Customer Reviews
brilliant prose - By: Christopher Berry, 09 Nov 2007 
I read this as a young 20 something in the 80's & was captured by it. Quite brilliant whatever others have said. It gives you a sense of 'being', of place, & what it is / was to be young. It centres you & lifts your spirit so much that you feel carried by the character. One to read again & again to lift you. Makes you feel as invincible & unique as Amory himself. Truly wonderful & of course recommended.
Unperfected Prose... A Perfect Story - By: , 30 Jun 1999 Reading some of these reviews has proven to be depressing - in the sense that everyone is focusing on the youthful 'flaws' of this novel. Perhaps it is not comparable in brilliance to Gatsby - but kids-Fitzgerald was a rarest of species-he was a literary genius & Gatsby was his masterpiece! 'This Side'...may have been his first attempt out but never the less a marvelous portrait of being young in the 20th Century. It's shameful that people constantly compare this story to Gatsby, his Sistine Chapel of novels. No, this is simply a terrific story - & it truly is. Amory Blaine is an exceedinlgy likeable protagonist(something alll the 'young hip'writers of today seem to forget to have), his images are portraits & his prose are just beginning to blossom. Indeed, this a youthfully 'flawed' novel by a young genius - which still equals an excellent work of fiction. - Oh, & if one reads this book & does not like Amory Blaine, that someone either forgot what it was to be young - or simply doesn't want to be reminded. Ciao.
The most boring book I've ever read. - By: , 05 Apr 1999 
I don't know what everyone sees in this book. I found it very boring & a pain to read, but I didn't quit on it, hoping it would get better. I got nothing out of reading it. I figured whatever literary value the book had 80 years ago had been outdated.
My Absolute Favorite - By: , 17 Feb 1999 As a HS sophomore I read this book for the first time, & I was enthrallled with Amory's journey to find himself. The closing lines of the novel remain some of my favorite of anything I've read. Everytime I re-read this book, I am captured by the search for self & prompted to rethink my own self-concepts. Some criticize the book for its unrefined style, but the variance in techniques used is one of my favorite parts of the novel. I love Fitzgerald most for his way with words, & the use of both poetry & script along with prose truly showcase his brilliance. A wonderful read!
endearing - By: , 20 Nov 1998 Fitzgerald's early work is gorgeously flawed. No reader will ever forget Amory Blaine. This Side of Paradise is an experimental, naiive, & self-consciously brilliant work, & should be read by anyone on the brink of their college years, & then again & again.
