Books

First issue, with the four main issue points present: 1) pg. 60, line 16 "chatter" 2) pg. 119, line 22 "northern" 3) pg. 205, lines 9-10 "sick in tired" 4) pg. 211, lines 7-8 "Union Street station." Original publisher's cloth binding with gilt to spine and blind embossing to front board. A Very Good+ copy with the spine gilt a bit dulled, top front corner gently bumped and some soiling/discoloration to the green cloth boards, otherwise an attractive copy of this exceptional novel, which introduced the Lost Generation to the world. Fitzgerald s masterpiece and one of the great novels of the 20th century. Fitzgerald intended the novel to be a "consciously artistic achievement" and "something extraordinary and beautiful and simple, and intricately patterned." The book took Fitzgerald two years to write, and he worked on it under a variety of different titles, including Dinner at Trimalchio s and Under the Red, White and Blue. Unfortunately, when it was first released The Great Gatsby was neither a commercial nor a critical success. In fact, even though Fitzgerald received a great deal of praise from many literary lights of the period -- including T.S. Eliot and Willa Cather -- the book did not achieve its current level of popularity and renown until after Fitzgerald s death, when it was distributed as a cheap paperback to GIs during World War II. The book has maintained its critical and commercial acclaim ever since, and has sold over 25 million copies. In 1960, the Times would call it "a classic of twentieth century American fiction." It has been adapted into numerous film versions, including a 1974 production starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, and with a script by Francis Ford Coppola. "A curious book, a mystical, glamourous story of today" (Contemporary New York Times Review). Very Good +.

"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.