The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) was an American novelist and short story writer, widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald attended Princeton University but left before graduating to join the army during World War I. It was during his military service that he met Zelda Sayre, who would become his wife and a central figure in his life and work.

Fitzgerald's writing captured the spirit of the Jazz Age—the 1920s era of prosperity, excess, and social change. The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, is considered his masterpiece, though it was not a commercial success during his lifetime. The novel explores themes of wealth, class, love, and the corruption of the American Dream—themes that remain deeply relevant today. Fitzgerald's own life mirrored the excesses and tragedies he wrote about, and he struggled with alcoholism and financial difficulties throughout his career. He died in 1940 at the age of 44, believing himself a failure, though his work would later be recognized as some of the finest in American literature.