| Full Name | Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald |
| Born | September 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Died | December 21, 1940 (aged 44) |
| Notable Works | The Great Gatsby, Tender is the Night, The Beautiful and Damned |
| Spouse | Zelda Sayre |
| Social Profiles | Instagram, Twitter |
As a long-time ardent reader of F. Scott Fitzgerald, I‘m delighted to share my perspective on this gifted Jazz Age writer and the works that have enthralled generations of readers.
Early Life and Zelda
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald met Southern belle Zelda Sayre while stationed in Alabama as a young military officer. Zelda served as his muse and literary inspiration, her vivacious spirit embodied in characters like Daisy Buchanan. However, their tumultuous relationship also fueled his drinking and troubled him throughout his life.
"I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity, and her flaming self-respect. And it‘s these things I‘d believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn‘t all she should be." – F. Scott Fitzgerald on Zelda
Rise to Fame as Voice of the Jazz Age
Fitzgerald captured the exuberance and decadence of the 1920s Jazz Age like no other writer. His stories for magazines like The Saturday Evening Post financed his lavish lifestyle. This Side of Paradise and The Beautiful and Damned established him as the era‘s definitive chronicler. However, it was The Great Gatsby that cemented his literary immortality.
The Great Gatsby as Masterpiece
Perhaps the quintessential American novel, The Great Gatsby distills Fitzgerald‘s genius – lyrical prose, themes of aspiration and social class, and tragically romantic vision. Though it received mixed reviews in 1925, it has gone on to sell over 25 million copies globally. It remains my favorite work of literature, one I revisit often to admire its flawless craftsmanship and empathy.
“Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!” – The Great Gatsby
Personal Struggles and Hollywood Years
As the Jazz Age ended, so did Fitzgerald‘s charmed life. He struggled for years paying for Zelda‘s hospitalization while suffering from deteriorating health and alcoholism himself. Despite declining popularity, he wrote short stories for magazines and went to Hollywood to write screenplays. Though his talent earned him early success, his drinking cost him jobs.
Fitzgerald‘s bittersweet Hollywood experience inspired his last finished work – The Last Tycoon. Through his protagonist Monroe Stahr, I see glimmers of Fitzgerald‘s own striving imagination and artistic sensibilities.
Posthumous Revival as Literary Legend
Fitzgerald died in 1940, believing himself a failure. Yet as The Great Gatsby became widely taught in schools and his unpublished works saw print, he underwent a posthumous revival. He is now revered as one of the greatest American writers, his masterful command of language and understanding of the human heart leaving an indelible mark on literature.
As a writer myself, Fitzgerald remains my constant source of inspiration. His ambition, lyricism and insight into the American dream continue to move and motivate me after all these years. He crafted stories that feel as immediate and essential as ever a century later.
