West of Sunset

West of Sunset Review

West of Sunset: A Novel by Stewart O’Nan is a peek behind the curtain into the world of one of America’s most loved authors.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s seemingly glamorous life was captured in his early books, like This Side of Paradise and The Great Gatsby. But, what happens to a writer when the spotlight fades, when the world and all of its, responsibilities catch up with him?

O’Nan picks up with Fitzgerald’s life when these spotlights begin to dim, his beloved wife continues to fade away in a mental health institution, and his little daughter is nearly a grown woman. It’s no longer a glamorous life, though the echoes (and ramifications) of one still remain.

West of Sunset is a brief and insightful look at the life of a man who today is simply idolized and loved, perhaps showing a more human side of someone whose life is remembered as being primarily glamourous, though maybe what happened out of the spotlight was even more interesting, wonderful, human and relatable.