The Crack-Up

infobox Book |
name = The Crack-Up
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = First edition cover
author = F. Scott Fitzgerald
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Essays, Letters, & Notes
publisher = New Directions
release_date = 1945
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 347 pp
isbn = NA
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"The Crack-Up" (1945) is a book by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. It consists of previously unpublished letters, notes and also three essays originally written for and published first in the "Esquire" magazine during 1936. It was compiled and edited by Edmund Wilson shortly after Fitzgerald's death in 1940.

The main essay starts "Of course all life is a process of breaking down ...." [Fitzgerald, "The Crack-Up", p1] which gives something of the tone of the piece.

Essays

*"The Crack-Up" (originally "Esquire" magazine, February 1936)
*"Pasting It Together" (originally "Esquire" magazine, March 1936)
*"Handle with Care" (originally "Esquire" magazine, April 1936):collected together under the title "The Crackup" in the book

It also included positive evaluations of his work by Glenway Wescott, John Dos Passos, John Peale Bishop, et al.

Reaction

The essays when originally written were poorly received and many were openly critical, particularly of the personal revelations. However time has been somewhat kinder to them and the collection is an insight into the mind of the writer during this low period in his life.

:"The essays stand today as a compelling psychological portrait and an illustration of an important Fitzgerald theme" [Bitonti, para 1]

Footnotes

References

*cite book | title=The Crack-Up | last=Fitzgerald | first=F. Scott | authorlink=F. Scott Fitzgerald | publisher=New Directions | location= | edition=1st edition | date=1945 | id=
*cite web | title="The Crack-Up" | last=Bitonti | first=Tracy Simmons | work=Facts about Fitzgerald | url=http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/facts/facts5.html | date=12 May 2005 | accessdate=2007-06-15

External links

* [http://www.esquire.com/features/the-crack-up The Crack-Up By F. Scott Fitzgerald] , "Esquire". Originally published in Esquire's February, March, and April 1936 issues.