Upon its completion, Fitzgerald wrote to his editor, Maxwell Perkins, “I think my novel is about the best American novel ever written.” A ubiquitous classic and Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, critics often describe The Great Gatsby as the elusive “Great American Novel” that enjoys both commercial and critical success. The Great Gatsby is central to the American literary canon and American culture. A complex, technical achievement that uses themes central to Fitzgerald’s larger body of work, Gatsby demonstrates Fitzgerald’s insight into American life in the 1920s. This edition of the text includes several supplemental essays about The Great Gatsby and its author, F. Scott Fitzgerald. About the Author (before text) - About the Text (after text) - Exploration of Theme: "The American Dream" and Identity (after text) - Literary Interpretation and Analysis (after text) This edition is suited for all types: casual readers, classroom students, and literary academics!