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Trimalchio: An Early Version of The Great Gatsby
This is the first edition ever published of Trimalchio, an early and complete version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald wrote the novel as Trimalchio and submitted it to Maxwell Perkins, his editor at Scribner's, who had the novel set in type and sent the galleys to Fitzgerald in France. Fitzgerald then virtually rewrote the novel in galleys, producing the book we know as The Great Gatsby. This first version, Trimalchio, has never been published and has only been read by a handful of people. It is markedly different from The Great Gatsby: two chapters were completely rewritten for the published novel, and the rest of the book was heavily revised. Characterization is different, the narrative voice of Nick Carraway is altered and, most importantly, the revelation of Jay Gatsby's past is handled in a wholly different way. James L.W. West III directs the Penn State Center for the History of the Book and is General Editor of the Cambridge Edition of the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald. He is the author of William Styron: A Descriptive Biography (Random House, 1998).
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
31 people are currently reading
894 people want to read
About the author
F. Scott Fitzgerald
2,322 books25.5k followersFrancis Scott Key Fitzgerald, widely known simply as Scott Fitzgerald, was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age, a term he popularized in his short story collection Tales of the Jazz Age. During his lifetime, he published four novels, four story collections, and 164 short stories. Although he achieved temporary popular success and fortune in the 1920s, Fitzgerald received critical acclaim only after his death and is now widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century.
Born into a middle-class family in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald was raised primarily in New York state. He attended Princeton University where he befriended future literary critic Edmund Wilson. Owing to a failed romantic relationship with Chicago socialite Ginevra King, he dropped out in 1917 to join the United States Army during World War I. While stationed in Alabama, he met Zelda Sayre, a Southern debutante who belonged to Montgomery's exclusive country-club set. Although she initially rejected Fitzgerald's marriage proposal due to his lack of financial prospects, Zelda agreed to marry him after he published the commercially successful This Side of Paradise (1920). The novel became a cultural sensation and cemented his reputation as one of the eminent writers of the decade.
His second novel, The Beautiful and Damned (1922), propelled him further into the cultural elite. To maintain his affluent lifestyle, he wrote numerous stories for popular magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Collier's Weekly, and Esquire. During this period, Fitzgerald frequented Europe, where he befriended modernist writers and artists of the "Lost Generation" expatriate community, including Ernest Hemingway. His third novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), received generally favorable reviews but was a commercial failure, selling fewer than 23,000 copies in its first year. Despite its lackluster debut, The Great Gatsby is now hailed by some literary critics as the "Great American Novel". Following the deterioration of his wife's mental health and her placement in a mental institute for schizophrenia, Fitzgerald completed his final novel, Tender Is the Night (1934).
Struggling financially because of the declining popularity of his works during the Great Depression, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood, where he embarked upon an unsuccessful career as a screenwriter. While living in Hollywood, he cohabited with columnist Sheilah Graham, his final companion before his death. After a long struggle with alcoholism, he attained sobriety only to die of a heart attack in 1940, at 44. His friend Edmund Wilson edited and published an unfinished fifth novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), after Fitzgerald's death. In 1993, a new edition was published as The Love of the Last Tycoon, edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli.
Born into a middle-class family in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald was raised primarily in New York state. He attended Princeton University where he befriended future literary critic Edmund Wilson. Owing to a failed romantic relationship with Chicago socialite Ginevra King, he dropped out in 1917 to join the United States Army during World War I. While stationed in Alabama, he met Zelda Sayre, a Southern debutante who belonged to Montgomery's exclusive country-club set. Although she initially rejected Fitzgerald's marriage proposal due to his lack of financial prospects, Zelda agreed to marry him after he published the commercially successful This Side of Paradise (1920). The novel became a cultural sensation and cemented his reputation as one of the eminent writers of the decade.
His second novel, The Beautiful and Damned (1922), propelled him further into the cultural elite. To maintain his affluent lifestyle, he wrote numerous stories for popular magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Collier's Weekly, and Esquire. During this period, Fitzgerald frequented Europe, where he befriended modernist writers and artists of the "Lost Generation" expatriate community, including Ernest Hemingway. His third novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), received generally favorable reviews but was a commercial failure, selling fewer than 23,000 copies in its first year. Despite its lackluster debut, The Great Gatsby is now hailed by some literary critics as the "Great American Novel". Following the deterioration of his wife's mental health and her placement in a mental institute for schizophrenia, Fitzgerald completed his final novel, Tender Is the Night (1934).
Struggling financially because of the declining popularity of his works during the Great Depression, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood, where he embarked upon an unsuccessful career as a screenwriter. While living in Hollywood, he cohabited with columnist Sheilah Graham, his final companion before his death. After a long struggle with alcoholism, he attained sobriety only to die of a heart attack in 1940, at 44. His friend Edmund Wilson edited and published an unfinished fifth novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), after Fitzgerald's death. In 1993, a new edition was published as The Love of the Last Tycoon, edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
November 30, 2024
Beneath the cobwebs of my soul, the dark corner of almost forgotten dreams bears the mark of F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The Great Gatsby nearly faded softly into obscurity—it wasn’t until World War II that it gained an unstoppable momentum, blasting to a spectacular stratosphere of popularity.
Before publication, Fitzgerald struggled to select a title for Nick Carraway’s tale. He considered an assortment of titles, and the galley proof such as this one was titled Fitzgerald’s Trimalchio.
Other titles considered:
Trimalchio in West Egg
Gold-Hatted Gatsby
The High-Bouncing Lover
On the Road to West Egg
Gatsby
Under the Red White and Blue
This is the version of The Great Gatsby before it was published. Fitzgerald took this print and marked it up with his revisions. You can view this remarkable version online for free through Princeton University.
Of course, as an extraordinary Fitzgerald scholar, I required a copy. Out of 500 copies, mine is 496. The sheets are unbound and measure 24 inches long—not the best for travel!
When I was in high school, my teacher treated The Great Gatsby as the pinnacle of literature, and if a book of this caliber didn’t magically flow from the tip of our pens on the first try we were utter rubbish as writers (paraphrasing slightly).
By studying the early versions, although The Great Gatsby remains a masterpiece, it is less intimidating. And to my high school teacher—Fitzgerald didn’t even write this book on the first try!
Most of the changes between Trimalchio and The Great Gatsby are rather minor; however, Daisy seemed more into Gatsby in Trimalchio and expressed more certainty in their future together.
A glimpse of Trimalchio:
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father told me something that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.
“When you feel like criticising any one,” he said, “just remember that everybody in this world hasn’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
Compared with the published novel:
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.
“Whenever you feel like criticising any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you’ve had.”
