This Side of Paradise
F. Scott Fitzgerald
📚 Genre
Classic Literary Fiction - Coming-of-Age (Bildungsroman)
🏢 Publisher
Charles Scribner's Sons
📅 Publication Year
1920 (Original publication year)
🔢 ISBN
Not visible on this page (Library of Congress Card Catalog Number 20-6316 for first edition)
About This Book
The novel examines the lives and morality of post-World War I youth, following the life of Amory Blaine, a glamorous Princeton University student who fancies himself an intellectual. The image shows the title page displaying the author, epigraphs by Rupert Brooke and Oscar Wilde, and the publisher imprint.
Book Details
Language
English
Pages
305 pages
Edition
Likely First Edition, First Printing based on typography and publisher layout
Series
Standalone novel
Target Audience
Adult and Young Adult General Audience
Collector Information
Condition
Very Good to Near Fine based on the clean, crisp paper and sharp typography visible on the title page
Estimated Value
$1,500-$5,000+ (depending strictly on whether it is a confirmed first printing with Scribner seal on the copyright page and the condition of the original dust jacket)
Rarity
Rare for a verified First Edition, First Printing in collectible condition with a dust jacket; Common for later reprints and modern paperback editions
Historical Significance
Launched F. Scott Fitzgerald's literary career and defined the Jazz Age generation, capturing the disillusionment and shifting morals of youth in post-WWI America
Collector Notes
Key points for collectors include verifying the copyright page for the Scribner seal, checking for first-state points (such as specific typographical errors), and assessing the extreme rarity and fragility of the original pictorial dust jacket. Store upright in a climate-controlled environment away from direct sunlight and acid migration.
Similar Books
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise is often paired with The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
Notable Features
First novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, catapulting him to sudden fame; notable epigraphs by Rupert Brooke and Oscar Wilde