The unending fascination of F. Scott Fitzgerald lies partly in the fact that his tragic life was like the plots of his own novels. Many famous and brilliant writers have led withdrawn, prosaic, uneventful lives; but Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, existed almost wholly in the real, external world--active, social, sadly typical of that frantic time in which he experienced instant success and fame, followed by a long decline and failure. Arthur Mizener is well known as the author of the first full-scale biography of Fitzgerald. In this book, Professor Mizener looks at the facts of Fitzgerald's short life, offering insights into the subtle way in which actual events were transformed and woven into the novels. With the aid of contemporary photographs from all stages of Fitzgerald's career he tells the human story and provides an important assessment of Fitzgerald's achievement.