Beauty
First published in 1922, The Beautiful and Damned followed Fitzgerald's impeccable debut, This Side of Paradise, thus securing his place in the tradition of great American novelists. Embellished with the author's lyrical prose, here is the story of Harvard-educated, aspiring aesthete Anthony Patch and his beautiful wife, Gloria. As they await the inheritance of his grandfather's fortune, their reckless marriage sways under the influence of alcohol and avarice. A devastating look at the nouveau riche, and the New York nightlife, as well as the ruinous effects of wild ambition, The Beautiful and the Damned achieved stature as one of Fitzgerald's most accomplished novels. Its distinction as a classic endures to this day. Pocket Book's Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. Special features include critical perspectives, suggestions for further read, and a unique visual essay composed of period photographs that help bring every word to life.
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about Beauty
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
When her merchant father loses his fortune, the youngest of three sisters offers herself in his place to the Beast of an enchanted forest manor. The library, the rose garden, and her host slowly change her mind.
Yes. Beauty (1978) is Robin McKinley's first novel and a celebrated retelling of Beauty and the Beast. McKinley later wrote a second take on the same fairy tale, Rose Daughter (1997), with a different ending.
Beauty is often shelved as YA fantasy, suitable for readers 12 and up. There is no explicit content. The prose is accessible and the romance is gentle.
Beauty is 439 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Beauty takes most readers 7 to 10 hours to finish.
Beauty is a standalone novel by an unknown author, not part of a series.
Beauty is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.