Remembering Gatsby: Legendary Novel Turns 88 Wednesday

"You can't repeat the past? Why of course you can." 

Known as the classic American novel of the 20th century, F. Scott Fitgereald's The Great Gatsby, published on April 10, 1925, celebrates 88 years Wednesday.

Fitzgerald, who moved to Great Neck in October 1922, used the backdrop of the North Shore community as the setting of his fictional account which captures the essence of the Jazz Age.

The setting for the book is in the fictional towns of East and West Egg circa 1922. West Egg is likely Kings Point while East Egg represents Sands Point.

In the novel published by Scribner Books, Nick Carraway moves next door to the Jay Gatsby mansion, host to lavish parties. There he becomes caught in a love triangle between his cousin Daisy Buchanan, her husband Tom and Gatsby and misunderstanding leads to tragedy and disillusionment.

There have been five films based on the story, the most recent coming this summer starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Did you know? Fitzgerald considered many titles before publication, including Gatsby; Among Ash-Heaps and Millionaires; Trimalchio; Trimalchio in West Egg; On the Road to West Egg; Under the Red, White, and Blue; Gold-Hatted Gatsby and The High-Bouncing Lover, according to Simon & Schuster.

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