I liked it, but not because of the story or the characters. In fact, Dick might now be in my top ten of most annoying characters....ever. I liked this because of the imagery. I was inspired by the imagery. The language was rich and vivid.

Fitzgerald's prose is precise and generous, and his understanding of the interior life of his characters acute enough for me to enjoy this despite not really caring for the characters or plot

I highlighted so many beautifully written passages in this novel. For exquisite phrasing there is no writer more deceptively simple than Fitzgerald.

It's no secret that I love The Great Gatsby, so when I found a brand new copy of another one of Fitzgerald's books on sale for $5, of course I snapped it up. I had high hopes for Tender Is the Night though I didn't expect to like it as much as The Great Gatsby. Apparently, some "hip" critics think it's actually better than Fitzgerald's masterwork (a sentiment that Fitzgerald himself shared) but I just don't see it, and overall this book simply perplexed me. For one, the order of the plot is a bit messy and arbitrary, and the prose itself could use a tight edit. I also really struggled with the book's negative treatment of women, non-Caucasians, people experiencing mental illnesses, and other "minorities" that actually vastly outnumber the straight, white, rich men that the plot largely focuses on. Dick was not that interesting or sympathetic as a main character, and his savior complex came off as arrogant rather than compassionate. I was hopeful when the story began by focusing on Rosemary's perspective, but she's quickly booted out of the spotlight in favor of Dick's life. The same thing happens to Nicole as well —I  would much rather have read a novel that focused on her instead of Dick, but we only get her perspective towards the very end. Not a book I can recommend to others unless they are looking to plow through the whole Fitzgerald canon.

I love Fitzgerald’s way with words — I was first introduced to it with The Great Gatsby, so I decided to give this one a try.

The writing style, as usual, was one of the standout pieces of this book.. but to be honest, the plot just wasn’t as gripping as I hoped it would be. Maybe I’d feel differently if I re-read it?

Well written but I didn't care enough about the storyline to finish the book. :/

The most autobiographical of all his novels, this book made me fall in love with F. Scott Fitzgerald's writing. Rawer than Gatsby and more contemplative than This Side of Paradise, Tender is the Night strikes the perfect balance between elegant prose and a compelling protaganist caught up in the inexorable tide of life. I don't often get emotionally invested in books I read, but this one was vivid enough to pull me in. The style is admittedly experimental, and I am sure it isn't accessible to everyone. But if you buy into Fitzgerald's way of description, you get the picture that his pen practically bled onto the page.

This book is viewed as the most vivid portrayal of Fitzgerald's actual life - his elegant lifestyle and love for the French Riviera; his fame and popularity; and his love for a woman struggling with her own mental illness. And maybe it was an avenue for Fitzgerald to put to paper his most personal thoughts and feelings - things hidden even in his correspondences and diary. To all appearances, Dick and Nicole Diver seem the perfect couple, enjoying an ex-pat lifestyle and attracting the attention of everyone around them. In reality, though, their marriage is anything but perfect. Dick's love for his wife is riddled with complexity - her illness leads him to question whether his love for her can ever be enough. His flirtation with the beautiful Rosemary is tinged by guilt and in the end this guilt leads him back to Nicole, whom he tries desperately to protect from the world and from himself. Fitzgerald builds through three sections until the sudden ending, where you imagine he threw down his pen, emotionally drained and too tired to continue.

Forget Gatsby. This was Fitzgerald at his finest.

The story is excruciating. But, since that is what the autor intended I suppose it makes this a "good" book. I would put it in the same category as Farewell to Arms...that is, not my favorite and not as good as say...The Sun Also Rises (for post war angst).

(a reluctant 2.5) maybe it’s because this is the third fitzgerald book in a row i’ve read for class or maybe due to its absolute lack of plot and sole focus on style but i. did not vibe.

skimmed most of it