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Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald


A novel that is as heartbreaking as it is mesmerizing.
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Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

Created: 03/27/13

Replies: 12

Posted Mar. 27, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lisag

Join Date: 01/12/12

Posts: 298

Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare? If not, which writers would you like to read about in novel form?


Posted Mar. 27, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
ashleyb

Join Date: 03/27/13

Posts: 13

RE: Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

I've also read a biography of Zelda Fitzgerald by Nancy Milford who is an author I very much enjoy. I felt that it told more of Zelda's story than did Z, which focused more on Scott and his relationships (especially with Hemingway). Another excellent book written by Nancy Milford about a woman writer is Savage Beauty, about Edna St Vincent Millay. I enjoyed it more than I did Z. Regardless, Z is not to be discounted as it has a distinct point of view into the lives of the Fitzgeralds.


Posted Mar. 28, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
debrap

Join Date: 10/26/12

Posts: 14

RE: Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

I compare this novel to "Loving Frank"( about Frank Lloyd Wright) by Nancy Horan, which was equally as good.


Posted Mar. 28, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
ashleyb

Join Date: 03/27/13

Posts: 13

RE: Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

Maybe I would have had less trouble with this book had it been titled "Loving Scott."


Posted Mar. 30, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
MarieA

Join Date: 10/12/11

Posts: 256

RE: Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

Recently, I have read LOVING FRANK, THE PARIS WIFE, and THE AVIATOR'S WIFE. I found all three to be page turners. LOVING FRANK and THE AVIATOR'S WIFE, compelled me to find our more about the characters portrayed in the novels. THE PARIS WIFE reintroduced me to Hemingway's first wife, the love of his life. Although, I think Fowler did a good job with Z, I did not find it a page turner--perhaps it was because of my familiarity with the lives of Zelda and F Scott.


Posted Mar. 31, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
alisonf

Join Date: 01/31/13

Posts: 110

RE: Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

The obvious comparisons are to Paris Wife for setting and Loving Frank for strength of character and time frame. They all were sad historical love stories and somewhat overlap. Enjoyed them all.


Posted Apr. 01, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
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catherinem

Join Date: 10/06/11

Posts: 23

RE: Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

Yes, I read McLain's "The Paris Wife," as several discussion participants have mentioned. Woody Allen's movie "Midnight in Paris" also fits, as do other movies such as "Tom and Viv," a story of T.S. Eliot and Vivienne Haight-Wood. I would say that "Z" is comparable as historical fiction and fact.


Posted Apr. 01, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
KarenAnn

Join Date: 04/01/13

Posts: 5

RE: Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

I agree with the previous post, "The Paris Wife" and "Midnight in Paris" offer a glimpse into the same world as "Z." The insights of the artist's wife, both Hadley and Zelda, shines a light on the personal stories of some of the authors that were part of a revolutionary period in American letters. It is much harder to engage in hero worship of some of these iconic writers and artists when viewed through the eyes of the wife or friend.


Posted Apr. 02, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
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catherinem

Join Date: 10/06/11

Posts: 23

RE: Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

I have read many other books by and about women writers, including the diaries of Sophia Tolstoy and Virginia Woolf and works by Sappho, Susan Sontag, Sylvia Plath, Flannery O'Connor, George Eliot, Simone de Beauvoir, and Gertrude Stein. Amazing women, all of them! Fowler's book is quite different from those I list here because, most obviously, the authors wrote for different reasons (e.g., diaries, poetry, fiction) and with different audiences in mind. Moreover, they were penned by the women themselves. I prefer to read original works by writers rather than books about them, although do read biographies, and I liked Fowler's "Z" a great deal.


Posted Apr. 02, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dianac

Join Date: 04/02/13

Posts: 91

RE: Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and therefore I have read many novels about writers and/or artists. Z compares favorably to other books within this genre.


Posted Apr. 03, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Wendy

Join Date: 07/17/11

Posts: 8

RE: Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

As most others have said, Z was an enjoyable book and one that inspires more investigations into the Fitzgeralds or other interesting authors of the time. I found myself compelled to pick up a book about Coco Chanel as I kept "running into her" in these books about Fitzgerald, Hemingway, etc. I like the fictional spin on the people, but then find myself doing a bit of research or more reading into their actual histories.


Posted Apr. 04, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Beth350

Join Date: 04/15/11

Posts: 89

RE: Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

I have recently read "The Paris Wife" and "Hemingway's Girl" which both dealt with women in the life of Ernest Hemingway and touched on Scott Fitzgerald too. I felt that "Z" did an excellent job of portraying the personal side of Scott & Zelda. It made me want to know even more about them and to read more of their work. In the past I have read many historical novels and this one ranks well. I read all of Irving Stone's various historical biographies and felt that I had at least a small piece of understanding for artists such as Michaelangelo and Van Gogh from his writings. I think "Z" will be able to withstand the test of time.


Posted Apr. 12, 2013 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
rebeccar

Join Date: 03/13/12

Posts: 548

RE: Have you read other novels about the lives of writers or artists? If so, how does Z compare?

I liked ashleyb's comment towards the top of this list that perhaps "Z' should have been titled [i]Loving Scott[i] . Years ago I really enjoyed a biography about Vivien Leigh, the actress who played Scarlet O'Hara in Gone with The Wind. Not that there are strong parallels in the two women, but their insecurities and enjoyment of fame are similar.


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