On Favorite Authors: F. Scott Fitzgerald

  Every decade of twentieth century has had a distinct flavor and theme. Whether it's the rebellion of the 60s or the tempestuous war efforts in the 40s, every ten years offers their own unique cultural blends that contribute toward the evolution of a nation, in this case, America. Throughout these times, authors have commendably striven to capture the essence of their decade in written form and, though there are many examples of success in this, the most successful of these American writers is doubtlessly F. Scott Fitzgerald.  

Known for being a member of the famous "lost generation," a movement of American writers who became disenchanted with US culture and moved to Europe, F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of the most popular authors of his time, even rivaling Ernest Hemmingway. This popularity came as a result of Fitzgerald's fascinating and thoroughly accurate depiction of the culture of the twenties, a portrayal that stemmed directly from his real life encounters with the highly materialistic and romantic social trends of the time.  Adding to this accuracy was the fact that much of Fitzgerald's writing was semi-autobiographical as his personal experiences became the base for the legendary plots of his books.

Of all of his works, Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" is the most recognized and popular of his works.  The book  tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a man of unfathomable riches, and his quest to find the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan.  Though the book is relatively short, its plot is both deep and complex, while the characters are crisp and real.  Despite these points of mastery, Fitzgerald's symbolism is easily the center of "The Great Gatsby" as Gatsby's endless and ultimately futile search for Daisy represents American's desire for fulfillment amidst a sea of materialism, a quest that Fitzgerald concludes is hopeless.

Pros

Thoroughly engaging story, unforgettable characters, and fantastic symbolism are just some of the ingredients that put the "great" in Gatsby.  The setting is also unrivaled in its gorgeous 20's New York locale and upper class party scenes that reflect the excess and moral degradation of the twenties.

Cons

The aforementioned moral degradation is definitely worth noting as, though it serves an important purpose in both the plot and message of the story, it runs rampant among all the story's individuals and has no solid central character  to balance out the lack of virtue, a deficiency that I'm sure was part of Fitzgerald's plan for the book due to its reinforcement of the tale's message.

Conclusion

Though possessing a few intentional moral hurdles, "The Great Gatsby" is indeed one of the finest works of American literature and easily brings F. Scott Fitzgerald to a point of equality among the likes of Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, and Ernest Hemmingway.

On Favorite Authors: Edmond Rostand

When it comes to French playwrights, there are two authors who stand out, Moliere and Edmond Rostand. Though each of them wrote numerous works, both are remembered primarily for one crowning achievement, those being "Tartuffe" and "Cyrano de Bergerac" respectively. While Moliere's hilarious "Tartuffe" rose to success largely due to its extremely controversial plot material, "Cyrano de Bergerac" owed its popularity to being a unique story with a truly memorable hero who connected with his audience. 

The narrative of "Cyrano de Bergerac" revolves around its titular character, Hercule de Savinian de Cyrano de Bergerac, or Cyrano, a Gascon soldier whose most distinctive characteristics are his overpowering panache and oversized nose.

Though incredibly gifted in poetic language, wit, and combat, Cyrano is extremely self-conscious about his nose, not believing it possible for any woman to see past it and love him.  This leads him to partner with a handsome but bumbling soldier named Christian in an attempt to woo the beautiful Roxanne.  Naturally, this sets into motion a hilarious and wildly amusing string of events, culminating in an ending that sets it on par with the much more popular Shakespearean comedies.

Pros

The entirety of "Cryano de Bergerac's" narrative bursts with distinction in its colorful characters, engaging narrative, and brilliant ending. Whether it's Rostand's humorous take on the 'balcony scene' or witty verbal exchanges between rivals in romance, "Cyrano de Bergerac is a well-paced masterpiece that easily earns its place as one of the finest examples of French drama.

Cons

There are very few works that could be called flawless, however, "Cyrano de Bergerac" strives to, and almost succeeds at reaching this distinction.  It should be noted, though, that the ending is of a divisive nature and won't leave all audiences as enamored as my earlier implications may have suggested.

Conclusion

Edmond Rostand's most memorable work is one of the most fantastic examples of performed literature and should be ranked alongside the likes of Shakespeare, Sophocles, and Aeschylus.

Postscript:
The 1990 film, "Cyrano de Bergerac," starring Gerard Depardieu and Anne Brochet is an excellent film adaption of the book that does a fantastic job of retaining the play's vivid story and characters. It is definitely well-worth checking out.

On Favorite Authors: Dante

Of all the possible topics of discussion, favorite authors easily tops my list and remains one of my all time most preferred subjects of discourse.  Being a voracious reader, the task of amassing a list of favorite authors is, naturally, a massive undertaking that will likely not be completed anytime soon, however, I will content myself with taking one step at a time. Thus, without further ado, I shall start with one of my more unique choices: Dante Alighieri.

Midway upon the journey of life

I found myself in a forest dark,

for the straight path had been lost.

So begins Dante's epic journey through the three realms of the netherworld, each realm being expounded on in its own book, those being "Paradiso," "Purgatorio," and "Inferno."
To basically summarize the trilogy, Dante projects himself into the three books, which have him, as the main character, as a man who loses his way and gets led to the gates of hell by an angel named Beatrice, who bids him go on a tour of the underworld.  This sends him on an ethereal journey which, at least in the case of "Inferno," resembles a twisted version of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland," as it has Dante and his guide, the soul of the ancient Greek poet, Virgil, traveling through ever-changing landscapes inhabited by countless souls, many of them immediately recognizable, as in the case of Aristotle, Plato, Homer, and many other famous personas of history.

Pros

Though I am not usually fond of poetry, there are a number of exceptions and Dante's famous epics most definitely top that list, sharing the position with Homer's two mythological masterpieces.  Dante's vision of divine justice is one of the most vibrant, unique, and imaginative classical works in existence and succeeds in providing a rich, if fictional, look at the other side. As an added bonus, history buffs and readers of the classics will find a host of exciting looks at the otherworldly fates of popular literary characters, such as Orestes and Achilles, and historical figures, like Ceasar, Alexander the Great, and Cleopatra.

Cons

Though Dante's innovation pervades the entirety of his works,  seeing souls being punished or rewarded in countless new, and often grisly, ways, can get old fast and definitely is not for casual reading.  Ultimately, the works' poetry, combined with their old English and incredibly arcane symbolism also make them hard to interpret without some extensive experience poring through the classics. 

Conclusion

Though not for the faint of heart (both due to interpretation difficulties and grisly content) the works of Dante have more than earned their place among the classics and occupy a very special place in my library for their complete uniqueness and rich descriptive mastery.