The Critical Reception of Flappers & Philosophers Essay -- Philosophy

The Critical Reception of Flappers & PhilosophersFlappers and Philosophers served as F. Scott Fitzgeralds initial encore after the considerable success of his commencement exercise novel, This situation of Paradise.1 Fitzgeralds publisher, Scribners, liked to have its authors issue short-story collections soon after they had published novels the Fall of 1920 offered Fitzgerald, as well as the publishing firm, a comical hazard to both reinforce and, hopefully, expand the writers popular appeal.2 Fifteen of his stories had been previously published or accepted for future publication when Fitzgerald selected stories for comprehension in Flappers and Philosophers in April of 1920. While the author conceived initially of this collection as a mixture of poetry and prose, the finished volume featured eight stories undisturbed subsequent to the completion of This Side of Paradise and previously published in leading magazines, including the Saturday Evening Post, Smart Set, and Scribner s Magazine.3 Dedicated TO ZELDA and published on phratry 10, 1920, totally five months removed from This Side of Paradise, Flappers and Philosophers sold well, enjoying a first printing of 5,000 copies and sales of 13,325 copies by November 1922.4 Although the popular retort to the collection appeared overwhelmingly enthusiastic, the slender response was mixed and, at times, quite hostile.5 Some critics proposed that the volume marks the conversion of F. Scott Fitzgeralds undisciplined and turbid geniusinto a bridled and clarified endowment fund and praised program line of the mechanism of short story technique a comparatively complimentary review in the sweet York Sun contends that these short stories are not so much technically perfec... ...rs and Philosophers, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (New York Scribners, 1959), 124 Eble, Kenneth, F. Scott Fitzgerald. (New York Twayne, 1963), 545 Petry, Alice Hall, Fitzgeralds Craft of Short Fiction The Collected Stories, 1920- 1935 (Ann Arbor UMI Research Press, 1989), 96 Bryer, 15, 177 Bryer, 158 Bryer, 16 Petry, 99 Bryer, 16 Eble, 5410 Flappers. The New York Times New York 26 September 192011 Times 26 September 1920 Klatt, Marion, Critical Reception of Flappers and Philosophers (http//www.people.vcu.edu/bmangum/F&P.html)12 New York Herald, 24 October 1920, qtd. in Klatt13 Mizener, 1614 Tate, Mary Jo. F. Scott Fitzgerald A to Z. (New York Facts on File, 1998), 9015 Bryer, 2216 Ibid.17 Bryer, 2018 Bryer, 21, 2319 Petry, 52, 5120 Mizener, 15 Petry, 52 The Critical Reception of Flappers & Philosophers Essay -- Philosophy The Critical Reception of Flappers & PhilosophersFlappers and Philosophers served as F. Scott Fitzgeralds initial encore after the considerable success of his first novel, This Side of Paradise.1 Fitzgeralds publisher, Scribners, liked to have its authors issue short-story collections soon after they had published novels the Fall of 1920 offered Fitzgerald, as well as the pu blishing firm, a unique opportunity to both reinforce and, hopefully, expand the writers popular appeal.2 Fifteen of his stories had been previously published or accepted for future publication when Fitzgerald selected stories for inclusion in Flappers and Philosophers in April of 1920. While the author conceived initially of this collection as a mixture of poetry and prose, the finished volume featured eight stories composed subsequent to the completion of This Side of Paradise and previously published in leading magazines, including the Saturday Evening Post, Smart Set, and Scribners Magazine.3 Dedicated TO ZELDA and published on September 10, 1920, only five months removed from This Side of Paradise, Flappers and Philosophers sold well, enjoying a first printing of 5,000 copies and sales of 13,325 copies by November 1922.4 Although the popular response to the collection appeared overwhelmingly enthusiastic, the critical response was mixed and, at times, quite hostile.5 Some critics proposed that the volume marks the conversion of F. Scott Fitzgeralds undisciplined and turbid geniusinto a bridled and clarified talent and praised mastery of the mechanism of short story technique a comparatively complimentary review in the New York Sun contends that these short stories are not so much technically perfec... ...rs and Philosophers, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (New York Scribners, 1959), 124 Eble, Kenneth, F. Scott Fitzgerald. (New York Twayne, 1963), 545 Petry, Alice Hall, Fitzgeralds Craft of Short Fiction The Collected Stories, 1920-1935 (Ann Arbor UMI Research Press, 1989), 96 Bryer, 15, 177 Bryer, 158 Bryer, 16 Petry, 99 Bryer, 16 Eble, 5410 Flappers. The New York Times New York 26 September 192011 Times 26 September 1920 Klatt, Marion, Critical Reception of Flappers and Philosophers (http//www.people.vcu.edu/bmangum/F&P.html)12 New York Herald, 24 October 1920, qtd. in Klatt13 Mizener, 1614 Tate, Mary Jo. F. Scott Fitzgerald A to Z. (New York Facts on File, 1998), 9015 Bryer, 2216 Ibid.17 Bryer, 2018 Bryer, 21, 2319 Petry, 52, 5120 Mizener, 15 Petry, 52