Tender is the Night (Fitzgerald)
Short summary
French Riviera, 1925. Young actress Rosemary Hoyt met the charming Dick Diver and his wife Nicole on the beach.
Rosemary fell in love with Dick, who was captivated by her but remained loyal to his wife. The group attended parties and traveled together. A duel occurred between two guests over an argument about the Divers. In Paris, Rosemary confessed her love to Dick, and they began a secret affair.
The narrative then shifted to 1917, revealing Dick's past. He had been a promising young psychiatrist studying in Zurich when he met Nicole Warren, a wealthy patient suffering from schizophrenia caused by childhood trauma.
Despite warnings from colleagues, Dick married Nicole, believing he could cure her. They established a psychiatric clinic together with a partner, but Dick's career and personal life gradually deteriorated. Nicole suffered recurring breakdowns, and Dick turned to alcohol.
Years later, Dick reunited with Rosemary in Rome, and they consummated their relationship. After a violent incident landed him in jail, Dick returned to the Riviera. Nicole, now stronger, began an affair with soldier Tommy Barban. When Dick confronted her, she coldly asked,
"Then why DID you come, Nicole? I can't do anything for you any more. I'm trying to save myself." "From my contamination?"
Dick and Nicole divorced. She married Tommy, while Dick returned to America, moving through small towns in New York as a general practitioner, his brilliant career and life in ruins.
Detailed summary by books
Book titles and division into chapters are editorial.
Book 1. Rosemary and the Divers on the Riviera
Rosemary arrives at the French Riviera
In the summer of 1925, a famous hotel on the French Riviera welcomed a bored mother and her beautiful, nearly adult daughter. Upon reaching the beach, the young woman encountered eccentric characters, including a man named Campion and a group who recognized her as a film actress and enthusiastically welcomed her.
On the beach, Rosemary encountered the socially awkward McKiscos and other expatriates who discussed a mysterious plot. The next day, she observed the enigmatic Abe North and the serene Mrs. Diver, before a brief, captivating interaction with a charming man who helped her avoid sunburn before they both left the deserted beach.
Enchantment with the Divers
Rosemary was invited by Dick and Nicole Diver to join their group on the beach. She was captivated by Dick's charm and Nicole's unique beauty.
The Divers' luxurious lifestyle and dynamic were revealed as new arrivals disrupted their peace. Rosemary, despite initial innocence, fell deeply in love with the married Dick Diver, a fact she tearfully confessed to her influential mother.
The magical party and growing tensions
Nicole Diver wandered her lush garden, eventually joining her husband, who playfully announced a chaotic party. Guests arrived, including Rosemary, who was captivated by Dick's charisma and confessed her love for him amidst an eclectic group and the cynical remarks of a formidable soldier.
At the dinner party, guests engaged in whimsical conversation and shed their inhibitions. Rosemary observed the dynamics, particularly McKisco's failed attempts at engagement and an argument between McKisco and Barban about politics. The magical evening was interrupted by Mrs. McKisco's attempt to reveal an upstairs scene, which Tommy Barban sharply silenced, hinting at hidden tensions.
The duel between Barban and McKisco
Rosemary experienced insomnia, reflecting on her mother's pragmatic advice about work over marriage. She encountered a weeping Luis Campion, who revealed a duel was scheduled for that morning between Tommy Barban and an unknown party, stemming from an argument involving Violet McKisco. A car ride argument escalated into a duel challenge after Tommy struck McKisco for discussing the Divers.
Rosemary reluctantly accompanied Campion to McKisco's duel with Barban. They observed the event from afar as McKisco, drunk, exchanged missed shots with Barban. The duel ended with an argument over satisfaction and payment for the doctor. McKisco proudly, if drunkenly, claimed bravery, while Campion was overcome with distress, and Rosemary, laughing hysterically, anticipated seeing the Divers later.
