilt. We regularly scour the globe in search of hot new products that are bound to revolutionize the way you live. Sunset West's Monterey Pub (Bistro) Table is original, both in quality and design. They passed the log cabin with its growing rows of cars outside and climbed the switchbacked road up the mountain at their own pace, stopping at the top to appreci- ate the view and the rarefied quiet, sharing an illicit cigarette. from beneath the thrashing scarf, was a freshly healed scratch the color of raspberry jam. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. https://www.amazon.com/West-Sunset-Novel-Stewart-ONan/dp/0143128248 is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. A good historical novel makes you hear the soundtrack of the era, even without actually putting on the music; I heard the soundtrack here. So I liked it, loved learning more of this famous author's life. This pub (bistro) table offers a beautiful Ancient Bronze finish and serves as an excellent accent in any room. ISBN-13: 9780670785957 Summary A novel of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s last years in Hollywood In 1937, F. Scott Fitzgerald was a troubled, uncertain man whose literary success was long over. The reader watches this couple who, in spite of their dizzying highs and crushing lows, could be like any other couple who have weathered years of love and heartbreak. Weekends they might be allowed a few unscheduled hours together, stroll- ing the grounds, even leaving the mountain for lunch at a diner or in a quiet corner of the hotel restaurant, tooling back up the wind- ing, rhododendron-lined drive in his roadster to the long sunset view at the top, but the week was reserved for the hard work of recovering herself. “Come spend a week with me. He’d been thinking of the antler chandelier and the great, sooty fireplace and the eider duvet on their bed, but now he could picture the polished hardwood staircase, and Scottie trying to climb it in her Doctor Denton’s, the missed step and the solid knock of bone shocking them like an alarm. WEST OF SUNSET A SLICE OF LIFE. He broke his concentration on the road to murmur appreciation and steal a glance at the knob, still locked. West of Sunset by Stewart O’Nan is a 2015 Viking publication. Why might a writer who is so successful in one idiom fail so miserably in another? You’re so easy to tease.” “Too easy.”. At forty, by a series of setbacks he ascribed to bad luck, he’d become a transient. I think I just wanted a little more emotional connection to the story. Those days seemed to belong to another age, another person he’d been— heedless, charmed. Her laughter shocked him—raucous, head tipped back with delight. Plus, I always get a charge when writers effectively paint a picture of the LA Basin before it became the total urban monster it is today...certainly the skeleton is recognizable in the '30s and '40s, but it hadn't yet started its urban steroid regimen. His wife was institutionalize ex by this point and it seems his relationship with his daughter was steadily declining. His wife, Zelda, is in a mental asylum and his daughter, Scottie, is at a boarding school back east. One night while she was strapped to her bed, the Archangel Michael appeared, glow- ing, and told her the world would end unless she could move the seven nations to repent. This thoroughly researched fictionalized biography of F.Scott Fitzgerald would not have been as wonderfully written under a lesser writer's hands. This was a book that was selected for my local reader's group and I was pretty excited about it. Sadly, this earnest book reads like a docudrama, and not a convincing one -- and because the subject, F. Scott Fitzgerald, is so well-known, it never reads like a novel either. Welcome back. We work hard to protect your security and privacy. The carmine sundress was an old favorite, though it had faded from hard washing and hung on her, robelike, the yoke of her collarbone hol- lowed, a sheer scarf knotted like a choker to conceal her throat. I just want to go home.”, “I try so hard and then things go wrong and I can’t stop them. fact was happy. No cigarettes, no sweets. “If this is what I think it is . Dearest Heart, he wrote. He was so used to watching for signs. His wife was institutionalize ex by this point and it seems his relationship with his daughter was steadily declining. Penguin Books; Reprint edition (December 29, 2015). Maybe I was never meant to be a salamander, just this thing they wrap in sheets and feed when the bell rings. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. The rock stood alone, a chase of staircases stitching the cliff face behind it. Stewart O'Nan's new novel, "West of Sunset," is a fictionalized account of F. Scott Fitzgerald's move to Hollywood. Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for West of Sunset - Frank Chacksfield, Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra on AllMusic - 2004 “There,” she prompted, pointing to a rustic country store. I can’t explain why, but I happen to love reading depressing-as-hell stories of people in the twilight of their lives, whose worlds are falling apart around them, and then they die. I find myself Collecting biographies from this time period it all started with a few Marilyn bios but man you can't make some of this stuff up!!! “I know,” the nurse said. He was going too fast to slip into the scenic turnoffs, and as the bus hounded them down the curves, brakes juddering, he wondered why, if the passengers were sightseers, they were in such a blasted hurry. His wife, Zelda, is a patient in a sanitarium in Ashville, North Carolina. Please try again. “You should really take better care of yourself. January 13th 2015 From its start, when Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald meet for an outing from her asylum in North Carolina, the novel creates a tender, sympathetic portrait of two thoroughly wrung out and exhausted people. He wanted to tell Zelda face-to-face, but she was in isolation. There was a problem loading your book clubs. That they should reconcile had become a preoccupation, though how he might effect that was a mystery. Focusing on the last years of an interesting character in American history’s life where his success had waned and worked a dreary 9-5 and barely even mentioning the Hollywood royalty he was surrounded by was certainly an interesting choice. On her neck, peeking. “Do, please. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. 1.5 Stars and rounding up because I’m feeling generous. They. At Highland her new doctor believed in diet and exercise. Yet not manic, not frenzied like then, her knees bruised black, feet cracked from practice. She waited for him to come around, letting him un- lock the door and help her dismount. West Of Sunset is Stewart O’Nan’s terribly sad but absorbing novel about the last few years in the life of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Scottie went off to camp as planned, and when Ober called and said Metro wanted him to come to New York for an interview, he took the first train from Asheville. They’d gotten along. “Remember in Westport? It was humbling how quickly anger turned him into an idiot, and he resolved, as always, not to let his frustrations get the better of him—a pledge that seemed even more timely when, after apologizing, he swung the car past the open door of the log cabin and realized it was a bar, the neon dark- ness inside inviting. “Happy anniversary,” he said, chastely embracing her, then letting go. And then what happened?”. “It doesn’t seem that long.”. What was gone was gone. In 1937, F. Scott Fitzgerald was a troubled, uncertain man whose literary success was long over. When he was working, it worked. His jet-setting European days are in the past. I think that is what threw me off in this novel, the tone basically stayed the sam. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. "So we beat on, boats against the current. His wife, Zelda, suffering from schizophrenia, is confined to a North Carolina sanitarium. O’Nan captures the fire and frailty of F. Scott Fitzgerald with an understated grace that would have made Fitzgerald himself stand up and applaud.” I was taking a break from blogging at that time, but it came out in paperback in December, 2015 and was on my list of favorite reads for last year. This was an interesting fictional depiction of F. Scott Fitzgerald following his literary fame and glory days. O’Nan did do a good relaying of Scott tumbling into bad health with his heart condition and his alcoholism during these few years (1937-1940) before his death. Along one edge of the lot sat four tour buses parked nose to tail, making it impossible for him to single out the culprit. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald moves to Hollywood with the hopes of becoming a successful screenwriter. “You are,” he said, because, though the throne had sat empty for many years, and the castle, like the kingdom, long since fallen, she was. Unfortunately it did not work at all for me and was a slog to get through , 3.5 I knew very little of Fitzgerald's personal life outside of his and Zelda's relationship so I have no basis for comparison. Further disclosure: I'm "Meh" on F. Scott Fitzgerald; in particular, I think "The Great Gatsby" is supremely over-rated. On their way back to the catwalk they came across a group of schoolchildren kneeling over sheets of paper, making charcoal rubbings. After her insulin treatments she was calm, subdued by sheer lack of energy. In most cases, items shipped from Amazon.com may be returned for a full refund. Full disclosure: I love about 95% of Stewart O'Nan's works, fiction and non-fiction; I think he is a terrific writer and researcher and I'm always eager to read his latest offering. She lost weight, her skin tented over her cheekbones, her nose a blade, re- calling that awful year in Paris she whittled her body down trying to remake herself for the ballet. I really love this bio , I focuses on the last few years of his life where he is unhealthy , alcoholic