A Princeton-educated heir waiting on his grandfather's millions, Anthony Patch drifts through Jazz Age New York with irony as his polish and self-doubt as his shadow.
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Also known as Anthony, Anthony Comstock Patch, Anthony Patch, young Anthony, old Anthony, Dick Fixing Anthony, Dick Stiffly, Dick More, Dick Hurriedly, Dick Yes, Turbulence Anthony, The Kitten Anthony, Anthony Seven, Anthony Patch The Beautiful and Damned Book, Mr. Patch, This Mr. Patch, Mrs. Anthony Patch
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Anthony moves through Manhattan drawing social security from the fortune of his grandfather Adam J. Patch, a Wall Street millionaire turned moral reformer who named him after Anthony Comstock. He fancies himself…
Anthony moves through Manhattan drawing social security from the fortune of his grandfather Adam J. Patch, a Wall Street millionaire turned moral reformer who named him after Anthony Comstock. He fancies himself exceptional and well-adjusted, yet keeps wondering whether he is without honor and slightly mad, a thinness glistening on the world like oil on a clean pond. His courtship of Gloria Gilbert and his refusal to work while waiting for an inheritance set the marriage on its fatal early course.
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Old Halloran is Anthony's grandfather's loyal servant and estate manager, often acting as a messenger and intermediary between Anthony and his grandfather.
Gloria Gilbert
Anthony and Gloria are a married couple whose passionate but volatile relationship deteriorates into mutual resentment and codependency.
Maury Noble
Maury is Anthony's close friend and intellectual companion, sharing his cynicism and love for drinking and philosophical debate.
Joseph Bloeckman
Joseph Bloeckman is a wealthy film producer and Anthony's romantic rival for Gloria's affections, whom Anthony despises.
Richard Caramel
Richard Caramel is Anthony's friend and a struggling writer, whose literary success contrasts with Anthony's decline.
Adam J. Patch
Adam Patch is Anthony's wealthy, disapproving grandfather who holds the purse strings and constantly criticizes Anthony's lifestyle.
Geraldine Burke
Geraldine Burke is a young woman with whom Anthony has a brief, sordid affair during his separation from Gloria.
Muriel Kane
Muriel Kane is a socialite friend of Gloria's and an acquaintance of Anthony, often present in their social circle.
Tana
Tana is Anthony's Japanese servant, who remains loyal and patient despite Anthony's erratic behavior and financial troubles.
Old Halloran
Old Halloran is Anthony's grandfather's loyal servant and estate manager, often acting as a messenger and intermediary between Anthony and his grandfather.
Gloria Gilbert
Anthony and Gloria are a married couple whose passionate but volatile relationship deteriorates into mutual resentment and codependency.
Gloria Gilbert
Anthony and Gloria are a married couple whose passionate but volatile relationship deteriorates into mutual resentment and codependency.
Relationship notes
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Attributed as the author of the epigraph, establishing his perspective on victory and possession.
The Beautiful and Damned
Introduced as a handsome, idle young man with expectations of inheriting a fortune from his grandfather. He is introspective, self-indulgent, and drawn to beauty and pleasure.
Book I
Introduced as a handsome, idle young man with a Harvard education and a trust fund, living a life of leisure in New York.
Anthony Patch
The protagonist, a twenty-five-year-old man in 1913, introspective and ironic, living off his inheritance while contemplating a literary career.
II: Portrait of a Siren
Meets Gloria and becomes infatuated; reflects on his own emptiness and desire for purpose.
III: The Connoisseur of Kisses
Falls deeply in love with Gloria after a single evening; calls her the next day and confesses his love; experiences intense emotional and physical attraction.
Book II
Continues to struggle with his marriage and financial dependence on his inheritance.
The Radiant Hour
Struggles with cowardice and pride; engages in 'practical discussions' with Gloria; shows dashing recklessness but is easily frightened.
II: Symposium
Struggles with the offer to become a war correspondent, feeling torn between ambition and his attachment to Gloria. Later, he drunkenly strikes Gloria in public, leading to a crisis in their marriage.
The Broken Lute
Struggles to write commercial fiction, faces financial strain, and is disinherited by his grandfather.
Book III
Anthony's alcoholism and apathy worsen, leading to a breakdown in his marriage and personal ambition.
I: A Matter of Civilization
Leaves Gloria to join the army; endures the discomfort of a tourist car and the indignities of basic training; reflects on his past and his new life as a private.
II: A Matter of Aesthetics
Absent but central in Gloria's thoughts; his letters become mechanical and distant, causing her to feel estranged.
III: No Matter!
Reflects on his past struggles and feels triumphant; descends into heavy drinking and nervousness; argues with Gloria about money and drinking.
Chapter companion notes
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