Reviews
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100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: A richly illustrated deluxe edition of the American classic, with illuminating commentary by a preeminent Fitzgerald scholar
The most authoritative edition ever published: Read Gatsby exactly as Fitzgerald intended—and get an inside look at its composition and publication
Boats against the current, we are borne back ceaselessly to The Great Gatsby. Now, in this deluxe annotated anniversary edition, James L. W. West provides running commentary on F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, glossing contexts, language, literary allusions, and contemporary references. Dozens of illustrations and photographs throughout the volume vividly recreate the Jazz Age world of Fitzgerald’s most famous work and chronicle its rich cultural afterlife, encouraging readers to linger in the margins of this deluxe annotated edition.
Drawn from the authoritative Library of America edition of Fitzgerald’s writings, this deluxe edition features:
* A new introduction by Amor Towles, bestselling author of Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow
* A corrected text of Gatsby based on Fitzgerald’s composite manuscript, working galleys, and personal copies
* Restored American spellings and emendations made by Fitzgerald throughout the book’s life
* 13 annotated letters between Fitzgerald and Gatsby’s star editor Maxwell Perkins
* A detailed chronology of Fitzgerald’s life and career, plus extensive explanatory and textual notes
With stunning illustrations, insightful commentary, and fascinating insights into the composition, editing, and publication of The Great Gatsby, this 100th anniversary edition of “the Great American novel” is the most authoritative ever published, a must for any fan of this landmark American novel, and anyone interested in the life and literature of the Jazz Age.
The Great Gatsby is generally read in Grade 11 or Grade 12 (sixteen or seventeen years). Some advanced English classes might introduce it in Grade 10, but there are mature themes, such as infidelity, adultery, heavy drinking, domestic abuse, and suicide.
Hardcover, 272 pages.
Published by The Library of America.
Printed in the United States.
“Sumptuous. . . . Presented beautifully with exhaustive scholarly notes and striking illustrations and photographs, it is essential material for Fitzophiles, packed with social, personal and literary illuminations . . . bringing the book’s contemporaneous references back to life again for a modern reader.” —Irish Independent
"Surely Fitzgerald would have been thrilled. . . . [The] many illustrations and photographs, and the kinds of gem-like notations that are certain to make lovers of Fitzgerald arcana happy . . . should enhance the experience of someone even on their third or fourth reread." —The Nation
