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.

Author Biography

Chief chronicler of the American Jazz Age, Fitzgerald (1896 - 1940) pursued a high life similar to that of his characters. He spent much of the 1920s shuttling back and forth between America and Europe, while money troubles and the deteriorating mental health of his wife Zelda led to his having to churn out work in order to keep afloat. He endured three unhappy spells as a screenwriter in Hollywood, which resulted in his final (unfinished) novel, 'The Last Tycoon'. He died suddenly in 1940.