April 10, 1925 –
…So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past…
F. Scott Fitzgerald third book, The Great Gatsby, was published on this date. Among various titles considered were Among Ashheaps and Millionaires, Gold-Hatted Gatsby, The High-Bouncing Lover, On the Road to West Egg and Fitzgerald’s favorite Trimalchio’s Banquett based on a character Trimalchio in the Satyricon. At the last moment, Fitzgerald agreed with his editor Max Perkins on the title, The Great Gatsby and it was published on this date.
The novel was not popular upon initial printing and sold fewer than 25,000 copies during the remaining fifteen years of Fitzgerald’s life. Fitzgerald was very disappointed about this happening.
As a result of his struggles with the book’s reception and his own personal challenges, Fitzgerald sank further into a life marked by excessive alcohol consumption and dissipated behavior.
(Once again, I must recommend that if you are in the St. Paul, Minnesota area, you should stop by the Commodore Bar and Restaurant in his honor. Fitzgerald briefly lived at the hotel, which was once located on the site but has since been converted into a condominium. He frequented the hotel’s bar, which is now the restaurant, making it a fitting tribute to the literary giant.)
The Haus of Dcaligari 