The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F Scott
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 and Notes
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.
Other Collectible or Notable Editions
Chatto and Windus published the first UK edition of The Great Gatsby in 1926. With its original dust jacket, the UK edition has sold for between $12,500 and $25,000.
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Available copies

The Great Gatsby.
by FITZGERALD, F. Scott.
- Seller
- Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books
- Published
- 1925.
- Condition
- Bookplate of Philip L Marchant on front free endpaper; small bookseller's stamp to rear pastedown; else a bright fresh copy
- Edition
- First edition; first printing. The dust jacket is the first wit
- Item Price
-
$55,000.00
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The Great Gatsby
by FITZGERALD, F. SCOTT
- Seller
- Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
- Published
- 1934
- Condition
- First Modern Library Edition; with a new introduction by the author. Near fine in a very good dust jacket, lacking the remainder
- Item Price
-
$45,000.00
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The Great Gatsby.
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Raptis Rare Books
- Published
- 1925
- Item Price
-
$38,000.00
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The Great Gatsby.
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Raptis Rare Books
- Published
- 1934
- Item Price
-
$35,000.00
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$15,000.00
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Quintessential Rare Books, LLC
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$11,000.00
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The Great Gatsby
by FITZGERALD, F. SCOTT
- Seller
- Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- First Edition; first printing. Spine dull, but very good to fine, in a partial dust jacket consisting of a worn front panel and
- Item Price
-
$10,000.00
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$9,500.00
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Temple Rare Books
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$9,379.50
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The Great Gatsby.
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott. [Maxwell Perkins]
- Seller
- Raptis Rare Books
- Published
- 1925
- Item Price
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$7,500.00
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The great Gatsby
by FITZGERALD, F. Scott
- Seller
- Rootenberg Rare Books & Manuscripts
- Published
- 1925
- Edition
- FIRST EDITION
- Item Price
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$5,200.00
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The Great Gatsby.
by FITZGERALD, F. Scott.
- Seller
- Peter Harrington
- Published
- 1925
- Item Price
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$5,050.50
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The Great Gatsby.
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Raptis Rare Books
- Published
- 1925
- Item Price
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$4,800.00
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Arroyo Seco Books
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- 1st Edition 1st Printing
- Item Price
-
$4,500.00
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The Great Gatsby
by FITZGERALD, F. Scott
- Seller
- Riverrun Books & Manuscripts
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Spine gilt somewhat faded, light wear at ends of spine, generally a very fresh copy
- Item Price
-
$4,000.00
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The Great Gatsby
by FITZGERALD, F. Scott
- Seller
- James Cummins Bookseller
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Publisher's green cloth. Spine darkened, else fine. In a custom half green morocco slipcase and green cloth chemise
- Edition
- First edition, first issue
- Item Price
-
$3,750.00
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The Great Gatsby
by FITZGERALD, F. SCOTT
- Seller
- Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- First Edition; first printing. Aside from some tiny punctures in the back cover cloth; very good.
- Item Price
-
$3,500.00
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The Great Gatsby
by FITZGERALD, F. SCOTT
- Seller
- Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- First Edition; first printing. Bookplate removed from inside the front cover; very good.
- Item Price
-
$3,500.00
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Evolving Lens Bookseller
- Published
- 1925
- Edition
- First Edition, First Printing
- Item Price
-
$3,300.00
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F.Scott
- Seller
- The Title Page ABAA
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- First Edition, First Issue
- Item Price
-
$3,200.00
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The Great Gatsby
by FITZGERALD, F. Scott
- Seller
- Argosy Book Store
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- good
- Edition
- First
- Item Price
-
$3,000.00
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Bookbid Rare Books
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Very good.
- Edition
- First edition, first state
- Item Price
-
$2,950.00
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$2,750.00
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THE GREAT GATSBY
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Koster's Collectible Books
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Good++
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$2,700.00
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The Great Gatsby (Scribner Classics)
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Seller
- Belleyre Books
- Published
- 1925
- Edition
- First printing
- ISBN
- 9780684830421
- Item Price
-
$2,500.00
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The Great Gatsby
by FITZGERALD, F. SCOTT
- Seller
- Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc.
