Benediction by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald | Published: February 1920
Benediction Synopsis
American author F. Scott Fitzgerald's short tale "Benediction" was initially released in the February 1920 issue of The Smart Set, which was co-edited by H.L. Mencken and George Jean Nathan. Later, it was republished in Fitzgerald's short story collection, Flappers and Philosophers, in the same year. Mencken praised "Benediction" as the best piece in Fitzgerald's collection of short stories and Fitzgerald believed that this story was one of his better works. Despite Fitzgerld's and Mencken's high opinion of it, the short story was met with mostly lukewarm reviews from critics. Some accused it of being overly sentimental, while others argued that it did not accurately portray Catholicism.
"Benediction" revolves around Lois, a 19-year-old romantic and beautiful woman traveling to Baltimore to reunite with her lover, Howard. Lois is at a crossroads as she contemplates the future of her relationship with Howard, whether it will end or continue. On her way to the rendezvous, she pauses to visit her only brother Keith, a seminarian whom she hasn't seen in seventeen years. The story offers readers a thought-provoking exploration of the tension between the spiritual and the material worlds and the struggles accompanying a life of servitude.
Excerpt from Benediction Online Book
The Baltimore Station was hot and crowded, so Lois was forced to stand by the telegraph desk for interminable, sticky seconds while a clerk with big front teeth counted and recounted a large lady's day message to determine whether it contained the innocuous forty–nine words or the fatal fifty–one.
About F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 24th, 1896. At an early age, he developed an interest in writing stories and eventually attended Princeton University from 1913-1917. He submitted several works to literary magazines during this period but failed to get them published. After leaving college unfinished, Fitzgerald joined the army during World War I, only for it to be over soon after he arrived in Alabama. After returning home unemployed, he resumed his writing career. His first novel, This Side of Paradise, was published in 1920 and became an instant success. Today, Fitzgerald is synonymous with the Roaring Twenties and the Jazz Age, an era of decadence and glamour, and best known for his classic novel, The Great Gatsby. Find out more about F. Scott Fitzgerald at sevenov.com.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's Books on PageVio
Novels: This Side of Paradise | The Beautiful and Damned | The Great Gatsby | Tender Is the Night
Short Story Collections: Flappers and Philosophers | Tales of the Jazz Age | All the Sad Young Men | Taps at Reveille | The Pat Hobby Stories | Collected Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald
Plays: The Vegetable; or, From President to Postman
Here's a full list of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books.