100th Anniversary of The Great Gatsby

April 10th marked the 100th anniversary of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Published in 1925 during the post-WWI prohibition and social upheaval, it did not become a widely circulated text until WWII, when it was included in a parcel of books given to soldiers in the trenches. The common themes of Gatsby — alienation, disillusionment, romantic longing and cynicism — still resonate with modern readers. While the depictions of class and relationships are often the focus of Gatsby discussion, race is a less popular, but no less interesting avenue of discussion and invention, as Fitzgerald's writing at times leaves things open to the reader's imagination. Nick Carraway finds a slur written on Gatsby's house, but the reader is not told what the slur is. In the years since Gatsby gained popularity, some authors have written versions of Gatsby that portray him, or a version of him, as a person of color. Others have changed the race or gender of the entire cast of characters.

In addition to retellings that bend the race, gender, or reality of Gatsby, some of these titles draw inspiration for new tales that tackle the same themes. Those curious about the parallels between 1920s American society and today might start with some background reading. The sweeping social and economic changes of the 1920s were a precursor to modern-day America. Nathan Miller's New World Coming is an engaging journey through changes in race and gender relations, censorship, prohibition and the origins of organized crime that occurred alongside the glittering parties and art renaissance of the 1920s.

Jillian Cantor’s retelling, Beautiful Little Fools, follows Daisy, Jordan, and Catherine McCoy, the sister of Myrtle Wilson, as they navigate their teen years and being in Gatsby’s orbit. In Cantor's version, one of the women kills Gatsby in a fit of rage or madness.

Lurie's retelling of The Great Gatsby is set amongst the Black elite of 1940s Los Angeles. In The Great Mann, Charlie Trammel finds work at an insurance firm and attends lavish parties at the invitation of his cousin, but tensions with white neighbors whose fortunes are on the decline threaten to destroy the extravagant community. 

Nghi Vo's The Chosen and the Beautiful is a Gatsby retelling from the point of view of a queer, Vietnamese adoptee version of Jordan Baker. Vo's Jordan has magic abilities, and in this fantasy version of the classic story, darker elements of magic influence the glittering parties and conflicts between the characters.

Fitzgerald's marriage and the modernization of America that characterized the 1920s heavily influenced both the characters and the conflicts of The Great Gatsby. Indulge your curiosity about the Fitzgerald's and 1920s America with more from our catalog.