F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) was an American novelist of the Jazz Age, known for elegant prose and tragic stories about wealth, desire, and illusion. On Thornbook you’ll find summaries of his best-known works and themes.

Quick Facts

• Nationality: American
• Known for: Jazz Age fiction
• Major themes: Wealth, identity, love, ambition, illusion

What Fitzgerald Writes About

• Society & Class: status, money, and exclusion
• Identity: reinvention and image
• Love & Relationships: desire vs reality
• Power: privilege and its consequences

Most Famous Books

• The Great Gatsby – wealth, longing, and the illusion of a perfect past.

Where to Start

• Best first read: The Great Gatsby

Why Read Fitzgerald?

Fitzgerald captures the sparkle and the emptiness of chasing a dream. His stories are beautiful on the surface—and devastating underneath.

If You Like Fitzgerald, Try

• Ernest Hemingway
• John Steinbeck
• Edith Wharton
• Truman Capote