This Side of Paradise

F. Scott Fitzgerald
Edited by Jackson R. Bryer

Oxford World's Classics

304 pages | 196x129mm

978-0-19-954621-3 | Paperback | 12 November 2009

Price: £8.99

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F.Scott Fitzgerald's first novel, This Side of Paradise, a thinly disguised fictional account of his Princeton years, made him instantly famous, and prefigured the themes and characters in later works such as The Great Gatsby and Tender is the Night.
Jackson R. Bryer's introduction establishes the novel as an important work in its own right, and analyses its enduring strengths for the modern reader; it considers the book's interesting composition history and its initial reception in 1920.
Up-to-date bibliography of primary and secondary sources and critical material.
Chronology of the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Explanatory notes provide context for references and allusions.

'to write it took three months; to conceive it - three minutes; to collect the data in it - all my life'

F. Scott Fitzgerald's first novel, This Side of Paradise tells the story of Amory Blaine as he grows from pampered childhood to young adulthood, and learns to know himself better. At Princeton he becomes a literary aesthete and makes friends with other aspiring writers. As he moves out into the world and tries to find his true direction he falls in love with a succession of beautiful young women. Youthful exuberance and immaturity give way to disillusion and disappointment as Amory confronts the realities of life.

A thinly disguised account of Fitzgerald's own Princeton years, the novel's frank description of Amory's love affairs shocked and delighted its first readers, and the book was an immediate success. Brilliant and original in style and structure, it was a spectacular launching for Fitzgerald's career, and instantly stamped him as the bard of the Jazz Age.

ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Readership: Readers of modern fiction and of Scott Fitzgerald, students and readers of American literature, the American novel, American culture.

The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.

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