Hortense Calisher's In the Slammer with Carol Smith is a novel written in the form of a journal. Carol Smith, an intelligent bag lady, prefers the streets to the small apartment social services has wangled for her. She has suffered from an unnamed mental illness since her involvement with radicals in the early 1970s. This novel could be paired with Philip Roth's American Pastoral, one of the best novels of the twentieth century. My book group loved this novel, which should be available in paperback. Why isn't it?

I enjoyed this book immensely and wished it was required reading in high school. What originally attracted me to want to read this book was Fitzgerald's reputation as a talented author who wrote "The Great Gatsby." I didn't want to start of with his most recognizable title, because in my mind that may set the bar too high by the sensitive hype placed on the book. (Don't ask me to explain that last sentence if you don't understand it. I simply mean reading Gatsby first could place a judgement barrier for me on his other books.)

The book was very well written, interesting, and very entertaining. It's difficult for me to read a large portion classic novels because of the older syntax, grammer, and slang used to write them, but with this book I could easily understand it and get involved with what's going on. As much as it can be said to be a love story it also, to me, is a life story. It's Anthony's life experience of finding love, not simply falling in love. I enjoyed this book very much, but must give it a 4/5 star rating. (You know the old grading technique - never give a perfect grade unless you know for sure it takes the cake and nothing can top it!)

I believe this to be Fitzgerald's second best novel, behind "The Great Gatsby" It took me just a few days to read because it was so captivating. For anyone who romanticizes about a fairy-tale relationship, the one between Anthony and Gloria was just that, in the beginning. Although they waste a good portion of their youth waiting for Anthony's grandfather's fortune, it's still a very romantic book. This was thoroughly entertaining.

Fittingly, this was the last of Fitzgerald's novels that I read. And I apparently saved the best for last. In this enrapturing portrayl of young lovers who are attracted by their differences in the beggining yet destroyed by their similarities in the end (the need of wealth). I find this perhaps one of Fitzgerald's finest literary achievements. He has it all working for him in this novel, his character development is excellent, I feel as though I could recognize Anthony or Gloria on the street if they were to saunter my way. Fitzgerald truly breaks his own mold on this terrific literary achievement. He not only tells a wonderful story of two young lovers but he also parallels it with a very strong supporting cast of characters to Anthony and Gloria. Much can be understood of the lead characters by reading into the supporting characters, focus on Anthhony's grandfather for example. The rosy picture which is so commonly printed by the media of the rich has never been so wonderfully redone with vibrant color as Fitzgerald waves his "paint brush" through all the old misconceptions of the rich and into something truly brilliant: Real life. Fitzgerald was indeed touched with brilliance, and never has it ever been more evident than in his wonderful novel :The Beautiful and Damned." An absolute must read.

The book was well-reviewed, but I found it terribly disappointing. The characters are both unrealistic and unsympathetic, the book is stuffed with solecisms, particularly regarding Judaism, and the writing style is at best precious and at worst impenetrable.

This is the worst writing I have seen in years. It is not just bad, it is gob-smackingly appalling. It beggars belief that people have not only succeeded in tolerating it, but that they actually like it. I didn't think writing like this ever saw the light of day after the 6th grade. Not even funny-bad - just dreadful.

Getting into this book, which its long sentences (no, not really like Henry James--Calisher's style is not poetic, but is deeply probing and thoughtful) and many characters, is difficult. But the story of this family is really very absorbing. Making the two principal characters an archeologist and a philospher is a foil for the writer's style of questioning, analyzing, and reflecting on all aspects of family life, religion, culture, money-making, art.... But it does work. I related to the characters and to the emotional strength of the book and the family.

Having penned "Little Quennie" about a young girl, I expected more from Ms. Calisher. "Standard Dreamimg" is the boring story of a boring young Jewish Doctor dealing with boring dilemmas in the midst of his boring professional life and even more boring social life and most boring personal life. Boring.