It's a stronger book, it has more depth and it displays Fitzgerald's full literary talent. At the same time, it's not as "American" because the book deals with expats in Europe (loosely based on Fitzgerald's life, of course). Also, because it's more autobiographical I think that it may be difficult for some readers to enjoy - the descent into madness of Zelda Fitzgerald is on display, and to some it might seem like airing dirty laundry in public.
I would still rank it as Fitzgerald's best, followed by Gatsby, followed by This Side of Paradise, with The Beautiful and Damned as his weakest effort. I don't consider The Love of the Last Tycoon because it was unfinished at the time of his death.
It is a better "ex-pat" novel than Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises (which is actually one of my favorite Hemingway novels) because it captures more facets of "the Lost Generation," particularly in terms of the human stress reactions. And yes, it certainly is a raw, autobiographical novel.
Your rankings of his works mirror mine, although I think even The Beautiful and the Damned is better than most novels, particularly those being released today. Haven't read the unfinished one yet, although that will be rectified in the next 1-2 weeks. Probably will go with the latest edition and not the Edmund Wilson-"edited" original.
Je suis méchant.
