“Beautiful Little Fools” - Jillian Cantor

 

🍸 While the end was somewhat anticlimactic, I still highly recommend reading BLF if you loved “The Great Gatsby”. Cantor takes on the monumental challenge of telling the untold stories of all the women who are conspicuously absent or one-dimensional - yet pivotal - to Fitzgerald’s original narrative. Cantor’s novel is something I’ve wanted to read since 10th grade. I’m glad to have finally come across a book that attempts to fill in gaps in the narrative, and IMO does Fitzgerald’s masterpiece justice. 

In BLF Cantor does comment on the social currents of the Roaring 20s, but her method is straightforward storytelling. She never attempts to mimic Fitzgerald’s nuanced prose.

🍸 If it’s been an age since you’ve read TGG and you need a quick recap, here is the barest summary (English teachers, avert your eyes): Nick Carraway narrates. Jay loves Daisy. She’s married to Tom B. Tom cheats on her with Myrtle who’s married to brutish George. Driving Gatsby’s car, Daisy runs over Myrtle. George thinks Gatsby did it. George shoots Gatsby then himself. Few people attend Gatsby’s funeral. Fin.

🍸 Without giving away too much of Cantor’s inventiveness, BLF opens in 1922 West Egg where Gatsby is shot in his pool. Then we shuttle back to 1917 Louisville where we meet a younger Daisy. Immediately, it’s intriguing what Cantor has done with the original framework without disrupting what is already known to us. 

The novel is told from the POV of Daisy, Myrtle, Myrtle’s sister Catherine (a new character), Jordan, and Detective Frank Charles (another new character). The least interesting story line IMO is that of the lone male narrator. The women are all terribly complex and riveting.