Boats against the current, we are borne back ceaselessly to The Great Gatsby. Its unforgettable characters, indelible scenes, and grand themes of money, class, and American optimism have made it an enduring classic. In this lavishly illustrated and annotated 100th anniversary edition, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece comes to life once more, presented anew in the authoritative Library of America text established by acclaimed Fitzgerald scholar James L. W. West III.

In this deluxe edition West provides a lively running commentary on the novel, illuminating its many biographical contexts, literary allusions, and cultural references, encouraging readers to linger in the margins. Scores of illustrations and photographs vividly recreate the Jazz Age world of Fitzgerald’s most famous work and chart its rich cultural afterlife. West also encapsulates the views of other writers and critics, quoting the very best of what has been thought and said about Fitzgerald’s novel.

Rounding out the volume are thirteen letters—also annotated—between Fitzgerald and his editor at Scribner’s, Maxwell Perkins, tracing the composition, editing, and publication of The Great Gatsby. Other special features include an introduction by novelist Amor Towles and a detailed chronology of Fitzgerald’s life and career.

James L. W. West III is Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English, Emeritus, at Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of William Styron: A Life (1998) and The Perfect Hour: The Romance of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ginevra King (2005), among other books. From 1994 to 2019, West was the General Editor of The Cambridge Edition of the Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald; his variorum edition of The Great Gatsby was the final volume in the series.

Amor Towles is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Rules of Civility, A Gentleman in Moscow, The Lincoln Highway, and Table for Two. His books have collectively sold more than eight million copies and have been translated into more than forty languages.

This special publication features four-color printing, full-cloth binding, acid-free paper, and a unique design with specifications differing from those of Library of America series titles.