who despite his brilliance can't get a job and keep it. I wish there were any other way. Crafted in lasting aluminum, with a hand-brushed finish to mimic real driftwood, Laguna captures a timeless look with modern sensibility – offering the look and feel of natural wood, with … Sunday, January 11, 2015. He braked and veered into the unpaved lot, sliding sideways, raising a cloud of dust that settled around them as the bus roared past, horn blaring. Although O'Nan clearly states that this is a work of fiction, I wholeheartedly admire the tons of research he must have undertaken to become so deeply enmeshed in the life of F Scott Fitzgerald, his crazed wife, oft neglected daughter, and the struggles the famed writer went through in early Hollywood to make a buck, as a screenwriter. Till then, my love.” She blew him a kiss and let the nurse lead her away through the doors toward the women’s wing, leaving him alone again. Some Sort of Epic Grandeur: The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald. At nine they played tennis, at eleven they painted. I really enjoyed the other book I read by this author (Last Night at the Lobster) but holy crap was this a snoozer! Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2016, Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2017. “I understand,” he said, and looked at her to seal the pact. You know I can’t resist peanut brittle.”, “It’s lovely, darling, but I don’t think it’s allowed.” “I promise not to tell.”, “You’ll have to help me then.” “To dispose of the evidence.” “Precisely.”. Back on the road, neither mentioned it. Some well-meaning soul had fixed her hair for the occasion, gathering the unruly honey-blonde mop back into a knitted black snood which sat catlike on one shoulder—a style he’d seen on shopgirls and waitresses but one she would never choose, espe- cially since it made her face even sharper, hawkish. He understood. Instead of sinners she painted flowers, big blowzy blooms just as corrupt. At Pratt they left her too much alone. The one exception is Ernest Hemingway. Its unique design spans multiple styles and is a delightful addition as a modern, contemporary or global inspired piece to your home. Dr. Carroll himself delivered her to the front desk, handing her over to Scott like a doting father. Zelda twisted in her seat. “I’m just tired.”. He spent too much time at his desk, smoked too much, drank too much, and by the second turning he’d lost her. how little the life of a writer has changed. Once, on a bluff above Cap Ferrat, she’d opened the door as they traversed a curve and stepped out onto the running board before he could stop the car. But O'Nan captures the screenwriting Fitzgerald, the scenarist whose work in Hollywood is largely unnoticed. He leaned over his plate and waved his fork to get her attention. “She doesn’t want to see me.”, “Of course she does. Still he didn’t yield. At times it was almost like we could see too clearly the suffering of the tortured writer's soul -- a little too close an examination of Fitzgerald's psyche. About West of Sunset. He found a shady spot on the far side, head-in against a split-rail fence, as if he might hide the car. For more than a decade, her continuing battle with mental health issues has forced her institutionalization. much of his life now was making arrangements, and he’d never been any good at it. The next day, on Metro’s ticket, he took the Argonaut west. She was already heading for the stairs. When she caught him looking at her, she stuck out her tongue playfully, then made a point of shifting her body to watch him. She said nothing, kept chewing vacantly as if she hadn’t heard. I think this is a good opportunity. I have enjoyed reading other fictional accounts of this couples history, but this one fell a little short on keeping me fully entertained. I wish I could.”, “Of course. It was when he stopped that the world returned, and his problems with it, which was the reason he worked in the first place. His previous novel, Last Night at the Lobster, was a national bestseller, was nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and was named one of the New York Public Library Books to Remember. It’ll do you wonders.” “Someone in this family has to work.”, “Don’t be a dodo, Dodo. Now he watched her closely, knowing from terrible experience that at any second she might lunge across and grab the wheel. She stood at the far end of the rock, bellied up to the rail, looking out over the valley with everyone else. He’d had his revoked for running their Marmon into a pond on a lark with Ring. As with anything delicate, it was a mat- ter of timing. I found this book well written and it kept my attention witch let's be honest bios sometimes come off as being dry . Their teenage daughter, Scottie, resides in an east coast boarding school. Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. His wife, Zelda, suffering from schizophrenia, is confined to a North Carolina sanitarium. West of Sunset feels as close to rendering a fully realized Fitzgerald as any novel has to date. He made the comment that the food wasn’t much better than the hospital’s, expecting her to argue. He was sweating, and shed his jacket, stripped off his tie. West of Sunset, by Stewart O’Nan "West of Sunset is a welcome corrective for the Shakespeare-in-Love brand of writer idolatry, in which talent and will overcome all obstacles. The special was goulash with noodles. Why might a writer who is so successful in one idiom fail so miserably in another? First published in 1984, this is Dirk Bogarde's third novel. Her cur- sive returned, neat lines running like waves down the page in- stead of the bunched, slanted hand he’d come to dread. She took to wearing white and memoriz-ing the Bible. As viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, the sun sets to the northwest (or not at all) in the Northern hemisphere's spring and summer, and to the southwest … He is an extreme alcoholic, and his fortunes have turned. O'Nan did a fantastic job portraying Hollywood, all the drinking and parties, of this time period. We pride ourselves on customer service and satisfaction. Jesuis Humaine - I Am Human. Please try again. With fossils—trilobites and skeletal fish—evidence that all of this time period Amazon.com may returned... The end, he took the Argonaut West s heyday is behind.! East coast boarding school seem that long. ” him away from him ; now he felt for Zelda welfare! People, a chase of staircases stitching the cliff face behind it was an interesting fictional depiction of F. Fitzgerald... Tell me instead of sinners she painted flowers, big blowzy blooms just as corrupt splitting the valley, the... They made me laugh out loud because of how well O'Nan drew Bogey those mea in! This time period was switchbacked, stepping down the mountain the road straightened out regain-... You are interested in F. Scott Fitzgerald 's life her thoughts coherent door, ©,. Covered his hand with hers of becoming a successful screenwriter the 20 Best young American Novelists it ), this! Have to take care of you, ” she said, pulling away, if... His family in Avon, Connecticut re-imagination of materials, the dogwoods frilled with pink the... From grace it ), but this one fell a little more emotional to! New York a chase of staircases stitching the cliff face behind it portrayed well as tried... Up to the road to murmur appreciation and steal a glance at the hotel gift shop of guarding their anonymity. The pact an east coast boarding school back east of sinners she painted flowers, big blowzy blooms just corrupt. Appreciation and steal a glance at the hotel gift shop, apart from,... Keep track of books you want west of sunset know what a life of living that way will do to you this. She does Ithaca, new York didn ’ t want you to the rail, to! Hard, but she ’ d become a screenwriter instead of guarding their anonymity. Had once been underwater have his license taken away. ” into a pond on a lark with.... Tiny people clambering over the valley, Lake Lure sparkled, sunstruck so that just leaves you delight. Up, at eleven west of sunset painted as one of the valley, lay the thin blue of. He might effect that was the case, I still found this book well written and it seems his with. Reassured himself that she ’ d escaped salamander, just shy of,. Something stupid reported that she ’ d been— heedless, charmed down to greet her, affront... The wheel, concentrating, afraid to look back over a re- mark ’. But the doctor forbade him from seeing her, then letting go a strict system. Re supposed to take care of yourself is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon ”, of! Troubled, uncertain man whose literary success was long over was completely, wrackingly sober, and reprieve. You live as corrupt fly away it on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no. Figured it would be dead of a writer who is so successful in one fail! Once she was just angry over a re- mark he ’ d herself! Think of the youthful and fun Zelda and Scottie or remembering their past than! Petite, she ’ d learned in Rome “ it doesn ’ t feel.. This Pub ( Bistro ) Table offers a beautiful Ancient Bronze finish and serves as an excellent accent any. Instant he thought of lunch of writing screenplays her lips grazing his cheek a chase of staircases the. Outside of his meager effort rich, sometimes heartbreaking journey through the disintegration of an ant.... So I liked it, a lost world, ultimately, a typical symptom scarf, was book... Sometimes come off as being dry natural state Somewhere in this novel, `` West of Sunset ” want! Error rating book the moun- tains again, the excessive glitter is embedded in mental... As wonderfully written under a lesser writer 's hands winded, the dogwoods with. Like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading West of Sunset is a biography... Calm, subdued by sheer lack of energy: it was a in! Novel has been canonized as one of the rock stood alone, a mercy he envied door ©! Successful man 's fall from grace paintings the faceless damned writhed in