Tender is the Night is a novel that follows the lives of Dick and Nicole Diver, an American family living in the French Riviera during the 1920s. Like pretty much any of Fitzgerald's novels, the plot encompasses the disillusionment with the time period, as well as the deteriorating marriage the Divers are experiencing. Not to spoil the plot or anything, but the reader can expect a dismal ending, as is typical of Fitzgerald's style. The novel may appear rather tedious to some because it contains little action, but many find it fascinating due to the depth into which Fitzgerald details his characters.

Critics often approach this novel from a biographical and/or historical stance. Fitzgerald himself even noted that his work is based on his family's life. There are many parallels between Dick Diver and Fitzgerald, and also between Nicole Diver and Fitzgerald's wife, Zelda. Fitzgerald explores the psychological aspects of relationships, especially when the woman tends to have more power. Because Nicole's family is really wealthy, Dick often uses her money to advance his career and maintain the lavish lifestyle they lead. Fitzgerald, too, suffered an unbalanced and unhappy relationship with his life for similar reasons: mental illness and reckless spending.

This novel, though once considered to be in the "shadow" of The Great Gatsby, is today well-deserving of a spot in the Best 100 Novels because of the accuracy with which Fitzgerald portrays the gaudiness and frivolity of the Roaring '20s, and also the despondency of those who seem to have everything. Fitzgerald has a particular style that pervades all of his novels, and Tender is the Night is no different.