…Rosemary looked for a place to sit. Obviously each family possessed the strip of sand immediately in front of its umbrella; besides there was much visiting and talking back and forth — the atmosphere of a community upon which it would be presumptuous to intrude. Farther up, where the beach was strewn with pebbles and dead sea-weed, sat a group with flesh as white as her own. They lay under small hand-parasols instead of beach umbrellas and were obviously less indigenous to the place. Between the dark people and the light, Rosemary found room and spread out her peignoir on the sand.
Lying so, she first heard their voices and felt their feet skirt her body and their shapes pass between the sun and herself. The breath of an inquisitive dog blew warm and nervous on her neck; she could feel her skin broiling a little in the heat and hear the small exhausted wa-waa of the expiring waves. Presently her ear distinguished individual voices and she became aware that some one referred to scornfully as “that North guy” had kidnapped a waiter from a café in Cannes last night in order to saw him in two. The sponsor of the story was a white-haired woman in full evening dress, obviously a relic of the previous evening, for a tiara still clung to her head and a discouraged orchid expired from her shoulder.
Excerpted from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night, 1934.
This makes me think there should be a short story titled “A Discouraged Orchid.”
I just bought Tender Is The Night at an estate sale… it’s in the to read pile. I like Scott … but I love that nutty Zelda.
This novel is so sad and beautiful.
Illiterate me. The first “Tender Is The Night” about which I knew:
“Between the darkness on the street
And the houses filling up with light
Between the stillness in my heart
And the roar of the approaching night
Somebody’s calling after somebody
Somebody turns the corner out of sight
Looking for somebody
Somewhere in the night.”
Jackson Browne
I like that song so much. Still have all my (unplayable) Jackson Browne on vinyl. Need to finish replacing them.
I wonder if you remember that I played the “Late For The Sky” album pretty much nonstop our sophomore year at Bama?
Don’t remember you playing that one. I do remember painting the kitchen in your old house listening to Steve’s “Bad Company” album until I wanted to take it out in the back yard and skeet shoot it. I can never remember the name of their big song, but every time I hear it on Sirius’ “The Bridge,” I am taken back in time…
Argh! That album! I swear it was all he had on the turntable for months. Just the thought of hearing “Shooting Star” again gives me bad flashbacks. Probably the one you hear the most is “Feel Like Making Love.”
Pretty sure I did NOT take custody of that album.
THAT’S IT!!! I smell paint thinner.
Ha ha ha!
I love that song and must listen to it now.
Tender! Tender! Tender!
For some strange reason every time I look at your lead photo, my head starts spinning around.
Are you possessed? Do I need to contact an exorcist?! 😉
No, just my eyes playing havoc with my brain between the focused half and the blurred half. Never did have that problem with F. Scott.
Figured I’d be considerate and blur out strangers’ children. Though it was a public beach.
Ooh I haven’t read that one, sounds really good.
I liked it, though it’s been a long, long time since I read it.