This Side of Paradise

Tried to read it years ago, but just never could get into it. I should give it another shot.

The Beautiful & Damned is my favorite Gatsby book, but it's also pretty depressing.

Agreed, though I think the point of the political spiel had something to do with his socialist friend from Princeton—not that socialism is necessarily good—but that his friend represented someone who truly knew himself, and Amory coming to the same conclusions (on socialism) I think represents him finally knowing himself. It's also strange to me, though, that the socialist ideas espoused in this novel were, in a way, radically individualistic, which is not typically a marking of socialism.

I've read it. Agree it is depressing, but it's still one of my favorite books.

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I always hated Steinbeck.

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Steinbeck has long been my favorite. I really like Fitzgerald as well.

Gatsby and Tender is the Night are classics. I didn't read This Side of Paradise because I thought it would be a downer. Maybe I will try it. Regarding the Steinbeck comments, I have always enjoyed his books. The Grapes of Wrath was worthy of its Pulitzer Prize. In school I used to always pick The Pearl to do book reports on because it was always the shortest book on the list.

For Steinbeck folks, I highly suggest biting off both In Dubious Battle and To a God Unknown as lesser known Steinbeck books that are a totally different flavor.

My MA Thesis was on In Dubious Battle. I'm a sucker for that era of American literature and the whole pivotal time when socialism and capitalism vied for the hearts and minds of America.