Absolution by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Everyone has something that school managed to ruin for them. For me it was football (okay, this one’s a joke), calculus (can’t say I’m too upset) and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Now, the latter is a bit of a mystery. I know I read The Great Gatsby in school and was almost certainly forced to deconstruct it down to the molecular level and then document the carnage.
Strange thing is that I remember none of this, but I’ve had an absolute aversion (think Clockwork Orange) to Mr. Fitzgerald for ages. This puzzles me. Usually, I can explain in great ranting detail why I don’t like something.
For hours if left unchecked.
But I cannot tell you why this aversion to FSF. So last night I pulled an (unread) copy of the Viking Portable collection (edited by Dorthy Parker) and read a short story called Absolution. It was magnificent. (Doubly recommended if you had a Catholic upbringing.)
I absolutely refuse to give a summary, because I can’t stand that kind of review and also because nothing that I can say will give you any idea about it. You just have to read it. But I will give you one sentence:
“There was something ineffably gorgeous somewhere that had nothing to do with God.”
Go find a copy and read it.
Tags: fiction, short story