“Gave me some advice” is much stronger than “told me something.” In his letters, Fitzgerald wrote about how verbs carry the sentence. This tip has proved invaluable.
Viewing the Princeton copy is an unforgettable experience. Prepare to never be the same.
The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Unbound Text – $148.71 on eBay
Electronic Text – Free through Princeton
Connect With Me!
Blog Threads BookTube Facebook Insta My Bookstore at Pango
The Great Gatsby nearly faded softly into obscurity—it wasn’t until World War II that it gained an unstoppable momentum, blasting to a spectacular stratosphere of popularity.
Before publication, Fitzgerald struggled to select a title for Nick Carraway’s tale. He considered an assortment of titles, and the galley proof such as this one was titled Fitzgerald’s Trimalchio.
Other titles considered:
Trimalchio in West Egg
Gold-Hatted Gatsby
The High-Bouncing Lover
On the Road to West Egg
Gatsby
Under the Red White and Blue
This is the version of The Great Gatsby before it was published. Fitzgerald took this print and marked it up with his revisions. You can view this remarkable version online for free through Princeton University.
Of course, as an extraordinary Fitzgerald scholar, I required a copy. Out of 500 copies, mine is 496. The sheets are unbound and measure 24 inches long—not the best for travel!
When I was in high school, my teacher treated The Great Gatsby as the pinnacle of literature, and if a book of this caliber didn’t magically flow from the tip of our pens on the first try we were utter rubbish as writers (paraphrasing slightly).
By studying the early versions, although The Great Gatsby remains a masterpiece, it is less intimidating. And to my high school teacher—Fitzgerald didn’t even write this book on the first try!
Most of the changes between Trimalchio and The Great Gatsby are rather minor; however, Daisy seemed more into Gatsby in Trimalchio and expressed more certainty in their future together.
A glimpse of Trimalchio:
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father told me something that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.
“When you feel like criticising any one,” he said, “just remember that everybody in this world hasn’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
Compared with the published novel:
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.
“Whenever you feel like criticising any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you’ve had.”
“Gave me some advice” is much stronger than “told me something.” In his letters, Fitzgerald wrote about how verbs carry the sentence. This tip has proved invaluable.
Viewing the Princeton copy is an unforgettable experience. Prepare to never be the same.
The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Unbound Text – $148.71 on eBay
Electronic Text – Free through Princeton
Connect With Me!
Blog Threads BookTube Facebook Insta My Bookstore at Pango
October 17, 2022
Trimalción es la antesala de El gran Gatsby.
Hace poco leí un artículo de Juan Forn donde habla de esta primera versión de El gran Gatsby que yo desconocía. Ese texto es también el prólogo de mi edición.
En El gran Gatsby no sabemos casi nada de Gatsby, solo hay rumores sobre su pasado. Fuera de la novela hay leyendas también sobre el origen de la novela. Cuenta Forn que dice la leyenda que al editor le pareció un error que no se supiera nada de Gatsby y convenció a Fitzgerald de dosificar información a lo largo de la novela. El escritor agregó unas líneas por aquí y por allá y mandó el libro terminado. Pero esto no es cierto, en el anteúltimo capítulo de Trimalción hay un monólogo donde Gatsby cuenta su pasado a Nick:
Ese monólogo fue partido en pedazos y esparcido por el libro. En ese monólogo hay más Gatsby que en El gran Gatsby y hace que lo sintamos más cercano, más triste, más querible pero también más patético, quizá porque lo percibimos todo de una vez.
Hay otros cambios que Forn menciona pero no corroboré, me debo una lectura comparada de ambas versiones. El cambio de título fue sugerido también por el editor. Trimalción es un personaje del Satiricón de Petronio. Es un esclavo que obtiene la libertad, se enriquece y da banquetes con manjares exóticos para invitados desconocidos. Claro que Trimalción se parece a Gatsby, demasiado, este es también un personaje satírico, un representante del glamour de los años veinte con todos sus excesos y esplendorosa vulgaridad como lo es Trimalción de la época de Nerón. El título que eligió Fitzgerald es apropiado, pero suena mal y es muy rebuscado, no me gusta. Pero sí me gusta el resto de Trimalción.
Muy linda esta versión que permaneció inédita hasta el año 2000. Puede ser interesante tanto para quien leyó El gran Gatsby como para quién no lo hizo, porque ahora queda la pregunta de cuál es el auténtico Gatsby, el que conocimos primero o el que no fue retocado por el editor. Yo me quedo con este.
Hace poco leí un artículo de Juan Forn donde habla de esta primera versión de El gran Gatsby que yo desconocía. Ese texto es también el prólogo de mi edición.
En El gran Gatsby no sabemos casi nada de Gatsby, solo hay rumores sobre su pasado. Fuera de la novela hay leyendas también sobre el origen de la novela. Cuenta Forn que dice la leyenda que al editor le pareció un error que no se supiera nada de Gatsby y convenció a Fitzgerald de dosificar información a lo largo de la novela. El escritor agregó unas líneas por aquí y por allá y mandó el libro terminado. Pero esto no es cierto, en el anteúltimo capítulo de Trimalción hay un monólogo donde Gatsby cuenta su pasado a Nick:
“—Voy a contártelo todo —dijo con súbita decisión—. La historia completa, como nunca se la he contado a nadie, ni siquiera a Daisy. No creas que he mentido tanto; sólo cambié unas cuantas cosas de lugar, para generar un poco de misterio”.
Ese monólogo fue partido en pedazos y esparcido por el libro. En ese monólogo hay más Gatsby que en El gran Gatsby y hace que lo sintamos más cercano, más triste, más querible pero también más patético, quizá porque lo percibimos todo de una vez.
Hay otros cambios que Forn menciona pero no corroboré, me debo una lectura comparada de ambas versiones. El cambio de título fue sugerido también por el editor. Trimalción es un personaje del Satiricón de Petronio. Es un esclavo que obtiene la libertad, se enriquece y da banquetes con manjares exóticos para invitados desconocidos. Claro que Trimalción se parece a Gatsby, demasiado, este es también un personaje satírico, un representante del glamour de los años veinte con todos sus excesos y esplendorosa vulgaridad como lo es Trimalción de la época de Nerón. El título que eligió Fitzgerald es apropiado, pero suena mal y es muy rebuscado, no me gusta. Pero sí me gusta el resto de Trimalción.
Muy linda esta versión que permaneció inédita hasta el año 2000. Puede ser interesante tanto para quien leyó El gran Gatsby como para quién no lo hizo, porque ahora queda la pregunta de cuál es el auténtico Gatsby, el que conocimos primero o el que no fue retocado por el editor. Yo me quedo con este.
