This Side of Paradise

'I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.' First published in 1920, and a glowing commercial success at the time of publication, This Side of Paradise a classic bildungsroman which portrays the ambition and subsequent disillusionment of the American youth at the dawn of the Jazz Age. Set in post- World War I America, Fitzgerald's dazzling debut novel follows the life of Amory Blaine, a charming but self-absorbed Princeton student. As Amory drifts in and out of love affairs, experiences intellectual awakenings and navigates heartbreak, he becomes increasingly desperate to uncover a sense of identity and meaning. Fitzgerald captivatingly reproduces the restless spirit of the Jazz Age with lyrical prose and a profound existential yearning. Both a glittering coming-of-age narrative and a critique of a generation lost between ideals and indulgence, This Side of Paradise cemented Fitzgerald as the voice of a new generation. This audiobook edition is expertly read by Kobna-Holdbrook Smith. F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 – 1940) was an American novelist and essayist. He is best known for his works on the Jazz Age, and his exploration of disillusionment around the American Dream. Although Fitzgerald was only temporarily popular in his lifetime, today he is considered one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century.