The Ice Palace

"Then she kissed him until the sky seemed to fade out and all her smiles and tears to vanish in an ecstasy of eternal seconds."

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Ice Palace (1920)

The Ice Palace (1920) by F. Scott Fitzgerald, first published in the Saturday Evening Post and later in his short story collection, Flappers and Philosopher (also available from Cosimo Classics) is based on the ice palace present at the 1887 winter carnival held in St. Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald's native city. The story's main character, Sally Carrol, is a Southern belle interested in exploring her Northerner beau's home; however, while there, she discovers the vast differences between the two regions. At one point, she feels deep terror within the ice palace, and consequently, returns to the comfortable South. This story is an essential addition to a collection of Fitzgerald's great works.