November 9, 2024
Ho letto il Grande Gatsby quattro volte trovandolo sempre diverso. In questo caso lo era davvero, infatti Trimalcione è la bozza grezza e il titolo provvisorio di quello che diventerà uno dei libri più letti del novecento.
La prima volta che lo lessi ero troppo impegnato a vivere per apprezzarlo, la seconda lo rivalutai completamente, la terza arrivai a definirlo IL ROMANZO per eccellenza.
Trimalcione pur essendo già un buon libro non è il prototipo del romanzesco.
Perché lo diventasse Fitzgerald fece tesoro dei consigli del suo editor e tagliò, omise, evitò spiegazioni dettagliate. Trimalcione non è Gatsby, lo contiene per eccesso, in alcuni casi vi si sovrappone come in
Se era vero, deve aver capito di aver perso il suo vecchio caldo mondo, di aver pagato a caro prezzo per aver vissuto troppo a lungo con un unico sogno
In Gatsby il sogno è il vero protagonista, nel Trimalcione il narratore lo intervalla con la propria vicenda personale togliendogli la potenza che avrà nella stesura definitiva.
Credo di aver letto il libro perché mi desse la scusa per riaprire il mio vecchio commento al Grande Gatsby e fare ciò che andava fatto, ovvero accendere anche l’ultima stella disponibile. Se non lo avete ancora letto, leggetetene la stesura definitiva e non questa bozza che è da cultori del libro, un po’ come la versione restaurata di C’era una volta in America, con ventisei minuti in più, è da cultori di quel del film.
La prima volta che lo lessi ero troppo impegnato a vivere per apprezzarlo, la seconda lo rivalutai completamente, la terza arrivai a definirlo IL ROMANZO per eccellenza.
Trimalcione pur essendo già un buon libro non è il prototipo del romanzesco.
Perché lo diventasse Fitzgerald fece tesoro dei consigli del suo editor e tagliò, omise, evitò spiegazioni dettagliate. Trimalcione non è Gatsby, lo contiene per eccesso, in alcuni casi vi si sovrappone come in
Se era vero, deve aver capito di aver perso il suo vecchio caldo mondo, di aver pagato a caro prezzo per aver vissuto troppo a lungo con un unico sogno
In Gatsby il sogno è il vero protagonista, nel Trimalcione il narratore lo intervalla con la propria vicenda personale togliendogli la potenza che avrà nella stesura definitiva.
Credo di aver letto il libro perché mi desse la scusa per riaprire il mio vecchio commento al Grande Gatsby e fare ciò che andava fatto, ovvero accendere anche l’ultima stella disponibile. Se non lo avete ancora letto, leggetetene la stesura definitiva e non questa bozza che è da cultori del libro, un po’ come la versione restaurata di C’era una volta in America, con ventisei minuti in più, è da cultori di quel del film.
May 17, 2013
I just heard of this title a week or so ago. With Gatsby being my favorite since I first read it at the age of fifteen (too long ago), and having seen the movie three times so far, I had to give this a go. I'm baffled that as an English major that I haven't heard of this version sooner, but I'm really glad I did. No one writes such whimsical worlds as Fitzgerald and this early version gave me even more insight to the world I wish I could live in. Some of the characters are down-right despicable, but even with his dark mystery, Gatsby balances them out by being the eternal romantic, gentleman, and hopeful dreamer. Now I understand Leonardo DiCaprio's version of him so much better having read this version. Like the commercials say, the summer belongs to Gatsby. If you are a Fitzgerald diehard like I am, you'll thoroughly enjoy this early edition.
PS- read the very end of the book to discover to meaning of why Fitzgerald named this Trimalchio. It's just brilliant and so enchanting. Doesn't quite hold a place in your heart the way "Gatsby" does, but it's extremely powerful with such great meaning. Ok, I'm done gushing about everything Gatsby now. Enjoy!
PS- read the very end of the book to discover to meaning of why Fitzgerald named this Trimalchio. It's just brilliant and so enchanting. Doesn't quite hold a place in your heart the way "Gatsby" does, but it's extremely powerful with such great meaning. Ok, I'm done gushing about everything Gatsby now. Enjoy!
October 20, 2017
Lettura contemporanea a quella de Il Grande Gatsby (terza o quarta rilettura, ormai, chi può dirlo?), questa volta nella traduzione di Nicola Manuppelli.
January 4, 2012
Worth the price admission for chapters VI and VII alone. Nick is less likable in Trimalchio, and his affair with Jordan is drawn out a bit more fully (not that I really cared). Nick and Jordan, to quote the introduction "are more clearly complicit in Daisy's affair with Gatsby, and in the wreckage that follows."
Gatsby's admissions to Nick in Chapter VIII were waaaaay to explicit for my liking; Fitzgerald wisely chose which criticisms of his editor to follow and which to ignore.
All in all, a worthwhile read for any Gatsby fan, and, more broadly, to those interested in the creative/publishing process.
Gatsby's admissions to Nick in Chapter VIII were waaaaay to explicit for my liking; Fitzgerald wisely chose which criticisms of his editor to follow and which to ignore.
All in all, a worthwhile read for any Gatsby fan, and, more broadly, to those interested in the creative/publishing process.
May 24, 2011
This early version of The Great Gatsby provides an enlightening window onto FSF's practice of writing. While it is essentially the same book as Gatsby (the characters are drawn a little differently and the enfolding of the crisis scene between Gatsby and Tom et al in chapters six and seven occurs differently) the most remarkable feature of Trimalchio is the impression one gets that FSF wrote one of the most beautiful, truthful and sad books ever written in any language essentially in a single draft. As Keats' mss do for him, this text conveys the astonishing artistic genius of a man who wrote one of the few true masterpieces of our national literature. He far surpasses Petronius and one can only hope that in the ruins of our civilization enough copies of this book, in either form, remain for future scholars to use, as we use the Satyricon, in their understanding of our morals, our habits, our ethos and our vernacular. The only drawback is that, as of yet, Trimalchio is only available in a rare, and expensive, scholarly edition. I was forced to use interlibrary loan to obtain a copy. It retails for somewhere near 60 dollars. Dover, it is high time for a paperback...
June 15, 2013
I wanted to read this, after reading that Baz Luhrmann used parts of it to make the movie. I found some of the "inconsistencies" with the version of the Great Gatsby that I'm familiar with that Luhrmann built into the movie. I didn't find it so terribly different-- we get more of Gatsby's back story, and it seems that Fitzgerald did intend Nick Carraway to be gay based on his deeper description of the relationship between Jordan and Nick.
All in all it was an interesting read-- I appreciated some of the Appendixes which explained many of the now obscure references (would have been nice to have all of those at my fingertips when I first started teaching the novel.)