Paris adventures and deepening love
At Voisins, Dick Diver asserted his unique repose among American men, captivating Rosemary. Nicole's arrival initiated a vibrant party, where Rosemary observed the diverse women. Rosemary later overheard Nicole and Dick planning a secret rendezvous, deeply affecting her. She then witnessed Nicole's extravagant shopping, funded by immense wealth, and heard a chilling story from Nicole's past, revealing her hardness as Nicole ultimately left for her assignation.
Dick, Rosemary, and Abe visited a WWI battlefield. Dick was deeply moved, trying to convey the tragedy to Rosemary, who was increasingly overwhelmed by her love for him.
This land here cost twenty lives a foot that summer... It took the British a month to walk to it--a whole empire walking very slowly, dying in front and pushing forward behind. And another empire walked very slowly backward...
Declarations of love and complications
In Paris, Nicole was too tired to join the others, while Rosemary felt relief from Nicole's imposing presence. Rosemary, Dick, Abe, and Mary North were at a houseboat café. Rosemary, celebrating her eighteenth birthday, drank champagne, hoping to connect with Dick.
Rosemary confronted Dick about his profession, then declared her love for him and Nicole, eventually deciding to give him up before making an impassioned plea for him to take her in her hotel room. Dick, despite his initial confusion and her earnest pleas, gently but firmly rejected her advances, citing Nicole and her youth, leaving Rosemary heartbroken and alone.
Rosemary, shamed from a past event, met Nicole, feeling jealousy but also admiration. At a film screening of her movie, she arranged a screen test for Dick, which he declined. Leaving a bizarre, unsettling house party where she felt out of place, Dick and Rosemary confessed their love for each other in a taxi, but Dick insisted their affair must be kept secret due to his complicated relationship with Nicole and her fragile health. They shared passionate goodbyes at the hotel before parting ways.
Violence and breakdown at the station
Dick Diver hosted a chaotic Paris party, deeply impressing Rosemary with his charm and the night's elaborate fun, including a ride in the Shah's car and a prank at the Ritz. Despite memorable moments, Rosemary felt a pang of disappointment when Dick left, but her spirits were restored by an unusual sight of a flowering tree.
Abe, visibly distressed, met Nicole at Gare Saint Lazare, where their tense conversation revealed their emotional disconnect and his deteriorating state. Amidst their strained farewell, a dramatic shooting occurred at the station, perpetrated by Maria Wallis. Dick intervened, while Nicole took charge by contacting Maria's sister. The group left, profoundly affected by both Abe's decline and the sudden violence, signaling an end to their time in Paris.
After a difficult luncheon, Rosemary left for an engagement. Dick was deeply unhappy, and Nicole sternly corrected Rosemary's casualness. A visitor inadvertently revealed a past intimate encounter involving Rosemary, deeply unsettling Dick. Later, Dick visited his bank, dealing with personal and financial anxieties before heading to Rosemary's studio. After an embrace with Dick, Rosemary found a dead man in her room, prompting her to scream. Dick quickly took charge, discreetly removing the body with Nicole's help. Meanwhile, Nicole suffered a severe psychological breakdown in the bathroom, distressing Dick and leaving Rosemary shaken.
Book 2. Dick Divers past and decline
Dicks education and early career in Zurich
In 1917, Doctor Richard Diver, 26, studied in Zurich during WWI, having previously attended Oxford and Johns Hopkins. He wrote pamphlets in Vienna, forming the basis of his later book, experiencing a heroic period. He reflected on his lucky nature, burning textbooks and questioning the value of an untroubled life, yearning for a little misfortune for development. After serving in a neurological unit in France, he returned to Zurich in 1919, poised for an intricate destiny.
Nicole Warrens case and forbidden attraction
In Zurich, Dick Diver visited Franz Gregorovius at a mental clinic.
