Books

[Literature] FIRST EDITION, First Issue. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.[vi]; 218. The first state of the text shows "chatter" on page 60, line 16, "northern" page 119:22, "sick in tired" page 205:9-10, and "Union Street station" page 211:7-8. Elegantly bound in full dark green oasis morocco, gilt, with raised bands, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. Contents clean, some minor dustiness/toning to rough edges of text block, covers are fine. An excellent copy in an attractive recent leather binding. An inexpensive copy of the true first edition. The author's defining novel and a high point of modern literature. Bruccoli [A11]. Listed in The Observer's All-Time 100 Best Novels [2003], also Time Magazine's 100 Best Modern Novels, also Modern Library's Top 100 Novels [1998].

"The Great Gatsby," penned by F. Scott Fitzgerald and published in 1925, is a classic American novel set in the Jazz Age, exploring themes of wealth, love, decadence, and the American Dream. Narrated by Nick Carraway, the story unfolds in the summer of 1922 on Long Island, New York. Carraway, a Yale graduate and World War I veteran, moves to West Egg, a fictional affluent area, to pursue a career in finance. He becomes neighbors with the mysterious and fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby. Gatsby, known for his lavish parties, remains enigmatic and elusive to most of his guests. His grandiose gatherings aim to attract Daisy Buchanan, Nick's cousin and Gatsby's former lover. Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan, a wealthy and arrogant man with a volatile nature. Through Nick's eyes, the story reveals Gatsby's obsession with Daisy, stemming from their past romance. Gatsby, born poor, amassed his fortune through questionable means to win Daisy's love. His opulent lifestyle, however, is a facade masking his deep longing for the past and his desire to relive the romantic moments shared with Daisy before World War I separated them. As the plot unravels, tensions escalate among the characters. Tom, suspicious of Gatsby's intentions, exposes his criminal connections and tries to discredit him. Daisy, torn between her love for Gatsby and her social status, struggles with her feelings. Tragedy strikes as the complex web of relationships culminates in a devastating climax. In a sequence of events involving Tom, Gatsby, Daisy, and others, the consequences of their actions and the underlying tensions between old money and new wealth come to a head. Fitzgerald's masterpiece is a scathing critique of the American Dream, revealing the emptiness and moral decay lurking beneath the glamorous facade of wealth and excess. It explores the disillusionment of the Jazz Age, portraying characters driven by ambition, greed, and unattainable dreams. "The Great Gatsby" remains a poignant and timeless portrayal of the human condition and the pursuit of happiness in a society marked by materialism and superficiality.