"A book should serve as the axe for the frozen sea within us."
— Franz Kafka

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940), known professionally as F. Scott Fitzgerald, was an American novelist and short story writer, whose works are the paradigmatic writings of the Jazz Age. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost Generation" of the 1920s - referring to the generation which came of age during WWI, including T.S. Eliot, John Steinbeck, and many others. Fitzgerald finished four novels: This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby (his best known), and Tender Is the Night. A fifth, unfinished novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon, was published posthumously. His fiction focuses upon the themes of youth, promise, ageing, and despair.
The publication of The Great Gatsby prompted T. S. Eliot to write, in a letter to Fitzgerald, "It seems to me to be the first step that American fiction has taken since Henry James ...". In letters written in the 1940s, J. D. Salinger expressed admiration of Fitzgerald's work, and his biographer Ian Hamilton wrote that Salinger even saw himself for some time as "Fitzgerald's successor". Moreover, Richard Yates (a writer often compared to Fitzgerald) called The Great Gatsby "a miracle of talent". Into the 21st century, millions of copies of The Great Gatsby and Fitzgerald's other works have been sold. Gatsby remains a constant best-seller, is required reading in many high school and college classes in the United States.
See below our stock of F. Scott Fitzgerald First Editions, and fine bindings.
London: The Bodley Head, 1958-63. FIRST BODLEY HEAD EDITION. Complete in 6 volumes. Octavo. Publisher's red cloth in pale grey/cream dust wrappers printed in black and red. Both the books and jackets are in clean, fresh condition without the often-seen toning to the spines. A striking set. The only collected..... More
London: The Bodley Head, 1958. [Modern Literature] UNCORRECTED PROOF. Octavo (19 x 12cm), pp.456. Publisher's green paper covers, with a black fabric tape strip applied to spine. Covers rubbed and spotted, with a child's doodling in pink ink. Spine repaired with a thick strip of black fabric tape. A little..... More
New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925. [Literature] FIRST EDITION, First Issue. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.[vi]; 218. The first state of the text shows "chatter" on page 60, line 16, "northern" page 119:22, "sick in tired" page 205:9-10, and "Union Street station" page 211:7-8. Original green cloth covers, titled..... More
New York, NY: Scribner's Sons, 1923. [Comedy Drama] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[8] 145 [7]. With the original green cloth cover and spine bound in at rear. Recent green full morocco with raised bands, gilt titles to spine, and a gilt autograph stamped to upper board. Marbled endpapers;..... More
New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1923. [Comedy Drama] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[8] 145 [7]. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine and blind to upper. Fore-edge untrimmed. Gently toned throughout, as usual. Neat ownership to flyleaf, bookseller's labels to rear endpapers. Gilt a little rubbed..... More