Tender Is the Night

In 1934, F. Scott Fitzgerald published his fourth and final (completed) novel, Tender Is the Night. Considered by the author to be his masterpiece, the book captures the same Jazz Age-prose style and Lost Generation philosophy as his previous novels, with the added depth of being arguably his most personal novel. Unlike The Great Gatsby, which was published in the middle of the 1920s, Tender Is the Night reflects upon the Roaring Twenties after they have ended and the Great Depression has begun. The book captures the angst and ideology of the artists and writers of the Lost Generation, who left the dissatisfying superficiality of America after World War I. The novel is often considered to be Fitzgerald’s most sophisticated and complex.

Content Warning: The source text contains passages dealing with alcoholism, incest, mental illness, and violence.

Plot Summary

Vacationing for the summer in the south of France, Dick and Nicole Diver meet a group of Americans and invite them over for dinner. One of the Americans is a 17-year-old movie star, Rosemary Hoyt, whose first foray into Hollywood has made her a celebrity. Rosemary is comparatively innocent and idealistic, and she is extremely devoted to her mother and enjoying her newfound wealth.