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Rich, beautiful and free to do as they please, Anthony Patch and Gloria Gilbert seem made for one another and the carefree world of Jazz Age America. But if the good times, the money and even the love run out, what remains?
First published in 1922, The Beautiful and Damned was Fitzgerald's follow-up to his breakout bestselling debut, This Side of Paradise. Focused on the passionate and complicated relationship of Anthony Patch and Gloria Gilbert, the novel follows their seemingly charmed lives as exemplars of the wild, hedonistic lifestyle of the Jazz Age. Fueled by alcohol, an inheritance and an increasingly desperate pursuit of pleasure, the couple find themselves at odds and unsatisfied in ways they never anticipated, and their way of life, their understanding of themselves, called into question. The author's sharp, insightful prose consistently invests individual scenes with memorable clarity and depth, and his depiction of the gradual transformation of the main characters relationship is masterful. Fitzgerald would follow this novel with The Great Gatsby, inarguably one of the finest American novels of the 20th century. The author did not arrive at that level of skill overnight and The Beautiful and Damned shows him evolving into an American master.
Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.
With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.
About the author
Born on September 24, 1896, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was named after his distant relative, the lyricist of "The Star-Spangled Banner." He attended Princeton University but left in 1917 to join the U.S. Army during World War I. While stationed in Alabama, he met Zelda Sayre, whom he married in 1920 following the success of his debut novel, This Side of Paradise.Fitzgerald's literary career flourished in the 1920s, a period he famously dubbed the "Jazz Age." His works, including The Beautiful and Damned and The Great Gatsby, explored themes of wealth, ambition, and the American Dream. Despite his early success, he faced personal challenges, including struggles with alcoholism and Zelda's mental health issues.In the 1930s, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood to work as a screenwriter, seeking financial stability. During this time, he began an unfinished novel, The Last Tycoon, which was published posthumously. Fitzgerald died of a heart attack on December 21, 1940, at the age of 44, leaving behind a legacy as one of America's most celebrated writers.
Summary
Rich, beautiful and free to do as they please, Anthony Patch and Gloria Gilbert seem made for one another and the carefree world of Jazz Age America. But if the good times, the money and even the love run out, what remains?First published in 1922, The Beautiful and Damned was Fitzgerald’s follow-up to his breakout bestselling debut, This Side of Paradise. Focused on the passionate and complicated relationship of Anthony Patch and Gloria Gilbert, the novel follows their seemingly charmed lives as exemplars of the wild, hedonistic lifestyle of the Jazz Age. Fueled by alcohol, an inheritance and an increasingly desperate pursuit of pleasure, the couple find themselves at odds and unsatisfied in ways they never anticipated, and their way of life, their understanding of themselves, called into question. The author’s sharp, insightful prose consistently invests individual scenes with memorable clarity and depth, and his depiction of the gradual transformation of the main characters relationship is masterful. Fitzgerald would follow this novel with The Great Gatsby, inarguably one of the finest American novels of the 20th century. The author did not arrive at that level of skill overnight and The Beautiful and Damned shows him evolving into an American master.Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book. With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.