All in all it was an interesting read-- I appreciated some of the Appendixes which explained many of the now obscure references (would have been nice to have all of those at my fingertips when I first started teaching the novel.)
November 16, 2014
Considering that this sat amongst Fitzgerald's enormous collection (if there's one thing I've learned from all of the biographical info I've read about him it's that the man saved everything) for years, it's fortunate that this has been made available to the public after all these years. I've taught Gatsby for the last 7 years, and reading this earlier version provided a different insight into Gatsby and Daisy in particular. Chapters 6 and 7 were quite different from what's published in Gatsby, and will answer some questions about the nature of Daisy's and Gatsby's relationship. Also, the introductory notes explaining the literary reference behind the Trimalchio title is instructive. Overall, it's worth the read for Gatsby fans.
February 26, 2014
Come sempre, inarrivabile.
July 8, 2019
I am a Great Gatsby nerd. I have been involved in several discussions, for several years, regarding the nature and messages of this book. I try to find out everything I can about F.Scott Fitzgerald, his motivations, his wife Zelda, US history as it pertains to this story, etc. My goal is always to try to get to deeper meanings and read between the lines of this short book, which I do consider to be an almost perfect novel.
The original title of The Great Gatsby was "Trimalchio". And this book is an early version of TGG, written before Fitzgerald straightened out all of its glitches. I heard that director Baz Lahrman made his cast read Trimalchio before they filmed his 2013 version of Gatsby (starring Leo DiCaprio). The idea was that the actors should have more insight into the characters.
I never knew who Trimalchio was. But, apparently, Tramlachio was a character in the 1st century AD Roman work of fiction Satyricon by Petronius -- an arrogant former slave who became wealthy by distasteful tactics. So that was the similarity, assuming Jay Gatsby came into his wealth by shady measures. Which he did! (The question seems to be, exactly HOW shady...)
This book was not really available to the public until around 2012. I only found out about it recently, and knew I had to read it.
If you are not a big Gatsby fan, you might not notice the subtle differences between Trimalchio and the final novel of TGG. but they are there. As other reviewers have stated, Chapter 7 is a big game changer, in which more of the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby is revealed. However, now having read it, I did not like finding out!
The thing is, I believe Fitzgerald knew the valuable author's lesson of less is more. One of the things that makes The Great Gatsby great is its brevity, mystery, and ambiguity. But I am really glad I read this book, as it offers insights into Fitzgerald's writing process. Also included are history of the text, detailed footnotes, and letters exchanged between Fitzgerald and his editor. I found this fascinating.
I would rec this book for serious Gatsby nerds.
The original title of The Great Gatsby was "Trimalchio". And this book is an early version of TGG, written before Fitzgerald straightened out all of its glitches. I heard that director Baz Lahrman made his cast read Trimalchio before they filmed his 2013 version of Gatsby (starring Leo DiCaprio). The idea was that the actors should have more insight into the characters.
I never knew who Trimalchio was. But, apparently, Tramlachio was a character in the 1st century AD Roman work of fiction Satyricon by Petronius -- an arrogant former slave who became wealthy by distasteful tactics. So that was the similarity, assuming Jay Gatsby came into his wealth by shady measures. Which he did! (The question seems to be, exactly HOW shady...)
This book was not really available to the public until around 2012. I only found out about it recently, and knew I had to read it.
If you are not a big Gatsby fan, you might not notice the subtle differences between Trimalchio and the final novel of TGG. but they are there. As other reviewers have stated, Chapter 7 is a big game changer, in which more of the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby is revealed. However, now having read it, I did not like finding out!
The thing is, I believe Fitzgerald knew the valuable author's lesson of less is more. One of the things that makes The Great Gatsby great is its brevity, mystery, and ambiguity. But I am really glad I read this book, as it offers insights into Fitzgerald's writing process. Also included are history of the text, detailed footnotes, and letters exchanged between Fitzgerald and his editor. I found this fascinating.
I would rec this book for serious Gatsby nerds.
September 25, 2018
Consider this a behind-the-scenes look at “The Great Gatsby.” The novels differ significantly, though the central plot is the same. “Trimalchio” gives a deeper back story of each character, which helps me understand everyone’s behavior in “Gatsby.” If you love “Gatsby,” you have to read “Trimalchio.” I’ve read “Gatsby” repeatedly, but I’ve always still had questions, and “Trimalchio” answers some of them.
March 17, 2019
I'm not going to lie that it took me a little bit to get through this, but once I hit Chapter 3 (A.K.A. the first Gatsby party), it flew. To be honest, Gastby is a 4 star, top novel for me, but I actually loved this more. I have more insight on Nick, Jordan, and Daisy. I hate them more, and I love them more.
Chapter 7 is a freaking game-changer on the plot.
Honestly, I think I'd prefer to teach "Trimalchio" over Gatsby.
Chapter 7 is a freaking game-changer on the plot.
Honestly, I think I'd prefer to teach "Trimalchio" over Gatsby.
April 20, 2013
With all the excitement about the new Gatsby movie coming out, I stumbled across this title last week and I have to admit I like it better than the original. It is much more messy than the original and a little less vague with the supporting characters. Plus, I love seeing the corrections and the letters from Fitzgerald’s publisher. I would love to use it in a classroom.
May 27, 2018
5/5
[Next review contains spoiler about both Trimalchio and The Great Gatsby]
I'd say I'm started as a dreamer, just as Gatsby did. I did believe in most of the charming ornaments at both side of the path that we both were walking through. But right in this moment, I'm just disgusted as Nick.
Reading Trimalchio just revived all the magic that I felt in the original Gatsby. And, as I don't think I reviewed Gatsby yet, I'll just tell what I did love of him. I first watched the movie, and all the magic and gathering of all the broken things that just sharped the spirit of what I saw that was Gatsby. All the loneliness that bleed the movie just made me fell in love.
Reading The Great Gatsby for first time was watching that all the fake sadness that I had was just a unreal and tainted vision of what Baz Luhrmann believed in his Gatsby. But the one from Scott Fitzgerald just was crashed with all the weight of the cruelty of the reality of his time. I didn't feel betrayed, because those two vision of Gatsbyjust showed us the reality of being a dreamer in a world where the dreams just can stayed broken.
Watching the way of the world of Gatsbywas really conceived, in the mind of F. Scott Fitzgerald was simply beautiful. Walking in the same path of loneliness, love, despair and, disillusion was gorgeous.
If you loved Gatsby , you need to read this, to watch the birth of Gatsby and his raise and fall.
[Next review contains spoiler about both Trimalchio and The Great Gatsby]
I'd say I'm started as a dreamer, just as Gatsby did. I did believe in most of the charming ornaments at both side of the path that we both were walking through. But right in this moment, I'm just disgusted as Nick.