Franz revealed Dick's past interaction with a patient, Nicole Warren, through her increasingly erratic letters. Dick learned of her initial admiration, subsequent mental decline, and eventual recovery, which Franz attributed to Dick's accidental involvement. Mr. Devereux Warren brought his mentally unwell sixteen-year-old daughter, Nicole, to Doctor Dohmler's clinic. Initially vague about the cause, Warren later confessed under duress that he had an incestuous relationship with Nicole after her mother's death, which he believed triggered her mental breakdown.
Franz and Dick discussed the young patient's recovery from trauma, with Dick's letters providing an unexpected lifeline. They reflected on her psychological state and future. Dick shared his ambition to be a great psychologist, contrasting with Franz's grounded reality. Dick grappled with his identity and desire for goodness amidst a changing world.
Courtship and marriage
Nicole, radiant and excited, met Dick on a veranda, inviting him to join her in Switzerland. They shared an intimate evening, walking and discussing music. A week later, they met again in a secluded spot, listening to records and songs, with Nicole's captivating presence deeply affecting Dick, symbolizing a profound, new experience for him. Dick re-encountered Nicole Warren, noting her newfound confidence and his own protective feelings. Both men met with Professor Dohmler, who confronted Dick about his sentimental involvement with Nicole, stressing the need to terminate her transference. Dick ultimately confessed he was half in love with her.
Dick and the doctors concluded that Dick must separate from Nicole. He found Nicole waiting, who shared her plans to leave the institution soon with her sister and revealed a newly mature countenance. Dick advised her to forget the past and be happy, but his brutal honesty caused her pain. Dick, reeling from a past affair, encountered Nicole, now vibrant and seemingly recovered, on a funicular to Caux. Despite his attempts to distance himself and focus on work, Nicole's renewed presence deeply stirred his lingering feelings. Dick Diver joined Nicole and her sister at a hotel.
Baby expressed frustration over Nicole's mental health, revealing the family's cluelessness and their plan to buy Nicole a doctor. Nicole later confronted Dick about his feelings, and they shared a passionate kiss amidst a brewing storm. The next day, Baby requested Dick take Nicole back to the sanitarium, solidifying their complicated bond.
Married life and Rosemarys mother
Dick Diver had a tense meeting with Baby Warren, who questioned his motives regarding Nicole's wealth. Nicole then joined, discussing travel plans and her desire for a quiet life, interspersed with fragmented thoughts revealing her complex inner world and past struggles, yet ultimately expressing contentment on a beach with her family. Richard Diver and Mrs. Elsie Speers discussed Rosemary and Nicole's recent breakdown. Richard confessed his love for Rosemary to her mother, who departed soon after. Back home, Richard grappled with his writing and his growing emotional detachment from Nicole, whose recurring mental health issues foreshadowed a deeper crisis.
One writes of scars healed, a loose parallel to the pathology of the skin, but there is no such thing in the life of an individual. There are open wounds, shrunk sometimes to the size of a pin-prick but wounds still.
The clinic partnership decision
Dick told Nicole about encountering acquaintances in Cannes, expressing disdain for society's influx. He struggled with his work overshadowed by Nicole's wealth and influence, feeling his identity diminish. After a period of calm, they headed to the Swiss Alps for Christmas. Dick Diver and his party attended a tea dance and dinner in Gstaad. Franz Gregorovius proposed a joint clinic venture to Dick, which Baby Warren encouraged. Dick initially resisted, feeling controlled, but later admitted to Franz that he was seriously considering the clinic, acknowledging strains in their life and Nicole's well-being, and seeking a change.
Nicoles breakdown and Dicks escape
Dick Diver woke from a war dream, reflecting on his and Nicole's contrasting lives. He inspected the psychiatric clinic, engaging with patients and staff. His most challenging case was a disfigured American painter, whom he attempted to comfort, reflecting on the depth of her suffering before moving on to other patients and clinic duties. Dick Diver faced domestic and psychological turmoil when Nicole received a baseless accusation of his infidelity. Her mental state deteriorated during a family outing to a fair, culminating in a public hysterical episode and a dangerous car accident caused by her. Dick struggled to manage her instability and protect their children.
