F. Scott Fitzgerald online books
A Brief Biography
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota,
was an American novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the
greatest American writers of the 20th century. He is best known for his novels
and short stories that capture the mood and culture of the Jazz Age, a term he
popularized.
Fitzgerald was born into an upper-middle-class family. His father, Edward
Fitzgerald, was a businessman, and his mother, Mary "Mollie" McQuillan, was the
daughter of a wealthy Irish immigrant. Fitzgerald was named after his famous
second cousin, Francis Scott Key, the author of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
He attended the St. Paul Academy and later the Newman School, a prestigious
Catholic preparatory school in New Jersey. In 1913, he enrolled at Princeton
University, where he became deeply involved in the literary and social life of
the campus. However, he struggled academically and left Princeton in 1917 to
join the U.S. Army during World War I.
Although Fitzgerald never saw combat, his time in the Army had a significant
impact on his life. While stationed at Camp Sheridan in Alabama, he met Zelda
Sayre, a young socialite who would later become his wife. During this period, he
also worked on his first novel, "The Romantic Egotist," which was rejected by
publishers.
After the war, Fitzgerald moved to New York City to pursue a career in
advertising. He continued to write in his spare time and eventually revised "The
Romantic Egotist" into "This Side of Paradise," which was published in 1920. The
novel was an instant success, making Fitzgerald a literary sensation at the age
of 24.
Following the success of "This Side of Paradise," Fitzgerald married Zelda
Sayre, and the couple became icons of the Jazz Age, known for their extravagant
lifestyle and wild parties. Fitzgerald's subsequent works, including "The
Beautiful and Damned" (1922) and "The Great Gatsby" (1925), further cemented his
reputation as a chronicler of the Roaring Twenties.
"The Great Gatsby" often
considered Fitzgerald's masterpiece, is a poignant critique of the American
Dream. Despite its critical acclaim, the novel was not a commercial success
during Fitzgerald's lifetime. However, it has since become a classic of American
literature and is widely studied in schools and universities.
Fitzgerald's later works, including "Tender Is the Night" (1934) and the
unfinished "The Last Tycoon" (published posthumously in 1941), did not achieve
the same level of success as his earlier novels. Struggling with alcoholism,
financial difficulties, and Zelda's mental health issues, Fitzgerald's career
and personal life began to decline in the 1930s.
In the late 1930s, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood to work as a screenwriter.
Although he contributed to several films, he found the work unfulfilling and
continued to struggle with his health and finances. Fitzgerald died of a heart
attack on December 21, 1940, at the age of 44.
Books of F. Scott Fitzgerald for online reading
On this site you can read F. Scott Fitzgerald's books online for free and without registration. These books are in the public domain now (since 2021) and are not protected by copyright.