Reading Trimalchio just revived all the magic that I felt in the original Gatsby. And, as I don't think I reviewed Gatsby yet, I'll just tell what I did love of him. I first watched the movie, and all the magic and gathering of all the broken things that just sharped the spirit of what I saw that was Gatsby. All the loneliness that bleed the movie just made me fell in love.
Reading The Great Gatsby for first time was watching that all the fake sadness that I had was just a unreal and tainted vision of what Baz Luhrmann believed in his Gatsby. But the one from Scott Fitzgerald just was crashed with all the weight of the cruelty of the reality of his time. I didn't feel betrayed, because those two vision of Gatsbyjust showed us the reality of being a dreamer in a world where the dreams just can stayed broken.
Watching the way of the world of Gatsbywas really conceived, in the mind of F. Scott Fitzgerald was simply beautiful. Walking in the same path of loneliness, love, despair and, disillusion was gorgeous.
If you loved Gatsby , you need to read this, to watch the birth of Gatsby and his raise and fall.
February 3, 2023
If you are interested in "The Great Gatsby" (which presumably you are or why else are you interested in this book?) you can only give "Trimalchio" five stars. It is fascinating. It is rare to see an entire early version of a book you love published, and, for a book such as Gatsby, where every word is important and heavy with nuance and symbolism, to see the changes made, the words taken out, the words put in, the changes in structure, along with the publisher's notes and the letters between Fitzgerald and his publisher is truly enlightening.
(I say you "can only give this five stars", apparently some people on this site disagree. Other reviews have stated "too much like Gatsby" or "I preferred the original"... As you will.)
(I say you "can only give this five stars", apparently some people on this site disagree. Other reviews have stated "too much like Gatsby" or "I preferred the original"... As you will.)
October 19, 2022
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is rightfully acclaimed as an American classic. If you’re curious about Fitzgerald’s writing and editing processes, you may enjoy reading Trimalchio: An Early Version of The Great Gatsby. Published in 2000 as part of the Cambridge Edition of the Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and edited by Fitzgerald scholar James L.W. West III, Trimalchio presents the reader with the galleys of Fitzgerald’s third novel.
Trimalchio was for a time Fitzgerald’s preferred title for the novel. (He also considered Trimalchio in West Egg.) Trimalchio was a character in the Satyricon by Petronius, written in the first century, CE. Trimalchio is a giver of ostentatious parties, but ironically enough, those who attend his parties make little attempt to learn anything about their host. Sounds like a certain someone who lives in West Egg, doesn’t it, old sport? The allusion would have required an explanatory note, and I think it’s best that Fitzgerald went back to his original title for the novel, The Great Gatsby.
Trimalchio is not radically different from The Great Gatsby. The events of the finished novel are all still here. There’s still a green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. Gatsby still wears a pink suit for the confrontation at the Plaza Hotel, and he still calls people “old sport.” But there are details here and there that are different. Fitzgerald did a significant amount of editing and rearranging in between sending Trimalchio off to Maxwell Perkins, his editor at Scribner’s, at the end of October 1924, and the publication of The Great Gatsby on April 10, 1925.
Reading Trimalchio you see how Fitzgerald kept paring down the language, refining it. The party at Gatsby’s that Daisy and Tom attend becomes streamlined. In Trimalchio, the man “with the sort of blue nose” is identified as “’Augustus Waize,’ said Gatsby. ‘Oh, he’s just a small producer. He only does one play a year.’” (p.82) In Gatsby, it changes to: “Gatsby identified him, adding that he was a small producer.” (p.105) The language just keeps tightening as Fitzgerald removes anything extraneous from his narrative.
A change that I found fascinating occurs near the end of Trimalchio, as Nick visits Meyer Wolfshiem:
“I wondered if this partnership had included the World’s Series transaction in 1919—and what else it included. I kept wondering until last winter, when Wolfshiem was tried (but not convicted) on ten charges ranging from simple bribery to dealing in stolen bonds.” (p.138)
The same passage in Gatsby is shortened to this:
“I wondered if this partnership had included the World’s Series transaction in 1919.” (p.171)
Fitzgerald is content to let the reader wonder about Wolfshiem’s shadowy activities, thus further shrouding him in mystery.
Race in The Great Gatsby is a fascinating plot point, and there are scholars who have theorized that Jay Gatsby and Jordan Baker are both light-skinned Blacks “passing” as white. It’s a fascinating way to interpret those characters, and there are two passages in Trimalchio that were cut before publication related to race.
In Gatsby, Jay and Daisy sit in front of Nick’s cottage for a while during Gatsby’s party that Daisy and Tom attend. Nothing is said about their conversation at the cottage. In Trimalchio, Nick goes over to tell them that Tom is looking for Daisy.
Daisy tells Nick, “We’re having a row.”
“What about?”
“’Oh, about things,’ she replied vaguely. ‘About the future—the future of the black race. My theory is we’ve got to beat them down.’
“’You don’t know what you want,’ said Gatsby suddenly.” (p.84)
Daisy’s comment “we’ve got to beat them down” is exactly what she says in Chapter I of both Trimalchio and Gatsby when Tom starts ranting about other races gaining dominance over whites. Is this Daisy’s way of awkwardly joking whenever the subject of race comes up? In Chapter I Daisy is obviously goading Tom. But Gatsby wasn’t present for the conversation that occurred in Chapter I, so while the reader and Nick might get Daisy’s call-back, Gatsby doesn’t know that Daisy is referencing that earlier conversation. If you think that Gatsby is passing, that helps to explain his harsh comeback “You don’t know what you want.” Even if Daisy is making a joke, Gatsby would still be tremendously wounded by her comment, and it might be an indication to him of her true feelings towards Blacks.
During the confrontation at the Plaza Hotel, Tom goes on a rant about modern morals. His dialogue is the same in Trimalchio and Gatsby:
“Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white.”
Jordan Baker’s response in Gatsby is: “’We’re all white here,’ murmured Jordan.” (p.130)
Her response in Trimalchio is: “’We’re all white here,’ murmured Jordan. ‘Except possibly Tom.’” (p.103)
If you don’t think any of the characters are passing, Jordan’s response in both books is quite hilarious. It would be akin to a character saying the same line in a Woody Allen movie. But if you think Jordan is passing, then her line could be a slightly defensive deflection, meant to steer the conversation away from race. And her extra line in Trimalchio becomes an especially hilarious attempt to annoy Tom by suggesting that he might be passing. In both versions of the novel, none of the characters respond to Jordan’s line.
One thing that didn’t change in between Trimalchio and The Great Gatsby were the final seven paragraphs of the novel, beginning with “Gatsby’s house was still empty when I left” and closing with that beautiful, haunting, final line. Fitzgerald didn’t change anything about those seven paragraphs—they were already perfect.
