The Great Gatsby

by: F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald, a mid-western prep, attended prep school in Hackensack, New Jersey before entering Princeton University in 1913.  Fitzgerald wrote many novels describing the preppy life, including The Beautiful and the Damned, Tender is the Night, and This Side of Paradise. His most notable book, The Great Gatsby, was published in 1925.

The Great Gatsby unravels the mysterious story of Jay Gatsby, a wealthy resident of Long Island, and his undying love for Daisy Buchanan, his beautiful muse from across the Long Island Sound. Gatsby throws extravagant parties–ever hopeful that Daisy will attend. Fitzgerald introduces us to a handful of preps including Daisy, a charming socialite; Tom Buchanan, her athletic husband who peaked on the collegiate football fields; Jordan Baker, a pretty professional golfer; and Nick Carraway, a Yale graduate who is selling bonds in Manhattan. Jay Gatsby, the ultimate “self-made” prep rose up from poverty to become a successful business man. This literary masterpiece describes the decadence of the jazz age and an era of preppy living that is now long-gone.

Preppy Rating: 4 bows