Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise
(Author) F. Scott FitzgeraldThis Side of Paradise is the debut novel of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Published in 1920, and taking its title from a line of the Rupert Brooke poem Tiare Tahiti, the book examines the lives and morality of post-World War I youth. Its protagonist, Amory Blaine, is an attractive Princeton University student who dabbles in literature and has the book's theme of love warped by greed and status-seeking. In the summer of 1919, 22-year-old Fitzgerald broke up with the girl he had been courting, Zelda Sayre. After being drunk for much of the summer he returned to St. Paul, Minnesota, where his family lived, to complete the novel, hoping that if he became a successful novelist he could win Zelda back. While at Princeton, Fitzgerald had written an unpublished novel called The Romantic Egotist and ultimately 80 pages of the typescript of this earlier work ended up in This Side of Paradise. On September 4, 1919, Fitzgerald gave the manuscript to a friend to deliver to Maxwell Perkins, an editor at Charles Scribner's Sons in New York. The book was nearly rejected by the editors at Scribners, but Perkins insisted, and on September 16 it was officially accepted. Fitzgerald begged for early publication-convinced that he would become a celebrity and impress Zelda-but was told that the novel would have to wait until the spring. Nevertheless, upon the acceptance of his novel for publication he went and visited Zelda and they resumed their courtship. His success imminent, she agreed to marry him. (Wikipedia)
F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald was an American novelist and short story writer known for his portrayal of the Jazz Age in American literature. His most notable works include "The Great Gatsby," "Tender is the Night," and "This Side of Paradise."
Fitzgerald's writing style is characterized by his use of lyrical prose and exploration of the themes of wealth, class, and the American Dream. He is considered one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century and his works continue to be studied and celebrated for their insight into the social and cultural dynamics of his time.
"The Great Gatsby" is Fitzgerald's most famous work and is widely regarded as a masterpiece of American literature. The novel explores the themes of love, wealth, and the pursuit of the American Dream, and has had a lasting impact on the literary genre of the novel. Fitzgerald's contributions to literature include his exploration of the complexities of human relationships and his keen observations of American society during the 1920s.