This Side of Paradise

‘I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.’ First published in 1920, and a glowing commercial success at the time of publication, This Side of Paradise a classic bildungsroman which portrays the ambition and subsequent disillusionment of the American youth at the dawn of the Jazz Age. Set in post- World War I America, Fitzgerald’s dazzling debut novel follows the life of Amory Blaine, a charming but self-absorbed Princeton student. As Amory drifts in and out of love affairs, experiences intellectual awakenings and navigates heartbreak, he becomes increasingly desperate to uncover a sense of identity and meaning. Fitzgerald captivatingly reproduces the restless spirit of the Jazz Age with lyrical prose and a profound existential yearning. Both a glittering coming-of-age narrative and a critique of a generation lost between ideals and indulgence, This Side of Paradise cemented Fitzgerald as the voice of a new generation. This au