This Side of Paradise

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s debut novel, This Side of Paradise, is a semi-autobiographical portrait of the disillusioned Lost Generation of America’s Jazz Age.

Amory Blaine holds a mirror to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s own youth as he attends prep school before studying at Princeton University. The semi-autobiographical novel continues as Amory returns home for Christmas break and falls in love with a beautiful debutante, Isabelle Borgé. After serving with the US Army in the First World War, the aspirational young man continues to embark on a series of romantic flings with numerous flapper girls as he struggles to find a purpose for his crumbling life.

In this debut novel, Fitzgerald masterfully illustrates the disoriented youth of the post-war generation and highlights the self-destructive effects of chasing wealth and enlightenment. This Side of Paradise was first published in 1920 and is now in a new edition featuring an introductory author biography alongside an essay on Jazz Age literature. Not to be missed by collectors of Fitzgerald’s work and those interested in the Lost Generation writers.