The Comet's Flame

I recently read This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald (published in 1920, this was Fitzgerald’s first novel. He later went on to write The Great Gatsby, etc.). This is a beautifully-written story of a boy whose immense ego led him down some rather unfortunate paths.

The book’s protagonist Amory Blaine was born into a well-to-do American family in the late 19th Century. At an early age, he began to develop a very high opinion of himself. After several years of attending a prestigious prep school and then Princeton University, he had solidified his status among his peers as a prodigious genius.

But when Amory met the beautiful Rosalind Connage, his life changed forever. All the egotism of his younger years was forgotten in the whirlwind of emotions that is “love at first sight.” Amory was a new man. Sadly, over time, elements of the old Amory began to surface, and the couple’s relationship started to take some “interesting” turns!

Read the story for yourself to find out how arrogance and pride affected this young man’s life. This is a great book with a great lesson, and I highly recommend it.