The dualism in his views of her-- that of the husband, that of the psychiatrist--was increasingly paralyzing his faculties.
Dick Diver, overwhelmed, told Franz he needed to leave Nicole and go away alone for a few months, proposing the Berlin Psychiatric Congress as a destination. Flying to Munich, he felt numb and exhausted, opting out of the congress to find solace in observation.
His fathers death and reunion with Rosemary in Rome
Dick Diver met Tommy Barban and his companions in a Munich café. They revealed the murder of Abe North in a New York speakeasy, shocking Dick. The next morning, Dick reflected on Abe's death and his lost youth while observing a procession of war veterans. Dick Diver arrived in Innsbruck, reflected on Nicole and his own lost potential, and had a brief, unresolved encounter with a woman in the hotel garden. A planned mountain climb was thwarted by bad weather. Later, a telegram revealed his father's death, prompting deep introspection on his father's influence and his own life choices, leading him to plan a return to America.
He had lost himself--he could not tell the hour when, or the day or the week, the month or the year. Once he had cut through things, solving the most complicated equations as the simplest problems of his simplest patients.
Dick Diver buried his father in Virginia, feeling disconnected from his past before a symbolic farewell. He then embarked on a sea voyage, where he reconnected with the newly successful Albert McKisco and his transformed wife Violet. Upon arriving in Rome, Dick unexpectedly reunited with Rosemary, the woman he had specifically traveled to see. Dick Diver visited Rosemary Hoyt, who was in black pajamas. They discussed their past and present, leading to passionate kisses and an unresolved conversation about her virginity. The next day, Dick accompanied Rosemary to her film set, observing the chaotic environment. After lunch, their long-standing, childish infatuation culminated in their physical intimacy at the hotel.
Roman catastrophe and imprisonment
Dick Diver, wrestling with his feelings for Nicole and dissatisfaction with his life, encountered Baby Warren, who criticized his handling of Nicole's illness and suggested a move to London. Later, he met Rosemary, and despite their mutual realization of not being in love, a passionate encounter ensued. Dick's jealousy flared over Rosemary's involvement with another man, leading to a tearful confrontation where she expressed confusion and an unfulfilled desire for commitment from Dick, culminating in his bleak self-assessment. Dick Diver, frustrated with Rome, argued with an acquaintance before receiving a cryptic note. He then sought diversion at the Bonbonieri, where he quarreled with an orchestra leader. His night culminated in a violent confrontation with taxi-drivers over a fare, leading to his brutal beating and arrest, ending alone in a cell.
Baby Warren was awakened by news that Dick was in an Italian jail, severely beaten after a fight with the police. Her attempts to get help from the American Embassy and Consulate were initially met with bureaucratic indifference, but her furious persistence eventually swayed them. Dick was eventually freed after a brief court appearance, having been mistaken by a crowd for a child rapist. He was treated for his injuries, leaving Baby with a sense of moral advantage over him.
Book 3. Dissolution
Criticism and discontent at the clinic
Franz's wife questioned him about Nicole's health and expressed her dislike for Nicole, citing her perceived manipulation and body odor. Franz defended Nicole, reminding his wife of their financial dependency. Later, after Dick's return, she accused him of debauchery and deemed him no longer serious, despite Franz's staunch defense of Dick's brilliance. Ultimately, she softened, but Franz adopted her negative view of Dick. Dick Diver, recovering from a personal crisis, was consulted on the case of an alcoholic, possibly homosexual son of a wealthy Spaniard. Simultaneously, he learned Nicole's estranged father was dying in Lausanne. Dick arranged a consultation but Nicole was informed prematurely. To everyone's shock, the supposedly dying man suddenly revived and departed for America. Dick explained it as a fear-induced burst of energy, leaving Nicole distressed.