Trimalchio was for a time Fitzgerald’s preferred title for the novel. (He also considered Trimalchio in West Egg.) Trimalchio was a character in the Satyricon by Petronius, written in the first century, CE. Trimalchio is a giver of ostentatious parties, but ironically enough, those who attend his parties make little attempt to learn anything about their host. Sounds like a certain someone who lives in West Egg, doesn’t it, old sport? The allusion would have required an explanatory note, and I think it’s best that Fitzgerald went back to his original title for the novel, The Great Gatsby.
Trimalchio is not radically different from The Great Gatsby. The events of the finished novel are all still here. There’s still a green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. Gatsby still wears a pink suit for the confrontation at the Plaza Hotel, and he still calls people “old sport.” But there are details here and there that are different. Fitzgerald did a significant amount of editing and rearranging in between sending Trimalchio off to Maxwell Perkins, his editor at Scribner’s, at the end of October 1924, and the publication of The Great Gatsby on April 10, 1925.
Reading Trimalchio you see how Fitzgerald kept paring down the language, refining it. The party at Gatsby’s that Daisy and Tom attend becomes streamlined. In Trimalchio, the man “with the sort of blue nose” is identified as “’Augustus Waize,’ said Gatsby. ‘Oh, he’s just a small producer. He only does one play a year.’” (p.82) In Gatsby, it changes to: “Gatsby identified him, adding that he was a small producer.” (p.105) The language just keeps tightening as Fitzgerald removes anything extraneous from his narrative.
A change that I found fascinating occurs near the end of Trimalchio, as Nick visits Meyer Wolfshiem:
“I wondered if this partnership had included the World’s Series transaction in 1919—and what else it included. I kept wondering until last winter, when Wolfshiem was tried (but not convicted) on ten charges ranging from simple bribery to dealing in stolen bonds.” (p.138)
The same passage in Gatsby is shortened to this:
“I wondered if this partnership had included the World’s Series transaction in 1919.” (p.171)
Fitzgerald is content to let the reader wonder about Wolfshiem’s shadowy activities, thus further shrouding him in mystery.
Race in The Great Gatsby is a fascinating plot point, and there are scholars who have theorized that Jay Gatsby and Jordan Baker are both light-skinned Blacks “passing” as white. It’s a fascinating way to interpret those characters, and there are two passages in Trimalchio that were cut before publication related to race.
In Gatsby, Jay and Daisy sit in front of Nick’s cottage for a while during Gatsby’s party that Daisy and Tom attend. Nothing is said about their conversation at the cottage. In Trimalchio, Nick goes over to tell them that Tom is looking for Daisy.
Daisy tells Nick, “We’re having a row.”
“What about?”
“’Oh, about things,’ she replied vaguely. ‘About the future—the future of the black race. My theory is we’ve got to beat them down.’
“’You don’t know what you want,’ said Gatsby suddenly.” (p.84)
Daisy’s comment “we’ve got to beat them down” is exactly what she says in Chapter I of both Trimalchio and Gatsby when Tom starts ranting about other races gaining dominance over whites. Is this Daisy’s way of awkwardly joking whenever the subject of race comes up? In Chapter I Daisy is obviously goading Tom. But Gatsby wasn’t present for the conversation that occurred in Chapter I, so while the reader and Nick might get Daisy’s call-back, Gatsby doesn’t know that Daisy is referencing that earlier conversation. If you think that Gatsby is passing, that helps to explain his harsh comeback “You don’t know what you want.” Even if Daisy is making a joke, Gatsby would still be tremendously wounded by her comment, and it might be an indication to him of her true feelings towards Blacks.
During the confrontation at the Plaza Hotel, Tom goes on a rant about modern morals. His dialogue is the same in Trimalchio and Gatsby:
“Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white.”
Jordan Baker’s response in Gatsby is: “’We’re all white here,’ murmured Jordan.” (p.130)
Her response in Trimalchio is: “’We’re all white here,’ murmured Jordan. ‘Except possibly Tom.’” (p.103)
If you don’t think any of the characters are passing, Jordan’s response in both books is quite hilarious. It would be akin to a character saying the same line in a Woody Allen movie. But if you think Jordan is passing, then her line could be a slightly defensive deflection, meant to steer the conversation away from race. And her extra line in Trimalchio becomes an especially hilarious attempt to annoy Tom by suggesting that he might be passing. In both versions of the novel, none of the characters respond to Jordan’s line.
One thing that didn’t change in between Trimalchio and The Great Gatsby were the final seven paragraphs of the novel, beginning with “Gatsby’s house was still empty when I left” and closing with that beautiful, haunting, final line. Fitzgerald didn’t change anything about those seven paragraphs—they were already perfect.
January 21, 2025
About Us . . . as a Society.
🖊 Oh, my ever-romantic heart!
Upon discovering that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s draft of The Great Gatsby under the working title of Trimalchio: An Early Version of The Great Gatsby was (finally!) available to read, I grabbed a copy for myself anon. I was able to read it in its entirety within a day, and by the time I finished it, I almost liked it better than the final version as The Great Gatsby.
One line from this novelette has never been discussed – never in any of my university classes, nor any book clubs, nor any general discussion was spoken by Tom Buchanan:
What is funny about that particular line is that Tom has the title and the author all wrong. He is actually referring to is THE RISING TIDE OF COLOUR: AGAINST WHITE WORLD-SUPREMACY. written by T. Lothrop Stoddard, A.M., PhD, historian, journalist, and political scientist. THE RISING TIDE OF COLOUR: AGAINST WHITE WORLD-SUPREMACY. was hugely popular when it was published in 1921.
Another book briefly mentioned in The Great Gatsby is Simon Called Peter by Robert Keable. That, too, was a controversial, yet popular book at the time.
The song "The Love Nest" is also glossed over early in "Gatsby." You know it. It is the theme song to "The Burns and Allen Show," a widely popular radio and television program starring George Burns and Gracie Allen in the mid-twentieth century.
So there!
In Trimalchio: An Early Version of The Great Gatsby, we get some fleshing out of scenes which benefitted my knowledge of the plot, and we are treated to many more characters which added an improvement to depth (so sorry many were kept out of The Great Gatsby version). Despite any differences, Trimalchio: An Early Version of The Great Gatsby also perfectly places each of the Seven Deadly Sins within the pages, and those sins are exactly what this story is really about. Here I understood that this story has much less to do with James Gatz and the green light at the end of the dock and more to do about how we, as a society, foolishly covet and blindly chase that is not ours to ultimately possess in the blackness of sins. When we fall prey to these deadly sins, as it is put forth in the story, we can expect our failures and downfall. And each deadly sin is effortlessly placed within these pages – vanity, lust, gluttony, avarice, sloth, wrath, and hubris. For the just-as-perfect final version of this novelette, see my review [BELOW] of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. As a Roman Catholic author, F. Scott Fitzgerald did well by The Seven Deadly Sins theme well-woven into this story.
