1925: ‘The Great Gatsby’ is Published

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was published on this day in 1925. Set in the fictional town of West Egg on Long Island in 1922, the story centers on the young millionaire, Jay Gatsby and his obsession with the former debutante, Daisy Buchanan. Themes included in the story dealt with a twisted version of the American Dream with decadence, idealism and social upheaval during the roaring twenties. Some have described the story as a cautionary tale. When it was first published, the book received mixed reviews and did not sell well – only 20,000 copies of the book were sold during the first year. Sadly, Fitzgerald died in 1940 feeling as if he were a failure but after World War II, the book experienced a revival and today is considered a literary classic that is often used with English studies in American high schools. Some consider The Great Gatsby to be a good example of the “Great American Novel.