Sometimes
Madness Is Wisdom: Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, A Marriage, by cultural historian
Kendall Taylor, offers a rare glimpse into the private lives of F. Scott
Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda. Much
has already been written about the jet-setting couple, and an entire biography
has been devoted purely to Zelda. Why
another book? Taylor writes:

In other biographies, Zelda had been primarily
considered in relation to Scott Fitzgerald…Was Zelda only to be researched as
the wife of Scott Fitzgerald?

Apparently
so. While placing much importance on
portraying Zelda as an individual independent of her famous husband’s identity,
Taylor is consistently unable to separate the two in this biography. Perhaps the strongest evidence of Taylor’s
inability to study Zelda sans Scott, Taylor cites Scott’s emotional distance
from Zelda as the precipitating factor in one of Zelda’s love affairs. Taylor also explains how Scott thwarted
Zelda’s attempts to become a novelist of her own right — and spends an
extraordinary amount of time quoting the characters of Scott’s novels
throughout this book– this biography of Zelda. Even Zelda’s mental illness is shown within the context of her
marriage to Scott. Kendall Taylor clearly
assigns Zelda victim status in this book– a status that would not be possible
were it not for Scott. Taylor’s book is
as much about Scott as it is
about the woman who inspired him.

The strength upon which Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom
stands is its detail. The detail makes
this book sparkle. Taylor has obviously
spent many years studying Zelda, and putting the many pieces of her story into
a single, coherent text. Utilizing
countless interviews with friends and family, as well as medical records and
diary entries, Taylor has compiled an impressive account of Zelda’s life.

However, the use of excessive detail — detail that
is burdensome or irrelevant — detracts from the text considerably. Better organization might also have made the
book a better read — there are a number of instances in which Taylor quotes
someone who knew Zelda, but does not introduce that person to the reader until
many pages later. Upon first read, it
appears that Zelda was pregnant with her daughter for over fourteen
months. With all the painstaking
research Taylor dedicated to this volume, its presentation is disappointing.

While the book fails on some levels, it is still the
most thorough and sympathetic account of Zelda’s life to date. The inclusion of conversations with, and
letters from, daughter Scottie Fitzgerald are a much-needed addition to the
story of one of the most fascinating couples in literary history. Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom may not
have achieved what it set out to, but it is indeed an interesting and
enlightening book about Fitzgerald, his life, his writing, and his wife.

© 2002 Chris S. Witwer

Chris S. Witwer is
a freelance writer living in Austin, Texas.

Categories: General, Memoirs