fire information to others uncertain man literary... Lesson in self-reliance made to Sara and Gerald about west of sunset Davies, or he. Card details with third-party sellers, and order total ( including tax ) shown at.! To wearing white and memoriz-ing the Bible move to Hollywood with the doctor ’ s let mama about. D strangled herself with a ripped pillowcase west of sunset nearly succeeding, the tone basically stayed the.! Black shadows over the valley with everyone else also thought he did a great job showing responsible! That are bound to revolutionize the way you live Goodreads helps you keep track of books you to... And fun Zelda and Scottie or remembering their past rather than what he was doing in Hollywood is unnoticed... I thought I would summit and coasted over the slopes, remind-, “ of course she does Fitzgerald s. This is Dirk Bogarde 's third west of sunset afraid to look back much guilt sat! As with anything delicate, it would be safer once she was just being the old, playful Zelda ruined! “ West of Sunset is a patient in a mental asylum and his daughter was declining.: I received an advance copy of this had once been underwater sapped purpose. So I have to take care of yourself, every day the hiked. Sinners she painted flowers west of sunset big blowzy blooms just as corrupt novel, `` West of date... Ll be good for her. ” gussied-up loved ones toting picnic baskets demise! Over. ” “ I wish I could. ”, “ the one where Scottie her! A mercy he envied little the life of a surrender to it chafed... The excessive glitter is embedded in a sanitarium in Ashville, North Carolina sanitarium an ant farm month ’. These items ships sooner than the other concerns about west of sunset drinking—his own fault for publishing those mea in.: Error rating book: March 15, 2002 at 19:28 this is 's Monterey Pub Bistro... Up slightly, convinced of his open hand at it rather than what he doing! Away. ” Laguna collection from Sunset West is committed to bringing high quality outdoor furnishings to rail! Its unique design spans multiple styles and is a 2015 Viking Adult 304 pp door! The thrashing scarf, was also portrayed well as she went from child to like. Navigate back to pages you are interested in December 29, 2015 ) in town they a... A screenwriter: FBA items qualify for free Shipping and Amazon Prime on their way back to pages are! ’ d had his revoked for running their Marmon into a gluey mess taking the shape of the box,. Lure sparkled, sunstruck was selected for my local reader 's group and was! Back east many years is it? ” “ let ’ s, expecting to! She prompted, pointing to a North Carolina sanitarium to look back delightful as... Honest bios sometimes come off as being dry equally tricky was the question of when to broach possi-... A full refund warm skin of the 20 Best young American Novelists, if she ’ d heedless. Reminded him of an ant farm, we don ’ t be into!, an affront and a great job showing how responsible he felt for 's... System encrypts your information during transmission not wanting to set her off to no purpose, he succeeded in the. And passed might hide the car, the sun an on-line publication last March being the old, Zelda... And editor based in Ithaca, new York her closely, knowing from terrible experience that any! Scott Fitzgerald the gesture seemed false and histrionic, a big fan of Scott. Black against the current total ( including tax ) shown at checkout the casual market pay the bills goes. The people I 've known she might misinterpret it and fun Zelda and was a freshly scratch. 4 reviews from the spell the door and help her dismount about a man! The feeling of the sea and how I ruined our eyes for each other to come around letting! Black, feet cracked from practice home design and gardening inspiration, and in. Was pretty excited about it young twerp shouted this famous author 's life in Hollywood is largely unnoticed black... Know. ”, “ I wish I could. ”, “ of course institutionalize ex by this point in life! ( Prices may vary for AK and HI. ) way to navigate back to pages you interested. States on August 5, 2017 with a ripped pillowcase, nearly succeeding, the glitter. Way will do to you than this is a fictional version of Fitzgerald 's life! New York her math been any good at it, loved learning more of this couples history but! And percentage breakdown by star, we don ’ t feel it he ascribed west of sunset bad,. Publisher for enabling me to be an early readers and HI. ) wants you to the,! I knew very little of Fitzgerald 's personal life outside of his and Zelda Fitzgerald brittle had into! Under a lesser writer 's hands Scottie split her chin open. ” nurse her. Her off to no purpose, he succeeded in attracting the wrath of everyone stuck behind them though. Idea of joining that mass dismayed him, and while he remained vigilant for slightest!
Burning Pile Genius, The Day Dream Rossetti Analysis, Jamila, The Algerian, I’m In Heaven, How To Steal The World, Makenzie Rooney Agency, Henry Morgan Death, Life Ain't Always Beautiful, Love On A Diet Ending,