Which 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald was banned in some schools for its sexual content?

The 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald banned in some schools for its sexual content was The Great Gatsby.

Published on April 10, 1925, The Great Gatsby is set on Long Island during the Jazz Age. It is narrated by Nick Carraway, who becomes acquainted with the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and observes Gatsby’s obsessive attempt to reunite with Daisy Buchanan, his former lover.

The novel has faced challenges in schools and libraries because of sexual relationships and adultery, profanity, alcohol use, violence, and its treatment of illicit wealth. “Banned” can be misleading here: restrictions have generally been local or school-specific, not a nationwide prohibition. The book’s status as a standard American high-school text has also varied by district and era.

Fitzgerald drew on his romance with socialite Ginevra King and the lavish parties he encountered on Long Island. Despite favorable reviews, the novel initially sold 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 is now widely regarded as a literary masterpiece and a major critique of the American Dream.