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- First Edition; first printing. Some staining; a little better than good.
- Item Price
-
$2,250.00
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The Great Gatsby
by FITZGERALD, F. Scott
- Seller
- Yesterday's Gallery, ABAA
- Published
- 1925
- Item Price
-
$2,250.00
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Cultural Connection
- Published
- 1925
- Item Price
-
$2,000.00
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THE GREAT GATSBY
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Book Bazaar
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Good
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$1,725.00
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The great Gatsby ; Tender is the night ; This side of paradise ; The beautiful and the damned ; The last tycoon
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Seller
- Books Express
- Published
- 1977-04-05
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780905712161
- Item Price
-
$1,179.31
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- curtis paul books inc.
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Item Price
-
$1,099.99
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Tapsell's Books and Music
- Published
- 1948
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- 1st U.K. edition
- Item Price
-
$1,012.25
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THE GREAT GATSBY
by Fitzgerald F. Scott
- Seller
- Abound Book Company
- Published
- 1925
- Condition
- Good with no dust jacket
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$1,237.50 $990.00Save $247.50!
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- The Book House - St. Louis
- Published
- 1979
- Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- Limited
- Item Price
-
$850.00
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- curtis paul books inc.
- Published
- 1948
- Condition
- Very Good+ in Near Fine dust jacket
- Edition
- First Edition
- Item Price
-
$799.99
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THE GREAT GATSBY
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Captain Ahab's Rare Books
- Published
- [1945]
- Edition
- Armed Services Edition (Third American Edition)
- Item Price
-
$750.00
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The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Seller
- Armadillo Alley Books
- Published
- 2017
- Condition
- New
- Edition
- Collector's Edition
- ISBN
- 9791095457428
- Item Price
-
$689.00
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The Great Gatsby: A Facsimile of the Manuscript
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Seller
- Schwabe Books
- Published
- 1973-01-01
- Condition
- Good
- Item Price
-
$671.38
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The Great Gatsby
by FITZGERALD, F. SCOTT
- Seller
- Hard To Find Books
- Item Price
-
$664.64
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Encore Books & Records
- Published
- 1948
- Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Item Price
-
$649.95
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The Great Gatsby.
by FITZGERALD, F. Scott.
- Seller
- Peter Ellis bookseller
- Published
- 1948
- Item Price
-
$649.35
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The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Seller
- Books Express
- Published
- 1997-03-09
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780760705674
- Item Price
-
$585.63
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald F. Scott
- Seller
- Biblionne
- Published
- 1973
- Condition
- in good condition, scraped edges, small stains on spine, owner's pencil marks.
- Edition
- 184 pp., ill. Limited to 50 000 copies.
- Item Price
-
$550.00
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The Great Gatsby.
by FITZGERALD, F. Scott.
- Seller
- Jeffrey H. Marks Rare Books
- Published
- [n.d., but 1945].
- Condition
- Ownership stamp and penned number to front free endpaper; bookplate to pastedown; else very good or better in a very good jacket
- Edition
- Second edition.
- Item Price
-
$500.00
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The Great Gatsby (Illustrated Classics)
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Seller
- Books Express
- Published
- 2014-06-07
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9781909242586
- Item Price
-
$491.35
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The Great Gatsby
by Fitzgerald, F. Scott
- Seller
- Plain Tales Books
- Published
- 1979
- Condition
- Fine
- Item Price
-
$475.00
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The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Seller
- Books Express
- Published
- 2009-02-01
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9783764523022
- Item Price
-
$438.31
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THE GREAT GATSBY
by FITZGERALD, F. Scott
- Seller
- Charles Agvent
- Published
- (1980)
- Condition
- Fine in a Very Good slipcase with some fading and discoloration
- Item Price
-
$437.50
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The Great Gatsby (Literature Guide for a-Level) (Philip Allan Literature Guide for a-Level)
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Seller
- Books Express
- Published
- 2010-09-04
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9781444116212
- Item Price
-
$422.10
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The Great Gatsby (Essential Penguin)
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Seller
- Books Express
- Published
- 1998-05-04
- Condition
- New
- ISBN
- 9780140274134
- Item Price
-
$410.02