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What Is The Merit Of The Great Gatsby

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Books have the power to drive and call about change, entertain or inspire us, and give readers a perspective into a certain event or era of time. Those that have a particularly profound or lasting artistic merit are better described as literature, and more specifically, classics. Among the thousands of popular titles written by esteemed authors lies one of the most well-known and praised- The Great Gatsby. Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby is a novel set in the 1920’s that explores the American dream- love, success, money, power- and the hardships that come with the chase. The novel has received a vast amount of praise. Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post wrote it best when he said, “no American novel comes closer than ‘Gatsby’ to surpassing literary artistry, and none tells us more about ourselves.” With such high praise, it may be hard for anyone to believe that there once was a time where not only did The Great Gatsby not appear on high school or must-read reading lists, but was booed and considered to be the worst career choice of its author. …show more content…

Unlike Fitzgerald’s other books, The Great Gatsby was not a success. It sold only about 20,000 copies in its first year. Upon his death in 1940, Fitzgerald had sold fewer than 25,000 copies and earned only $13.13 in royalties. Today, the Great Gatsby has critically acclaimed success. It has become its publisher, Scribner’s, most popular book. Fitzgerald’s novel has sold over 25 million copies worldwide, been translated in 42 different languages, and continues to sell approx. 500,000 copies annually. The novel was adapted into the movie The Great Gatsby in 2013. With a budget of $105 million, the movie grossed $206.2 million, $144.8 million of which was grossed

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