Whereas The Great Gatsby (1925) only gained significant fame in the period after Fitzgerald’s death, his other work This Side of Paradise (1920) was popular at the time and was really the only true commercially successful novel of Fitzgerald’s life.
I’m aware that in the next couple of years as we approach the centenary of The Great Gatsby, the novel will continue to dwarf Fitzgerald’s other works, but surely the work that allowed him to be briefly successful before he spiralled down, deserves some credit?
by LewisKOTyson
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Generally, classics have some element of art worth studying and appreciating. The Great Gatsby is appreciated primarily for its insights pertaining to obsessive indulgence and moral ambivalence during the roaring ’20s, just before the Great Depression. It’s a deeply fascinating historical critique that can be used to reflect on the human condition in scenarios that aren’t directly related.
This Side Of Paradise, despite selling better, isn’t talked about as much and probably never will be, because it lacks that timeless artistic merit that The Great Gatsby enjoys. The number of copies a book sells during its time isn’t really taken into account.