The Beautiful And Damned (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) - Softcover

Scott Fitzgerald, F.; Vanderbilt, Kermit

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141180870 ISBN 13: 9780141180878

Publisher: Penguin Classics, 1999

Synopsis

This is Fitzgerald's second novel, published in 1922. The story displays that 'touch of disaster' which is at the centre of his work. Young, beautiful and wealthy, Gloria and Anthony want their marriage to be a 'live, glamorous performance'. Seemingly perfectly matched, their love begins to deteriorate as each discovers imperfections in the other. In a desperate search for happiness, they spend recklessly and live riotously, until the final crackup comes. In his portrayal of individualfailure, Fitzgerald illustrates the corrupting power of money and the fleeting nature of beauty. He explores a preoccupying theme - the need for illusion and the tragedy that springs from its inevitable breakdown.

About this title

Review:

"Full of precisely observed life." --Arthur Mizener

Book Description:

This edition includes a detailed account of the composition of the novel, a textual apparatus, a chronology of composition, and, uniquely, three versions of the ending. Explanatory notes situate The Beautiful and Damned in its times and deepen the reader's understanding of Fitzgerald's sources for the novel.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0141180870
• ISBN 13: 9780141180878
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400