On April 10, 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel The Great Gatsby was published. The novel, set in the roaring twenties, chronicles the story of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who throws lavish parties in hopes of winning back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. The Great Gatsby is now considered one of the greatest American novels of all time, capturing the glamour and excess of the Jazz Age while also exploring themes such as the corruption of the American Dream and the destructive power of obsession.
Although The Great Gatsby did not receive immediate widespread critical acclaim upon its release, it received positive reviews from H.L. Mencken and T.S. Eliot. Sales, however, were slow, and it was not until after Fitzgerald’s death in 1940 that the novel gained a cult following and became a staple in American literature.
Fitzgerald, a writer often associated with the Jazz Age and known for his partying lifestyle, died at the age of forty-four after years of struggling with alcoholism. To this day, it is often debated whether Fitzgerald deserves all of the credit for his infamous work or if his wife, Zelda, deserves some of the credit.
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