Books

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Beautiful and the Damned. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1922. First edition, first state. Rebound in � leather and cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt titles, and tooling to the spine. Gilded edges. New archival cloth slipcase. Presented is a first edition, first state of F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Beautiful and the Damned. The book was published by Charles Scribner s Sons in New York in 1922. It is presented here, rebound, in gorgeous blue � leather and cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt titles, and gilt tooling to the spine, and a new archival slipcase. The Beautiful and the Damned was Fitzgerald s second novel, following his debut This Side of Paradise. The book is an exploration of the nouveau riche, New York City nightlife in the 1920s, and the inner dynamics of two young and reckless newlyweds. Semi-autobigraphical, Fitzgerald modeled the characters of Anthony Patch and Gloria Gilbert on himself and his new spouse Zelda Fitzgerald and the story draws circumstantially upon the early years of Fitzgeralds' tempestuous marriage. Fitzgerald started writing The Beautiful and the Damned in August of 1920, while in Westport Connecticut. Having reflected upon the criticisms of his debut novel This Side of Paradise, Fitzgerald sought to improve upon the form and construction of his prose in this second book. He relied heavily on editorial suggestions from his friend Edmund Wilson and his editor Max Perkins. Remarking upon Fitzgerald's improved craftsmanship, literary critic H. L. Mencken wrote in his The Smart Set review: "There are a hundred signs in it of serious purpose and unquestionable skill. Even in its defects there is proof of hard striving. Fitzgerald ceases to be a wunderkind, and begins to come into his maturity." Metropolitan Magazine serialized the manuscript in late 1921, and Charles Scribner's Sons published the book in March 1922. Scribner's prepared an initial print run of 20,000 copies. The book was received with mixed critical reviews, yet it sold to the public well enough to warrant additional print runs of 50,000 copies. There is a profounder truth in The Beautiful and Damned than the author perhaps intended to convey: the hero and heroine are strange creatures without purpose or method, who give themselves up to wild debaucheries and do not, from beginning to end perform a single serious act; but you somehow get the impression that, in spite of their madness, they are the most rational people in the book. The inference is that, in such a civilization, the sanest and most creditable thing is to forget organized society and live for the jazz of the moment (Edmund Wilson, Literary Spotlight, 1924). CONDITION: Rebound in blue � leather and cloth boards with raised bands, gilt titles, and tooling to the spine, gilded edges, new endpaper. Conservation to the half title page. Interior pages are healthy with only light toning, no marks or staining. First Edition, first state. "Printed by the Scribner Press, New York, U.S.A." on the copyright page. Presented with a matching archival slipcase with a portrait of Fitzgerald inlaid on the front. Dimensions: Book 7 3/4" H x 5 3/4" W x 1 1/2" D. Slipcase: 8 1/4" H x 5 7/8" W x 2 1/8" D.

"The Beautiful and Damned" by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel that delves into the lives of Anthony Patch and his wife, Gloria, as they navigate the complexities of wealth, love, and society in post-World War I America. The story unfolds in the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, a time of societal upheaval and extravagant lifestyles. Anthony Patch, an heir to a substantial fortune, and Gloria, a beautiful young woman from Kansas City, are drawn together by their mutual attraction and shared desire for a luxurious existence. Their relationship initially thrives amidst the glitz and glamour of high society, where they revel in parties, excess, and the promise of an indulgent future. However, as their marriage progresses, cracks begin to appear. Anthony is a would-be writer, but his ambitions are eclipsed by his leisurely lifestyle and lack of motivation. Gloria, once full of life and aspirations, finds herself trapped in a cycle of dissatisfaction, yearning for something more fulfilling than the shallow existence offered by their wealth. Their downward spiral is exacerbated by alcoholism, infidelity, and the pressures of societal expectations. Anthony's inheritance is tied up in a legal battle, and without it, their extravagant lifestyle hangs in the balance. As they struggle with financial woes and personal demons, their marriage deteriorates. Fitzgerald masterfully portrays the allure and emptiness of the Jazz Age, painting a vivid picture of a society obsessed with wealth, appearance, and pleasure. Through the characters of Anthony and Gloria, he explores the fleeting nature of happiness and the perils of excess. Ultimately, "The Beautiful and Damned" serves as a cautionary tale about the pursuit of superficiality and the consequences of neglecting deeper values in favor of a life consumed by materialism and societal expectations. It captures the disillusionment and moral decay of an era characterized by opulence and hedonism, highlighting the fragility of relationships and the human spirit in the face of such excess.