The Riviera and social disasters
Dick Diver faced a furious father, whose son, a patient, accused Dick of drinking, leading to a heated confrontation and the family's departure from the clinic. Dick confronted his own drinking problem, and later, Franz Gregorovius confronted Dick, leading to their mutual decision to dissolve their partnership and for Dick to leave the clinic. The Divers, now wealthy, traveled lavishly before returning to the Riviera. Dick focused on raising his children, instilling discipline. Visiting Mary North, now a Contessa, they encountered her husband's exotic household and a sick child. A misunderstanding arose when Dick's son claimed he bathed in dirty water previously used by the sick boy, leading to Dick inadvertently offending the husband's sacred sister by mistaking her for a maid. This caused a major rift, culminating in the Divers' abrupt departure amid lingering family tension.
Dicks continued decline
Nicole observed Dick's drunken confrontation with their cook, leading to the cook's tumultuous firing. Later, at a yacht party, Nicole reconnected with Tommy Barban amidst social awkwardness and Dick's increasingly erratic behavior, culminating in a tense exchange with a guest and Dick's eventual drunken collapse. After a difficult night, Dick and Nicole navigated their strained relationship, with Tommy Barban subtly influencing their dynamic. Nicole asserted her independence, contemplating new desires while Dick grappled with his emotional state. The arrival of a telegram hinted at new social engagements, with Nicole grimly anticipating their arrival amidst the lingering tension.
Nicoles affair with Tommy Barban
Nicole sensed a significant shift in her relationship with Dick, feeling both apprehension and hope. On the beach, Dick's efforts to impress Rosemary failed, sparking Nicole's contempt. Dick acknowledged his decline, and Rosemary learned of his damaged reputation. Nicole, asserting her independence, left the beach and wrote to Tommy Barban. The next morning, Dick departed alone, and Tommy arrived, welcomed by Nicole. Nicole meticulously prepared for Tommy's arrival, reflecting on her beauty and desire for an affair. Tommy complimented her but noted her crook's eyes, sparking a defensive exchange. After a passionate interlude, they left their hotel room, observing chaos as American sailors departed. They dined and swam, with Nicole embracing her new freedom from Dick's influence. Nicole returned home feeling the day's intensity.
Final confrontations and separation
Dick returned home early after dropping Rosemary in Avignon, sparking an uneasy reunion with Nicole. He avoided discussing his actions or her recent dancing with Tommy Barban. Nicole answered a call from Tommy, confirming her affection but delaying a meeting. She then experienced a transformative realization, detaching herself from Dick, who reacted coldly, affirming their estrangement, leading her to claim her independence from him. Dick was called in the middle of the night to bail out Mary North and Lady Caroline Sibley-Biers, who were arrested in Antibes. He fabricated their identities and bribed the police to secure their release, only for one woman to refuse to pay, leading to him physically assaulting her. Dick and Nicole's joint haircut was interrupted by Tommy Barban, leading to a tense public confrontation where Tommy declared his love for Nicole and stated her marriage to Dick was over. Amidst the Tour de France procession, Nicole confirmed her unhappiness with Dick, who accepted the impending divorce, much to Tommy's mixed satisfaction.
Dicks fade into obscurity
Before leaving the Riviera, Dick Diver spent time with his children, then said emotional goodbyes to household staff. He consumed brandy, headed to the beach, where he was observed by Nicole and her sister, who discussed his past and present state. Dick talked with Mary, who critiqued his drinking and behavior. Feeling unwell, he blessed the beach before Nicole tried to reach him, only to be stopped by Tommy.
He was not young any more with a lot of nice thoughts and dreams to have about himself, so he wanted to remember them well.
Nicole maintained contact with her ex-husband, Dick, after her remarriage. Dick's medical career faltered, leading him to move through several small towns in New York, practicing general medicine. He faced personal and professional setbacks, eventually settling in Geneva, though his last known location was Hornell.