Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda: The Love Letters of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald

Summary (from the publisher): Through his alcoholism and her mental illness, his career lows and her institutional confinement, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's devotion to each other endured for over twenty-two years. Now, for the first time, we have the story of their love in the couple's own letters. Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda consists of more than 75 percent previously unpublished or out-of-print letters as well as extensive narrative on the Fitzgeralds' marriage by Fitzgerald scholars Jackson R. Bryer and Cathy W. Barks. Dear Scott, Dearest Zelda features black-and-white and color photographs, and a candid introduction by Eleanor Lanahan, the Fitzgeralds' granddaughter.

 

Review: This book consists of over 300 letters written between Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald during the twenty-two years that were their courtship and marriage. Sadly for the couple, but fortunately for the reader, Scott and Zelda were frequently separated due to Scott's writing endeavors and Zelda's mental illness, meaning that much of their lives are documented in their correspondence. Although Zelda proved less reliable at keeping track of Scott's letters, meaning the majority of those in this book are Zelda's letters to Scott, this is a still an illuminating look inside their relationship. The editors have also kindly inserted biographical background snippets at intervals throughout so the reader is able to keep track of Scott and Zelda's whereabouts and happenings that isn't obvious from the letters alone.  

 

It was interesting to see how much their thoughts and ideas bounced off of each other. Although Scott was very angered with Zelda's novel, which seemed to blatantly steal many of the ideas for the novel he had been working on for years, he was also guilty of borrowing from his wife's original turns of phrase. For instance, when their daughter, Frances Scott Fitzgerald, was born, Zelda commented, "'I hope its beautiful and a fool - a beautiful little fool' - words he later gave to Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby" (53). I was also surprised to see that during their courtship, Zelda continued to date other men and write casually about her dating life to Scott - although perhaps that was to encourage him to not lose interest in her and hasten his resolve to get back to her as quickly as possible.

 

It is of course regrettable how tragic and marred by mental illness and alcoholism Scott and Zelda's lives were. While hospitalized for her mental issues, Zelda even wrote to Scott urging him to get a divorce and telling him, "You will have some nice girl who will not care about the things I cared about and you will be happier" (87). Yet I was also surprised to see that their last years were characterized by largely affectionate letters and reminisces on the happy times they had shared together and their mutual pride in their daughter Scottie. Such as Scott's letter telling his wife, "You and I have been happy; we haven't been happy just once, we've been happy a thousand times" (193). Zelda also has an amusing trove of nicknames for her husband including Do-Do, Deo, D.O., Goofydo, Goofo, and Dee-o.

 

Of course, much of the letters are devoted to mundane logistics of arranging their lives while living at a great distance from each other. Recurring themes include money (namely the lack of it), Scott's struggle to find writing work, admonishments to each other to take care of their health, and frequent pleas from Zelda for money and for Scott to make arrangements for her to leave hospitalization to visit various individuals. I felt particularly sorry for their daughter, who had largely absentee parents for much of her life, and who is continually shuttled around to different boarding schools and relatives before going to college and becoming independent. At times the mundane logistics of their letters felt repetitive, but I think it gave clear insight into the tenor their interactions and the gravity of their financial situation.

 

"Goofo, my dear, I think of you always and at night I build myself a warm nest of things I remember and float in your sweetness till morning -

All my love and heart

and everything, everything

Zelda" (123).

 

Stars: 4