女电影演员露丝玛利在戛纳海滩上遇见了主人公狄克·戴弗，一位精神病医生。他妻子妮珂是他过去的病人，患有精神分裂症。他温文尔雅，待人彬彬有礼，露丝玛利很快就迷上了他。尽管她一再对他表明心迹，狄克却始终不为所动。回巴黎后，他对妻子妮珂的忠诚看似没有动摇，事实上却情不自禁地被露丝玛利吸引。为摆脱对露丝玛利的幻想，狄克开始撰写专著，对复发癔症、精神状态仍不稳定的妮珂尽可能温柔体贴。在阿尔卑斯山度假期间，他遇到昔日好友佛朗兹，并用妻子可观财产中的一部分与他合伙办了一家诊所。此时，妮珂收到一封指责狄克与病人通奸的信，病情加剧，在郊游中故意撞毁汽车。狄克沮丧万分，独自外出度假散心，途中与罗丝玛利偶遇，却只是意识到他们短暂的爱情已无可挽回。最终他借酒浇愁，妻子也离他而去。他曾是这个浪漫时代的缩影，最终却沦为一个顾影自怜的失败者。小说见证了菲茨杰拉德虚度了大半生的"爵士乐时代"的幻灭，在很大程度上实现了作者本人所谓的"对人生透彻、惨痛的了解"。(Film actress Ruth Mary met the protagonist Dick Dave on a beach in Cannes, a psychiatrist. His wife Nikki is his past patients with schizophrenia. He was gentle and kind thus Ruth Mary loved him in a short time. Although she repeatedly showed love to him, Dick remained unconvinced. After returning to Paris, he's loyal to his wife Nikki seemingly did not waver, but in fact he was attracted by Ruth Mary and unable to restrain the emotions. In order to get rid of the fantasy to Ruth Marley, Dick began writing books and treated gentle as possible on Nikki. While on holiday in the Alps, he met his old friend Franz, and had a clinic with him by using part of his wife's property. At this time, Nikki received a letter accusing Dick of adultery with the patient so the disease became more deliberately and crashed the car in the outing. Dick was so disheartened and alone to go on vacation. On the way he encountered Mary Rose but just realizes that their short love is gone. Finally he drown his sorrows in alcohol and his wife left him. He was the epitome of the romantic era, but eventually become a self pitying loser. The novel witnessed Fitzgerald Jazz Age's disillusion and to a great extent, realized the so-called "thorough understanding of life, bitter".)