Bright Star, Green Light : The Beautiful Works and Damned Lives of John Keats and F. Scott Fitzgerald

**This immensely pleasurable biography of two interwoven, tragic figures, John Keats and F. Scott Fitzgerald, "unabashedly, cheerfully celebrates the lasting power of literature.” (Christoph Irmscher, __Wall Street Journal__)**__Tender is the Night__ An immensely pleasurable biography of two interwoven, tragic figures: John Keats and F. Scott Fitzgerald

In this radiant dual biography, Jonathan Bate explores the fascinating parallel lives of John Keats and F. Scott Fitzgerald, writers who worked separately—on different continents, a century apart, in distinct genres—but whose lives uncannily echoed.

Not only was Fitzgerald profoundly influenced by Keats, titling Tender is the Night and other works from the poet’s lines, but the two shared similar fates: both died young, loved to drink, were plagued by tuberculosis, were haunted by their first love, and wrote into a new decade of release, experimentation, and decadence. Both were outsiders and Romantics, longing for the past as they sped blazingly into the future.

Using Plutarch’s ancient model of “parallel lives,” Jonathan Bate recasts the inspired lives of two of the greatest and best-known Romantic writers. Commemorating both the bicentenary of Keats’ death and the centenary of the Roaring Twenties, this is a moving exploration of literary influence. "In this radiant dual biography, Jonathan Bate explores the fascinating parallel lives of John Keats and F. Scott Fitzgerald, writers who worked separately--on different continents, a century apart, in distinct genres--but whose lives uncannily echoed. Not only was Fitzgerald profoundly influenced by Keats, titling Tender is the Night and other works from the poet's lines, but the two shared similar fates: both died young, loved to drink, were plagued by tuberculosis, were haunted by their first love, and wrote into a new decade of release, experimentation, and decadence. Both were outsiders and Romantics, longing for the past as they sped blazingly into the future. Using Plutarch's ancient model of "parallel lives," Jonathan Bate recasts the inspired lives of two of the greatest and best known Romantic writers. Commemorating both the bicentenary of Keats' death and the centenary of the Roaring Twenties, this is a moving exploration of literary influence."--Publisher's description ""For awhile after you quit Keats," Fitzgerald once wrote, "All other poetry seems to be only whistling or humming." John Keats died two hundred years ago, in February 1821. F. Scott Fitzgerald defined a decade that began one hundred years ago, the Jazz Age. In this biography, prize-winning author Jonathan Bate recreates these two shining, tragic lives in parallel. Not only was Fitzgerald profoundly influenced by Keats, titling Tender is the Night and other works from the poet's lines, but the two lived with echoing fates: both died young, loved to drink, were plagued by tuberculosis, were haunted by their first love, and wrote into a new decade of release, experimentation, and decadence. Luminous and vital, this biography goes through the looking glass to meet afresh two of the greatest and best-known Romantic writers in their twinned centuries"-- Provided by publisher A dazzling biography of two interwoven, tragic lives: John Keats and F. Scott Fitzgerald. 'Highly engaging ... Go now, read this book' THE TIMES