Living Well is the Best Revenge

Too bad the score for this book is skewed down by a couple of idiots. The Murphys were much more than "gracious hosts". They were catalysts. They were the Stein and Toklas of the Riviera, and probably lots more fun. And Gerald Murphy's paintings were as fine an achievement as Stein's scribblings. His works would fetch a fortune on the market, if they were ever available. Tomkins writes a moving and, in the end, melancholy biography. The title is apt. The tragedy in the Murphy's life is almost unbearable to read about. Interesting how their life parallels that of their friend Cole Porter -- brilliant fortune met with sudden misfortune. This book is about the arc of tragedy and one couple's effort to live through it. Anyone whose life has been touched by misfortune should read it.

As an avid and diehard Fitzgerald fan, I seek out any material that covers him, his circle, or the "Lost Generation" in general. Though the book occupies less than two hundred pages, Tomkins does a fine job of making it feel warm and intimate. What's more, you get the privilege of learning about the Fitzgeralds, Hemingway, Cole Porter, Picasso and others. Gerald and Sara Murphy were a class act and lived life for no one but themselves. They seemed wonderfully down to earth and sympathetic to the situations of their friends and family. It seems they did indeed "write the book" on how to live right--The Fitzgeralds were said to have lived poorly on massive amounts of money while Gerald and Sara Murphy lived grandly on far less income; with them, it was not about appearances and pleasing society, but about family and togetherness. This wonderful little biography spans the 1910s to the 1960s in a relatively short breath and perhaps my only complaint is that there is not more. I certainly turned the last page wanting for more. If you are interested at all in "The Lost Generation" or the modernist movement, you will adore this book. Theirs was an evanescent time, one worth reading about and dreaming about.

As an avid and diehard Fitzgerald fan, I seek out any material that covers him, his circle, or the "Lost Generation" in general. Though the book occupies less than two hundred pages, Tomkins does a fine job of making it feel warm and intimate. What's more, you get the privilege of learning about the Fitzgeralds, Hemingway, Cole Porter, Picasso and others. Gerald and Sara Murphy were a class act and lived life for no one but themselves. They seemed wonderfully down to earth and sympathetic to the situations of their friends and family. It seems they did indeed "write the book" on how to live right--The Fitzgeralds were said to have lived poorly on massive amounts of money while Gerald and Sara Murphy lived grandly on far less income; with them, it was not about appearances and pleasing society, but about family and togetherness. This wonderful little biography spans the 1910's to the 1960's in a relatively short breath and perhaps my only complaint is that there is not more. I certainly turned the last page wanting for more. If you are interested at all in "The Lost Generation" or the modernist movement, you will adore this book. Theirs was an evanescent time, one worth reading about and dreaming about.

This book truly proves that living well is really the best revenge.

This is one of the most memorable books I've ever read, perfectly capturing the period and perils of that lost generation. Not only is the subject fascinating, but Calvin Tompkins' writing is beautiful and lyrical.