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The Great Gatsby
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The Great Gatsby Hardcover -

by F. Scott Fitzgerald; Retold by Sean Connolly; Sam Kalda (Illustrator)


About this book

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.

First Edition Identification

Charles Scribner’s Sons first published The Great Gatsby in April of 1925. A highly valued collectible, first editions can be identified by a number of points of issue, including a typo on the back of the dust jacket that spells “jay Gatsby” with a lowercase “j,” over which a correction has been made (by hand) in ink or with a stamp. Other points specific to the first edition include “chatter” on page 60, line 16; “northern” on page 119, line 22; “sick in tired” on page 205, lines 9-10; and “Union Street Station” on page 211, lines 7-8.

The cover of the first edition of The Great Gatsby is among the most celebrated in American literature. Artist Francis Cugat’s design depicts disembodied eyes and a mouth over a blue skyline with images of naked women reflected in the irises. It has been said that Fitzgerald so loved the art (which was completed before the book), that he rewrote parts of the book to better incorporate it.

With its original dust jacket, the rare first edition of The Great Gatsby has sold for between $100,000 and $150,000. Not too shabby — considering that same book sold for just $2 in 1925.

Details

  • Title The Great Gatsby
  • Author F. Scott Fitzgerald; Retold by Sean Connolly; Sam Kalda (Illustrator)
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Pages 64
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Baker Street Press
  • ISBN 9781912464043 / 1912464047
  • Weight 0.45 lbs (0.20 kg)
  • Dimensions 8 x 5.25 x 0.4 in (20.32 x 13.34 x 1.02 cm)
  • Ages 00 to 11 years
  • Grade levels P - 6
  • Reading level 900

About the author

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (1896--1940) was an American writer, now widely regarded as one of the greatest of the 20th century. Among his works are Tender is the Night, The Last Tycoon, and The Great Gatsby. His works are windows into the "Jazz Age" America of the 1920s.
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The Great Gatsby (Baker Street Readers)
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The Great Gatsby (Baker Street Readers)

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781912464043 / 1912464047
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The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781912464043 / 1912464047
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Hardback. New. Nick Carraway's mysterious neighbour Gatsby gazes across the dark bay at a distant green light.
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The Great Gatsby (Baker Street Readers)
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The Great Gatsby (Baker Street Readers)

by Fitzgerald, F. Scott

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Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781912464043 / 1912464047
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The Great Gatsby (Baker Street Readers)
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The Great Gatsby (Baker Street Readers)

by Fitzgerald, F. Scott

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781912464043 / 1912464047
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The Great Gatsby
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Great Gatsby

  • New
  • Hardcover
Condition
New
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781912464043 / 1912464047
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