It was a light read. It was a fun read. It was a read that showed the spontaneity and intensity of the relationship between Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald - I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the dynamic duo. But then again, I'd probably recommend any Fitzgerald work to a person interested in learning about the Fitgeralds' relationship, as they all seem to reflect their exuberant lives in more ways than one.
The Cruise of the Rolling Junk, a less-than-100 page read, chronicles a real-life journey taken by Scott and Zelda (although I'm sure bits and pieces are fabricated for effect) from their home in Connecticut to Zelda's hometown of Montgomery, Ala. This journey starts in a very Fitzgerald way - Zelda's craving peaches, but peaches are nowhere to be found. So, the natural thing to do is take a road trip to her parent's house in Alabama (where they're sure to have peaches), right? And so their journey begins.
The car, a used Marmon that they refer to as an "Expenso" very enthusiastically (when he's not referring to it as the "rolling junk"), is one of the main characters in the novella. The car, the cause for just about every conflict in the story, is painfully unreliable - and Scott's lack of mechanical ability is highlighted throughout the course of the book. It's nice that he's able to laugh at himself while he's writing, as most of the story revolves around his comical inability to fix his broken car.
The story seems to preview the trials of the Fitzgerald's marriage that are yet to come in their lives - they show that they have a very hard time overcoming small issues, and their thinking can be very abstract when a simple solution is obvious. But that's what makes them entertaining. And it's definitely a fun read. Hope you enjoy it!
PS: I find the publisher of this book, the Hesperus Press, very interesting. In the back of my copy of The Cruise, they have listed other titles that they've published - they describe themselves as choosing lesser-known works by famous authors that often go unread. I'm looking forward to reading some of their other publications.
The Cruise of the Rolling Junk, a less-than-100 page read, chronicles a real-life journey taken by Scott and Zelda (although I'm sure bits and pieces are fabricated for effect) from their home in Connecticut to Zelda's hometown of Montgomery, Ala. This journey starts in a very Fitzgerald way - Zelda's craving peaches, but peaches are nowhere to be found. So, the natural thing to do is take a road trip to her parent's house in Alabama (where they're sure to have peaches), right? And so their journey begins.
The car, a used Marmon that they refer to as an "Expenso" very enthusiastically (when he's not referring to it as the "rolling junk"), is one of the main characters in the novella. The car, the cause for just about every conflict in the story, is painfully unreliable - and Scott's lack of mechanical ability is highlighted throughout the course of the book. It's nice that he's able to laugh at himself while he's writing, as most of the story revolves around his comical inability to fix his broken car.
The story seems to preview the trials of the Fitzgerald's marriage that are yet to come in their lives - they show that they have a very hard time overcoming small issues, and their thinking can be very abstract when a simple solution is obvious. But that's what makes them entertaining. And it's definitely a fun read. Hope you enjoy it!
PS: I find the publisher of this book, the Hesperus Press, very interesting. In the back of my copy of The Cruise, they have listed other titles that they've published - they describe themselves as choosing lesser-known works by famous authors that often go unread. I'm looking forward to reading some of their other publications.
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