While I didn't particularly enjoy the story or characters, Fitzgerald's writing makes approaching this novel worth it. There's so much beautiful literary imagery that it became hard not to write down each little gem I encountered.

The story is not nearly as compelling as The Great Gatsby, but two familiar themes emerge: the adoration and idolization of a beautiful, charasmatic man, and the disillusionment that follows. Interestingly, the same undercurrents of homosexual attention are present. Though presented through a young woman's perspective in Tender is the Night, the attention placed on the form and person of the primary male character is very similar to that of Nick on Gatsby, and it's enough to make me wonder if these characters were proxies for the author's gaze.

The characters and story are pretty flaccid. There's all the show of glamor and interest, but it's pretty boring and uneventful, even considering duels of honor, affairs, murder, etc. Halfway through the novel we change narrative perspective, bringing us more intimately into the inner workings of the primary characters. If it was Fitzgerald's intention to make commentary on the futility of beauty, riches, and notoriety, this move would make sense. But I couldn't get a read on exactly how autobiographical this novel was meant to be, and knowing the lavish lifestyle he and Zelda lived makes me wonder if insisting on commentary is a mistake.

Regardless, I'd recommend this book only to lovers of literature. The language is beautiful, even if the story and characters are lacking.