Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, better known as F. Scott Fitzgerald, wrote about the American Dream and the Jazz age. Along with other famous 20th century American writers like Ernest Hemingway, he was one of the many great authors in America who became disillusioned with the era they lived in.
Here we’ll tell you more about this famous American novelist and introduce you to his works.
About F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. An American short story writer and novelist, he became the perfect spokesman for the Jazz Age.
Named after the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” F. Scott Fitzgerald struggled to balance the failure of his aristocratic father with the enthusiasm of his provincial Irish-Catholic mother Mary (McQuillan) Fitzgerald.
After attending St. Paul’s Academy and discovering his talent at a Catholic preparatory high school, he went to Princeton University to pursue his writing career. There he wrote scripts for the Triangle Club together with figures like Edmund Wilson and John Peale Bishop.
Too focused on writing, he failed to graduate and joined the U.S. Army in 1917. During this time, he was near Montgomery, Alabama. There he met Zelda Sayre, his future wife, inspiration, and partly, his downfall.
After the success of his first novel, he managed to marry Zelda and live the lavish life they both wanted. However, they were soon disturbed by the fame they found in New York City. Together with their daughter Frances (Scottie), they moved away to Riviera with other American expatriates.
Unfortunately, his next novel The Great Gatsby wasn’t a commercial success. While Scott became a heavy drinker, Zelda descended into mental illness and was admitted to a hospital in Switzerland.
Distressed by the failed marriage, Scott attempted to become a screenwriter in Hollywood. There he met Sheilah Graham, with whom he quietly spent the rest of his life until he died in 1940. He spent two spells in a hospital in North Carolina and is buried in Maryland.
Best titles by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Here’s a list of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s works, some of which you might recognize from their famous movie adaptations.
This Side of Paradise
This SIde of the Paradise was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s first novel. Inspired by real life events, it is about an aspiring middle-class writer called Amory Blaine, who attends Princeton, fights in World War I, and falls in love with flappers. The title is taken from the poem by another author of the Lost Generation and refers to the paradise which awaits us all in the end but provides little comfort for the living. Even though F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote this book to convince Zelda to marry him, it was the first book that brought him fame.
The Beautiful and Damned
The Beautiful and the Damned was Fitzgerald’s second novel. Published in 1922, it is a predecessor to The Great Gatsby and talks about the same topics of love, marriage, disillusionment, social status, and alcohol. Anthony Patch and his wife Gloria are a young couple who become corrupted by greed and other vices. All of which sees them change so much that they fall out of love with each other. Bearing resemblance to Scott and Zelda’s life at that time, it served as a wake-up call for them to stay away from that kind of lifestyle.
The Great Gatsby
Fitzgerald’s best-known work is The Great Gatsby, a great American novel that perfectly encapsulates the struggles of the Jazz Age. Seen through the eyes of Nick Carraway, an aspiring bond salesman who moves to Long Island, near New York. He learns about the life of the newly rich with the help of his mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby who throws expensive parties to impress Nick’s cousin Daisy, a young woman he fell in love with many years ago.
Tender Is the Night
Tender Is the Night is the last piece Fitzgerald finished before his death. The story was inspired by his ongoing struggles with Zelda Fitzgerald, their stay on the French Riviera, and the expatriates they met there. The novel is about a psychiatrist who falls in love with a wealthy patient in Paris and gradually destroys his life while she recovers.
The Love of the Last Tycoon
F. Scott Fitzgerald finished a third of this novel before he died. With recurrent themes of status, wealth, and disillusionment, the novel is about a movie director and the golden age of Hollywood. The published work contains Fitzgerald’s many notes and outlines which his friend Edmund Wilson compiled.
Flappers and Philosophers
Apart from his novels, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote short stories that present him in a completely different way. Each story is introduced by Mathew J. Bruccoli who was Fitzgerald’s editor. Flappers and Philosophers is the first short-story collection that includes titles such as The Offshore Pirate, Head and Shoulders, Benediction, Bernice Bobs Her Hair, and The Four Fists. Many of these short stories were published in The Saturday Evening Post, All the Sad Young Men, and Scribner’s.
Tales of the Jazz Age
Tales of the Jazz Age is the second collection of short stories that was published in 1922. Some of the more famous ones that it includes are The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Diamond as Big as the Ritz, The Camel’s Back, and May Day.
The Crack-up
Fitzgerald also wrote essays. The Crack-up features a collection of notes and letters about a successful author’s downfall.
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FAQ
What did F. Scott Fitzgerald suffer from?
Having been an alcoholic for almost two decades, Fitzgerald suffered from cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, angina, dyspnea, and syncopal spells, which ultimately led to his death of a heart attack at 44.
Is The Great Gatsby based on F. Scott Fitzgerald?
The Great Gatsby is based on the real people Fitzgerald met and the places he visited during the 1920s.
What did F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife do for a living?
Apart from being Scott’s muse, Zelda Fitzgerald was also a painter, ballet dancer, playwright, and writer.
What is the significance of the title The Great Gatsby?
The adjective “great” has many interpretations but the main one is ironic. In the end, Gatsby’s greatness was the cause of his downfall.
