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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Used
- very good
- Signed
- first
- Condition
- Very Good
- Seller
-
Portland, Oregon, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925. First Edition, Second Printing. Very Good. First edition, second printing, one of 3,000 copies, with all six textual errors from the first printing corrected. Signed by F. Scott Fitzgerald and inscribed "For Dorothy Bissell, April 1937, F. Scott Fitzgerald, in memory of hot arguments over the Supreme Court and the autonomy of Barcelona." Bound in publisher's original dark green cloth with spine lettered in gilt and upper board in blind; lacking the scarce dust jacket; housed in a custom chemise case. Very Good with a few abrasions to the cloth most notably at the spine, a patch of slight discoloration along the top edge of the rear cover, light occasional foxing throughout. Signed copies of the author's best-known work are scarce and desirable.
This copy was auctioned by Christie's in 1983, and again in 1994. In 1983 it was sold alongside copies of This Side of Paradise and The Beautiful and the Damned, also inscribed by Fitzgerald to Dorothy Bissell in a rather playful manner and dated April, 1937. During April, 1937, Fitzgerald was living at the Oak Hall Hotel in Tyron, North Carolina while Zelda was in Highland Hospital in nearby Asheville. He was heavily in debt, often drunk, and his career was at a standstill; he would embark for Hollywood in June. Brucolli A 11.1.b.
Synopsis
Written in 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is widely considered to be one of the author’s greatest works. Set in New York City and Long Island during the Roaring Twenties, the focus of the story is (of course) its title character, Jay Gatsby, and his unswerving desire to be reunited with Daisy Buchanan, the love he lost five years earlier. However, Nick Carraway, who happens to be both Gatsby’s neighbor and Daisy’s cousin, narrates Gatsby's journey from poverty to wealth, into the arms of his beloved, and eventually to death. The Great Gatsby is undoubtedly one of the greatest American literary documents of the 1920s, the decade for which Fitzgerald himself coined the term “Jazz Age.” However, in writing the book, Fitzgerald was in fact holding up a mirror to the society of which he was a part. In true Modernist fashion, The Great Gatsby addresses the social issues of the period — namely materialism and displaced spirituality — that ultimately led the decline of the era. The novel’s initial sales situation was less than impressive; fewer than 25,000 copies were sold by Fitzgerald’s death in 1940. But The Great Gatsby gained great popularity during WWII as the critical mainstream began to embrace the author’s work. The Armed Services Editions circulated 150,000 copies to troops alone. Today, The Great Gatsby has sold over 25 million copies worldwide, sells an additional 500,000 copies annually, and is Scribner's most popular title. Ranked #2 on the Modern Library’s list of the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century, the novel is also listed on their Top 100 Novels as well as The Observer’s All-Time 100 Best Novels and Time Magazine’s 100 Best Modern Novels. The Great Gatsby has resulted in a number of adaptations, including Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 major motion picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, and Joel Edgerton.
Reviews
On Dec 31 2016, a reader said:
I agree... Shows power of media influence, especially after Mia Farrow's abysmal performance as "Daisy">.
The book was required reading in high school, and really overpriced, story mediocre.
On Sep 28 2015, a reader said:
Instead of buying this book use the money to put a child through college
On Dec 7 2004, Pazzo Books said:
Not even his third best book, and one of the most overblown pieces of literature ever written. Critics and high-school teachers have turned what is essentially an interesting period piece into one of the unquestioned giants of literature. Try Tender is the Night.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 140945687
- Title
- The Great Gatsby
- Author
- Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition, Second Printing
- Publisher
- Charles Scribner's Sons
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1925
- Bookseller catalogs
- Literature;
Terms of Sale
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Biblio member since 2010
Portland, Oregon
About Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Burnside Rare Books specializes in literary first editions and works of cultural and historic significance. We are located in Portland, Oregon and welcome visitors by appointment.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Inscribed
- When a book is described as being inscribed, it indicates that a short note written by the author or a previous owner has been...
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