Books

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1941. Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good. First edition. Blue cloth lettered in gilt. Small stain on front fly, else an attractive near fine copy in very good dustwrapper with small nicks and a modest chip on the rear panel, a couple of creased tears, and a little sunning at the spine. Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paul Horgan's copy with his small bookplate on the front pastedown, and his lightly penciled notes on the verso of the rear free endpaper. The novel Fitzgerald was working on at the time of his death in 1940, loosely based on the life of MGM producer Irving Thalberg, published a year later with the editorial assistance of Fitzgerald's classmate Edmund Wilson. Fitzgerald was rapidly fading from public and literary consciousness at the time, and this book had a limited audience. Consequently it is relatively uncommon, especially as represented in an association copy.

"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.