The Great Gatsby was first published in 1925. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel appeared in the United States on April 10, 1925, issued by Charles Scribner’s Sons.
Fitzgerald began developing the book in 1922 and completed a draft in 1924 while living on the French Riviera. The story was shaped by his fascination with Jazz Age wealth, Long Island society, and his earlier romance with socialite Ginevra King, who helped inspire Daisy Buchanan.
Although the novel received generally favorable reviews, it was initially a commercial disappointment, selling fewer than 20,000 copies by October 1925. Its reputation changed dramatically during World War II, when free copies were distributed to American soldiers. It later became a standard American literature text.
A common mix-up is confusing the publication year with the novel’s setting: most of the story takes place in 1922, three years before the book appeared. The title also refers to Jay Gatsby, not Fitzgerald himself.