Tender is the Night by: F. Scott Fitzgerald

review by: Sasha TerMaat '05

"And when haven't they?" Dick asked. "Smart men play it close to the line because they have to--some of them can't stand it, so they quit."

F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night is the tale of Dick Diver, a psychiatrist who plays it close to the line. As a youth he dreams of being the best psychiatrist ever--but as an adult he is distracted. He falls in love with one of his patients, Nicole, and the money and luxurious lifestyle she indulges in. Set all over Europe, from the Alps to the Riviera, the book depicts what Fitzgerald called the "tragic fall" as the main character changes from "Dr. Diver" to plain old Dick.

The book begins in the middle of the story, in one of Dick and Nicole's glorious escapades around Paris, while Dick is bewitched by a young American actress named Rosemary. In Part Two, the story returns to the beginning, telling of Dick's time in college and his idealistic dreams. We see the brilliant red-haired doctor fall for his blonde patient, but as Nicole recovers, Dick gets sick, turning to alcohol, as did Fitzgerald himself.

This is Fitzgerald's most autobiographical novel, and if The Great Gatsby demonstrates his mastery of form, this shows what he considered his romantic genius. In parts the book's languid yet tragic style drags, and Fitzgerald himself admitted that he wished he had another crack at the book when he was sober. But overall, the fading of Dick's dream into the crowd--his realization that he is just like the rest after all--is an accomplishment well worth reading.