Synopses & Reviews
First published in 1922,
The Beautiful and the Damned followed Fitzgerald's impeccable debut,
This Side of Paradise, thus securing his place in the tradition of great American novelists. Embellished with the author's lyrical prose, here is the story of Harvard-educated, aspiring aeshete Anthony Patch and his beautiful wife, Gloria. As they await the inheritance of his grandfather's fortune, their reckless marriage sways under the influence of alcohol and avarice. A devastating look at the nouveaux riches and New York nightlife, as well as the ruinous effects wild ambiion,
The Beautiful and the Damned achieved stature as one of Fitzgerzld's most accomplished novels. Its distinction as a classic endures to this day.
Pocket Book's Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhaced for the contemporary reader. Special features include critical perspectives, suggestions for further read, and a unique visual essay composed of period photographs that help bring every word to life.
Review
Anthony Patch The victors belong to the spoils.
Synopsis
Introducing a fresh, practical approach to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s enduring classic—ideal for students and general readers.Simon & Schuster Enriched Classics are designed to enable readers to enjoy, appreciate, and understand great works of literature to their fullest potential.
Anthony Patch, Harvard-educated, aspiring aesthete, falls in love and marries Gloria Gilbert, a stunning, beautiful woman. On the outside they look like the golden couple—rich, beautiful, young, and in love. However, beneath the surface, the marriage is not at all what it seems. Anthony and Gloria must wait to inherit Anthony's grandfather’s fortune. And wait they do, while drinking, and jetsetting to Europe and back to the states. The Beautiful and the Damned is a timeless story about society, money, and the deterioration of a marriage.
About the Author
F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1896, attended Princeton University, and published his first novel, This Side of Paradise, in 1920. That same year he married Zelda Sayre and the couple divided their time among New York, Paris, and the Riviera, becoming a part of the American expatriate circle that included Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and John Dos Passos. Fitzgerald was a major new literary voice, and his masterpieces include The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby, and Tender Is the Night. He died of a heart attack in 1940 at the age of forty-four, while working on The Love of the Last Tycoon. For his sharp social insight and breathtaking lyricism, Fitzgerald is known as one of the most important American writers of the twentieth century.