📔Draft worked on between 1924-25.
જ⁀🟣 Kindle.
🎥 1926 lost silent movie version with Warner Baxter, William Powell, Lois Wilson.
🎥 1949 movie version with Alan Ladd, Macdonald Carey, Betty Field.
🎥 1974 movie version with Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Mia Farrow.
🎥 2013 movie version.
📻1950 CBS radio play version on Family Hour of Stars with Kirk Douglas.
The Great Gatsby: The Original 1925 Unabridged And Complete Edition by F. Scott Fitzgerald
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This Story is About Us.
🖊 This novelette perfectly places each of the Seven Deadly Sins within the pages, and those sins are exactly what The Great Gatsby is really about. Make no mistake about it – this story has less to do with James Gatz and the green light at the end of the dock and more to do about how we, as a society, foolishly covet and blindly chase what is not ours to possess. The assertion made in this novelette is that when we fall prey to these deadly sins, we can expect nothing less or more than our demise. And every deadly sin is placed perfectly within these pages – vanity, lust, gluttony, avarice, sloth, wrath, and hubris. As a Roman Catholic author, Fitzgerald did well by the themes of The Seven Deadly Sins in this story.
My ratings for this work:
Content: ★★★★★
Grammar: ★★★★★
Writing style: ★★★★★
Ease of reading: ★★★★★
My recommendation: ★★★★★
My total rating for this work: ★★★★★ (5.0)
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
🖊 Oh, my ever-romantic heart!
Upon discovering that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s draft of The Great Gatsby under the working title of Trimalchio: An Early Version of The Great Gatsby was (finally!) available to read, I grabbed a copy for myself anon. I was able to read it in its entirety within a day, and by the time I finished it, I almost liked it better than the final version as The Great Gatsby.
One line from this novelette has never been discussed – never in any of my university classes, nor any book clubs, nor any general discussion was spoken by Tom Buchanan:
”Have you read ‘The Rise of the Coloured Empires’ by this man Goddard?”
What is funny about that particular line is that Tom has the title and the author all wrong. He is actually referring to is THE RISING TIDE OF COLOUR: AGAINST WHITE WORLD-SUPREMACY. written by T. Lothrop Stoddard, A.M., PhD, historian, journalist, and political scientist. THE RISING TIDE OF COLOUR: AGAINST WHITE WORLD-SUPREMACY. was hugely popular when it was published in 1921.
Another book briefly mentioned in The Great Gatsby is Simon Called Peter by Robert Keable. That, too, was a controversial, yet popular book at the time.
The song "The Love Nest" is also glossed over early in "Gatsby." You know it. It is the theme song to "The Burns and Allen Show," a widely popular radio and television program starring George Burns and Gracie Allen in the mid-twentieth century.
So there!
In Trimalchio: An Early Version of The Great Gatsby, we get some fleshing out of scenes which benefitted my knowledge of the plot, and we are treated to many more characters which added an improvement to depth (so sorry many were kept out of The Great Gatsby version). Despite any differences, Trimalchio: An Early Version of The Great Gatsby also perfectly places each of the Seven Deadly Sins within the pages, and those sins are exactly what this story is really about. Here I understood that this story has much less to do with James Gatz and the green light at the end of the dock and more to do about how we, as a society, foolishly covet and blindly chase that is not ours to ultimately possess in the blackness of sins. When we fall prey to these deadly sins, as it is put forth in the story, we can expect our failures and downfall. And each deadly sin is effortlessly placed within these pages – vanity, lust, gluttony, avarice, sloth, wrath, and hubris. For the just-as-perfect final version of this novelette, see my review [BELOW] of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. As a Roman Catholic author, F. Scott Fitzgerald did well by The Seven Deadly Sins theme well-woven into this story.
📔Draft worked on between 1924-25.
જ⁀🟣 Kindle.
🎥 1926 lost silent movie version with Warner Baxter, William Powell, Lois Wilson.
🎥 1949 movie version with Alan Ladd, Macdonald Carey, Betty Field.
🎥 1974 movie version with Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Mia Farrow.
🎥 2013 movie version.
📻1950 CBS radio play version on Family Hour of Stars with Kirk Douglas.
The Great Gatsby: The Original 1925 Unabridged And Complete Edition by F. Scott FitzgeraldMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This Story is About Us.
🖊 This novelette perfectly places each of the Seven Deadly Sins within the pages, and those sins are exactly what The Great Gatsby is really about. Make no mistake about it – this story has less to do with James Gatz and the green light at the end of the dock and more to do about how we, as a society, foolishly covet and blindly chase what is not ours to possess. The assertion made in this novelette is that when we fall prey to these deadly sins, we can expect nothing less or more than our demise. And every deadly sin is placed perfectly within these pages – vanity, lust, gluttony, avarice, sloth, wrath, and hubris. As a Roman Catholic author, Fitzgerald did well by the themes of The Seven Deadly Sins in this story.
My ratings for this work:
Content: ★★★★★
Grammar: ★★★★★
Writing style: ★★★★★
Ease of reading: ★★★★★
My recommendation: ★★★★★
My total rating for this work: ★★★★★ (5.0)
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
March 14, 2023
“Trimalción” es la idea original que tenía Francis Scott Fitzgerald y que luego, tras una serie de modificaciones que le sugirió el editor, se convirtió en la famosa “El Gran Gatsby”. La intención del autor era hacer la versión norteamericana de la novela de la que todos hablaban en aquel tiempo: “Ulises” de James Joyce. Al igual que el escritor irlandés, Fitzgerald parte de un mito: Trimalción era esclavo en la Roma de Nerón. Gracias a los grandes consejos financieros que dio al Emperador, este último, en forma de agradecimiento, le otorga la libertad. Trimalción sigue teniendo éxitos en sus negocios y se hace de una fortuna considerable. Para celebrarlo, organiza un gran banquete; un bacanal orgiástico que superaba incluso a los estándares de la Roma de su tiempo, que no eran para nada despreciables. Los invitados a medida que transcurre la celebración empiezan a sentir envidia, al punto que prenden fuego la casa del anfitrión y tras las ruinas, descubren el cuerpo sin vida de Trimalción. La historia de Gatsby sigue la misma línea. Esta versión de la novela tiene un gran interés, incluso para los que ya hayan leído “The Great Gatsby”. Es cierto que la última es una novela perfecta, pero esta tambíén tiene su encanto. El modo que al lector le es descubierta la verdadera identidad de Gatsby es diferente y es, en definitiva, el misterio sobre el que se construye la trama.
