The Beautiful and the Damned (Scribner Classics)

by F . Scott Fitzgerald (Author)

• Used

  Hardcover
  1999

  $11.49

• Used

  Paperback
  2001

  $5.98

• Used

  Hardcover
  1989

  $4.99

• New

  Paperback
  1999

  $20.28

  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.