From Library Journal
Much of Scott's work is going public domain, and reprints are coming fast and furious. Besides "Diamond," this contains other gems, e.g., "The Ice Palace" and "Bernice Bobs Her Hair." Penguin has also released an $8.95 edition of The Beautiful and the Damned (ISBN 0-14-118087-0).Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Actors who agree to narrate classics are particularly challenged since the listener demands that the reading match the brilliance of the writing (and the reputation). Peter Marinker's solid rendering of this Fitzgerald classic serves the story well. Hedonistic Gloria and Anthony Patch play out a tale of decadence and destruction, against a backdrop of wealth, privilege and liquor. Marinker's dispassionate interpretation is underscored by his creamy voice. He stays clear of extreme vocal characterizations, favoring instead a narrative remove, which never disengages from the story. This respectable performance would be a fine addition to any collection. R.B.F. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
?Full of precisely observed life.? ?Arthur Mizener

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Scott Fitzgerald's second novel, The Beautiful and Damned (1922), is a savage and haunting satire of the young, rootless post-war generation who live intent only on the pursuit of wealth and decadent pleasure. Anthony Patch's marriage to the beautiful but selfish Gloria is idyllic at first but the union slowly disintegrates as reality sets in and their goal becomes Adam Patch's fortune. Gloria's beauty fades, and Anthony's drinking takes its toll. Charting the corrosive attraction of wealth and its malign influence, The Beautiful and Damned is also a vivid portrait of early twentieth-century New York and the sights and sounds of the city's burgeoning night life.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

Much of Scott's work is going public domain, and reprints are coming fast and furious. Besides "Diamond," this contains other gems, e.g., "The Ice Palace" and "Bernice Bobs Her Hair." Penguin has also released an $8.95 edition of The Beautiful and the Damned (ISBN 0-14-118087-0).

AudioFile - Rebecca Bartlett Fischer