August 13, 2014
First off, let me say that The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books. Maybe it's the fact that it's a literary treasure, or maybe it's that I read it four times within the span of three weeks last year while writing my final essay for high school and developed the book version of Stockholm syndrome for it. Who knows. Anyways, it took about 5 minutes after finding out that this book existed for me to order it on Amazon.
It was very fun and exciting to be able to re-read Gatsby but also have it ever so slightly different. It felt almost like a game, trying to pick up on little things that had changed and making new discoveries about the characters and the themes. This book felt a bit more raw than the final Gatsby. It seemed like the themes and symbolism were more obvious and some bits felt unpolished. Still, it was beautiful and amazing and made my little heart pitter patter.
I loved the experience of reading this and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed reading Gatsby.
It was very fun and exciting to be able to re-read Gatsby but also have it ever so slightly different. It felt almost like a game, trying to pick up on little things that had changed and making new discoveries about the characters and the themes. This book felt a bit more raw than the final Gatsby. It seemed like the themes and symbolism were more obvious and some bits felt unpolished. Still, it was beautiful and amazing and made my little heart pitter patter.
I loved the experience of reading this and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoyed reading Gatsby.
February 16, 2023
Antes de que su editor le sugiriera las correcciones que convirtieron a "El Gran Gatsby" en lo que conocemos, esta era la primera versión de Fitzgerald y la verdad es que me gusta más. Los cambios no son tantos (algunos párrafos en dos o tres capítulos) pero me gusta que en "Trimalción" el misterio de Gatsby se mantenga más tiempo y que sea él mismo quien aclare todo en una confesión a Carraway después del accidente. Ademas, siento que la versión posterior hace ver peor a Gatsby - a través de los rumores de los demás - ya que se insiste repetidamente en que es contrabandista y ese ensañamiento de Tom con él, si bien tiene sentido, me parece un tanto exagerado. Por lo demás, la historia es muy parecida a la de la novela que todos conocen y hacer estas dos lecturas en paralelos es una gran experiencia para quienes - como yo - amamos la novela de Fitzgerald.
January 15, 2014
In a way, I liked this a bit better than the Great Gatsby because the humanity of Jay Gatsby shines through more so than his desire for a perfected life; Daisy appears to be more than just a trophy for his mantle, and his sorrow is much more palpable when at the moment of truth, his dream isn't actualized. In the same vein, he is much less coddling towards her in their encounter at the hotel with Tom; he wants his answer, the one that he feels he has been promised, earned. He is less apologetic for all of his pent up rage. What is similar in both books is that despite that ire, his hope is never eclipsed by reality, and although naive, I was pleased to see that fervency remain a constant in both stories. I also particularly liked the title; it was very appropriate, and sad.
February 26, 2013
What can I say about this one? I expected to mark it five stars for the chance to see Fitzgerald's process, even though it would really only be a three or four star book in its early, unimproved state, but I think it was already five star level at this point. There are noticeable changes in the finished Gatsby, and they were all improvements, but this would have been a great novel if it came out in this version.
May 11, 2013
such beautiful imagery and writing, but such a sad story.
s
This isn't exactly the version I read. The cover is identical, but the title is still "the great Gatsby" but it does have a lengthy introduction that includes notes about, and photos of, early drafts, etc.
It is "the Cambridge Edition of the Works of F. Scott Fitzgerlad edited by matthew J. Bruccoli.
But I chose this one because the cover illustration is identical and it is the closest to the version I read - from the library.
s
This isn't exactly the version I read. The cover is identical, but the title is still "the great Gatsby" but it does have a lengthy introduction that includes notes about, and photos of, early drafts, etc.
It is "the Cambridge Edition of the Works of F. Scott Fitzgerlad edited by matthew J. Bruccoli.
But I chose this one because the cover illustration is identical and it is the closest to the version I read - from the library.
July 2, 2023
TRIMALCION - F. SCOTT. FITZGERALD
Me convencí de releerlo después de Santi me contara lo que Hemingway decía de Fitzgerald.
Él no pensaba, su gracia era la del colibrí, su propio vuelo. “No sabe adonde va, no sabe cómo vuela, no sabe cuándo es tiempo de migrar. Pero nadie vuela como el”
Que tremenda historia de amor y de amistad. Que final triste, pero que deja un mensaje. Prefiero el título Trimalción, que encierra todo lo que cuenta, al Gran Gatsby.
Me convencí de releerlo después de Santi me contara lo que Hemingway decía de Fitzgerald.
Él no pensaba, su gracia era la del colibrí, su propio vuelo. “No sabe adonde va, no sabe cómo vuela, no sabe cuándo es tiempo de migrar. Pero nadie vuela como el”
Que tremenda historia de amor y de amistad. Que final triste, pero que deja un mensaje. Prefiero el título Trimalción, que encierra todo lo que cuenta, al Gran Gatsby.
February 23, 2022
Loved to see the changes--some subtle, and some not. Example of a subtle change: of Tom Buchanan, Nick says "even in college his spending capacity was a matter of scandal" in Trimalchio and "even in college, his freedom with money was a matter for reproach" in Gatsby. Example of a not-so-subtle change: Daisy announcing to Nick that she plans to leave Tom.
Reading Challenges
Stronger Spine - 4, a book by an author under the age of 30
Reading Challenges
Stronger Spine - 4, a book by an author under the age of 30
January 19, 2024
An absolute must for anyone who loves "The Great Gatsby". This was Fitzgerald's earlier version, and two of the chapters are substantially different, with other changes throughout, including the title, of course. This slight volume is comprehensive, pointing out factual errors, comma changes, and everything else one might wish to know. Can't believe I've owned it for years and just now read it!!
June 18, 2015
I believe I like this early version better that the final product. I feel like I need to re-read The Great Gatsby to make a full comparison, but I enjoyed the dialogue and sections that seem to have been omitted in the final edition. It's apparent that the Leonardo DiCaprio movie pulled quite a bit from this work.
July 26, 2014
I took my time to savor this early version of The Great Gatsby. It was revealing to read an early version of the story and see what Fitzgerald kept, moved around, and jettisoned. While I won't be throwing my copy of The Great Gatsby away, I definitely felt like I got to know the characters better by seeing them in a rougher version. As an appendix to The Great Gatsby, Trimalchio is phenomenal.
September 15, 2017
An interesting insight into the creative process of Fitzgerald. There's not much that's different from the final text, but the little edits mean a lot when examined on a microscopic level. They're not groundbreaking, but they do help us understand Fitzgerald's sense of prose, and the inherent poetry that lies beneath.
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