Tender Is the NightTender Is the Night
Score Classic
What it's about
On the French Riviera in the 1920s, Rosemary Hoyt, a young American film star, falls under the spell of Dick and Nicole Diver, a glamorous couple who seem to have everything. Dick is a brilliant psychiatrist; Nicole was once his patient, and her family's money keeps them afloat. As the years pass, Dick's charm and promise slowly drain away.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels. Fitzgerald drew on his own troubled marriage, and many readers find it his most moving book.
You'll love it if you liked
The Great Gatsby
The Sun Also Rises
A Moveable FeastGood to know
It moves back in time in the middle section. There's incest in Nicole's past, alcoholism and mental illness. Editions differ in structure.
By the numbers
- Readers6 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller42 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Moving
More by F. Scott Fitzgerald
If you like this, read next
Sophie's Choice
The Brothers Karamazov
The Thorn Birds
The Age of Innocence
Middlemarch
LolitaExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Tender Is the Night worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels. It ranks #2,180 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Tender Is the Night about?
On the French Riviera in the 1920s, Rosemary Hoyt, a young American film star, falls under the spell of Dick and Nicole Diver, a glamorous couple who seem to have everything. Dick is a brilliant psychiatrist; Nicole was once his patient, and her family's money keeps them afloat. As the years pass, Dick's charm and promise slowly drain away.
How long does it take to read Tender Is the Night?
About 11 hours (446 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Tender Is the Night?
If you liked it, try The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway or A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway.