October Reading Challenge: Flappers and Philosophers by F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald has a remarkable way with words, in just a single sentance he is able to fully transport you into an entirely different world. It is no secret that I absolutely adore The Great Gatsby so I was very pleased that I had the opportunity to visit one of my favourite authors this month for my 2014 reading challenge.

Flappers and Philosophers is a series of short stories set in the 1920s. Money, power and society are strong themes that are referenced throughout each tale. In usual Fitzgerald style, the lives of the incredibly wealthy and breathtakingly beautiful are fully explored.

It is widely believed that Fitzgerald often took inspiration from his own marriage when writing, and I've noticed more turbulent and troubled relationships depicted in these stories than other Fitzgerald books I've read. It's interesting for me, as a fan, to pick apart the stories and speculate which parts are fact and which parts are fiction.

I really enjoyed reading this collection of stories, however certain parts did let it down for me. A couple of the stories often seemed shallow - which proves that Fitzgerald was a young writer at the beginning of his career and had not yet developed into the superb storyteller than he is now celebrated for.

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