One approach to this novel would be to compare and contrast it with This Side of Paradise, with an eye to seeing the numerous technical differences and thematic similarities. Readers may wish to consult some of the critics who did just this, to see if there is merit in these studies.

1. Do the perhaps digressive passages, such as the "Flash-back," distract you from the forward motion of the plot? Would the book gain from their removal?

2. Fitzgerald did a considerable amount of rewriting of this novel, largely at the solicited suggestions of friends. If you had been so consulted, what further alterations would you have recommended?

3. Does Anthony's extramarital affair with Dot, while he is in the army, really contribute anything to your estimate of the man's character?

4. One criticism leveled at this book is that the author was "too close" to the characters and events...