New Book "Writing Gatsby" Details Suicide Attempt Alcoholism and Affairs During Writing of Great American Novel That Flopped When Published
F Scott Fitzgerald Lived Gatsby during 1924 Summer with infidelity, alcoholism, suicide attempt by wife Zelda. Armed Services Edition read by GI's Sparks a Comeback for Novel that Failed
CHICAGO, IL, September 29, 2022 -- When F. Scott Fitzgerald died his book on the American dream was nowhere to be found but Fitzgerald lived the life of Gatsby. The parable of the American Dream made into three movies with millions of copies sold is familiar to most Americans. But the dark underbelly of the story came out of the steamy beaches of the Riviera in 1924 where F Scott Fitzgerald his wife Zelda and daughter Scotty went so the author could work on his elusive third novel. What happened during this hot summer along the Mediterranean is the subject of William Hazelgrove's fascinating book WRITING GATSBY The Real Story of the Greatest American Novel released Oct. 1, 2022.
Attempted suicide. Alcoholism. An affair where Zelda is locked in a room in their villa to keep her from leaving her husband. It is Hazelgrove's contention that the personal hell of the author was transmuted into the story of Gatsby "If you read Gatsby it is all there. The affair he has with Daisy, Tom Buchannan's brutality, the drinking, even Myrtle Wilsons death are all mirrored in what Scott endured that summer on the French Riviera. Even F. Scott Fitzgerald locking his wife in a room to keep her from leaving him is mirrored in Myrtle Wilson being locked over the gas station garage in the famous death scene."
The most surprising fact int Hazelgrove's book is that The Great Gatsby which has sold 25 million copies was a failure with low sales and mixed reviews when it was published in 1925. "By Christmas you could not find the book anywhere," Hazelgrove contends. "'When Fitzgerald died, there were some books in the Scribner warehouse but that was it." It wasn't until World War II that the book enjoyed a renaissance when it was sent overseas in Armed Services Editions. Returning GI;s then became professors and teachers and told the world about a story about a bootlegger in Long Island. The book that failed to save Fitzgerald financially or critically during his lifetime now is viewed as the final word on the American Dream.
William Hazelgrove is the National Bestselling author of ten novels and twelve nonfiction titles. His books have received starred reviews in Publisher Weekly Kirkus, Booklist, Book of the Month Selections, ALA Editors Choice Awards Junior Library Guild Selections, Literary Guild Selections, History Book Club Selections, History Book Club Bestsellers, Distinguished Book Award. and optioned for the movies. He was the Ernest Hemingway Writer in Residence where he wrote in the attic of Ernest Hemingway's birthplace. He has written articles and reviews for USA Today, The Smithsonian Magazine, and other publications and has been featured on NPR All Things Considered. The New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, CSPAN, USA Today, World News Tonight have all covered his books with features. His book Madam President The Secret Presidency of Edith in development He has two forthcoming books. The Last Charge of the Rough Rider and Writing Gatsby.
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