The Tragic Tale of Love and Excess in 1920s New York Set against the vibrant backdrop of 1920s New York, The Beautiful and Damned is a poignant and thought-provoking novel about love, wealth, and the corrupting influence of excess. Follow the tumultuous lives of Anthony Patch and his wife Gloria as they navigate the complexities of their own desires and the societal expectations that threaten to destroy them. F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) was an American novelist and short-story writer known for capturing the essence of the Jazz Age.