Books

First edition thus, first impression, designated the first UK edition by Fitzgerald's bibliographer. The work first appeared in England, issued by Chatto & Windus using the original American plates, in 1926. This Grey Walls Press publication is entirely reset and therefore constitutes the true first UK edition, significant for marking the resurrection of British interest in an American classic that was almost forgotten. In 1940, Fitzgerald died believing his commercially unsuccessful magnum opus of 1925 had fallen into obscurity forever. The Grey Walls Press led the UK revival of Fitzgerald in the 1940s, following his posthumous designation in America as among the all-time great American novelists, and The Great Gatsby as perhaps the defining cultural artefact of the Jazz Age. The Grey Walls Press was founded in 1940 by the poet and editor of Poetry Quarterly, Charles Wrey Gardiner (1901-1981), in Billericay, Essex. Its operations ceased in 1954. Octavo. Original green cloth, spine lettered in gilt. With dust jacket by George Woodman. Edges and outer leaves foxed, contents mostly unaffected; jacket price-clipped, spine mildly toned, else bright, ends and corners nicked: a very good copy in like jacket. Bruccoli A11.7.

"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.