F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Genius Behind The Great Gatsby 

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“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone… just remember that all people in this world haven’t had the advantage that you’ve had” F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Poor boys shouldn't think of marrying rich girls." I wouldnt forget something that sharp cutting either.

Last year I reread Gatsby for the first time since college. I couldn’t believe what a good novel it was. Some things you appreciate more as you get older.

These Biographics are written so well. In approximately 20 minutes you get not just an overview but a huge amount of detail on the subject. Absolutely love them.

Hemmingway and Fitzgerald were both living in Paris in 1923. Fitzgerald: "You know Ernest, the rich are different from us." Hemmingway: "Yes. They have money."

Simon: Fitzgerald was a man tormented by his failings. Me: I'm listening.

The line "Rich girls don't marry poor boys" made it into "The Great Gatsby".

The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books. I got (read 'had') to read the book in high school, but unlike the rest of my class I fell in love with the book, something my teacher always seemed so happy to hear. The movie directed by Baz Luhrmann, best known as the wacky one that had Toby Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio is by far one of my favorite adaptations of the book, and I got to see it in theaters with my sister. The gunshot near the end actually startled us, despite the fact we knew it was coming, and I loved it. it's a visual ride

I’d love to see more author videos. Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Virginia Woolf would be awesome.

The feeling of not being good enough despite success hits home. But I realized the imprint put on your psyche from family, even unintentionally, has more control over you than it should. Be you ppl. And don't let anything stop you fron being whatever tf you want to be.

19:42 "When 'Tender Is the Night' came out in 1934, it wasn't so much released as it stumbled out of the paddock, wobbled around a bit, and then keeled over and died of anthrax." This is a sentence that I, an English professor, wish I had written.

You know what's great about books? No ads!!!

I think Great Gatsby is not only significant in its time but also today to the people who didn’t live in Fitzgerald’s generation.

"He was spending like an Italian government"

When I was younger, I kind of use to confuse his name with JFK (John Fitzgerald Kennedy). And I thought they were related.

22:04 he died in 1940 according to wikipedia. Think you guys might've accidently confused him being 44 with dying in 44.

I learned about Fitzgerald while reading Great Gatsby, i'd rather hear Simon talk about him than my old teacher 😂

I read the Great Gatsby while in high school but not for my class, just on my own. I fell madly in love with it, and his writing so I read all his work. Even his short stories in papers before and after he got famous. ‘So we beat on’ ended up becoming my first tattoo.

Excellent! Please consider videos on Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. They both are shining examples of the best of the early American psyche, fiercely independent, always questioning authority (Civil Disobedience), and their zealous reverence of nature. They both have written some of the most beautiful words I have ever read in the English language.

Fitzgerald and Lovecraft were contemporaries, both authors died thinking they were failures, with no idea how much of an impact their respective work would have in decades to come.

I guess when they say "write what you know" this is what they mean. It really worked for him and I found, out of all the books I had to read for school, Gatsby was my favourite. It really resonated with me even though I am not American and I'm from a very different age. Fitzgerald's language is intoxicating.

I have never been able to get through a Hemingway novel - it's just not my type of writing, I guess. Hemingway threw a number of women aside while criticizing all of the F Scott Fitzgerald's faults. However, Scott never abandoned Zelda and paid her medical bills even after their marriage crashed. I rather doubt that Hemingway would have done the same thing.

I looked for this video two weeks ago, for an end-of-the-year project. I am blown away by the fact it was released so recently after I had finished.

1:25 - Chapter 1 - The wrong side of paradise 5:00 - Chapter 2 - The beauty & the damned 8:15 - Mid roll ads 9:50 - Chapter 3 - The road to west egg 13:25 - Chapter 4 - The paris years 16:45 - Chapter 5 - The crack up 20:20 - Chapter 6 - The great american novel

21:56 The date should read: December 21st 1940 (at which date F. Scott Fitzgerald would be 44 years old).

Thanks for this Old Sport

My all time favourite author. Thanks for this great piece!

Simon another great American author you should do a biographic piece on is Theodore Drieser. He wrote "Sister Carrie", and "An American Tragedy. "

"Fitzgerald was spending like an Italian government" love it!!!

Great vid. As a kid, I always found it fascinating that I grew up just a few blocks away from where he was born. A lot of history in that old Mississippi River town of St. Paul

Finally hearing about the author and NOT the novel. I thank you folks for the information.

Please do a video on Shaka ZULU!! he was a revolutionary leader who deserves a good video made by you.

I loved this episode as 'The Great Gatsby' is one of my favourite novels. Thank you from an Australian fan. ;-)

Whilst all pumped out from this channel’s production line are engrossing, this video discovers itself amongst a pocket of untouchables. I’d love to see more writer-based videos, particularly those of the post-war period, most notably: J.D Salinger, Norman Mailer, Harper Lee, Ray Bradbury, James Baldwin, Richard Wright etc. 👍🏽

Could you do an episode on Syd Barrett and/or Pink Floyd?

i thought gatsby was boring, but now i understand what fitzgerald was going through after watching his biography. lots of thanks for the vid.

Hey Simon. Really enjoy the content. I was hoping to make a video request regarding the life of Allen Ginsberg? He’s a fascinating individual. Some great source material would be his recently published journals regarding a drug quest in South America, his time wondering the US in a Whitman trance, or his time getting kicked out of Cuba and into Prague, in the shadow of the Iron Curtain. Tuning in on future uploads. Cheers, sir.

Has anyone ever thought that gatsby is just a mirror image of Fitzgerald himself but with more money? Maybe that’s what he thought his life would be like if he had that status of wealth

Thank you for this!

Excellent video as always

Great episode, Flannery O'Connor would make a good subject as well.

Stayed in the hotel rooms Fitzgerald rented out at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville talked about in the vid. Very cool place with a lot of history behind it.

Love Fitzgerald's work. Every word is so beautifully selected.

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾Lovely biography presentation! I've seen the great gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio, now with this biography I'm intrigued to read his other books. Well done.

Nice work guys ¡¡Thank you¡¡

What a coincidence! I am reading the book at the moment and I am really enjoying it!

John Steinbeck would be an amazing author to cover!

If you are taking author suggestions, may I suggest TS Eliot, Ezra Pound, WH Auden, WB Yeats and GB Shaw. All had very interesting lives. Samuel Beckett too.

Very interesting Simon!

Can we have a Biographics episode on Ian Fleming? Thanks and great work.

I am a massive Scott & Zelda fan, and I don't think I've ever seen that video footage of Fitz before :) Day made. Thank you!

What did Scot Fitzgerald ever do to you XD

This was a real treat. Thanks so much for doing this bio. I read The Great Gatsby in college and remember enjoying it as a study of a culture I knew nothing about beyond basic HS Social Studies. On a very different note, perhaps a biographics on Stephen King? He is not everyone's cup of tea but he is prolific story teller with an interesting backstory and a proven process. As an author myself, I learned a lot from his semi-autobiographical novel "On Writing" Surely your own research team can give us an in depth 20 minutes.

The same thing happened to my great grandpa in WW1. He enlisted and went through training. They were at a place in Quantico Virginia waiting to depart for France and then the Armistice was signed. I have an old photo of him in his uniform

Thank you Simon ❤

The Baz Lurman adaptation is incredible, but it does lack Mia Farrow’s trembling voice, like a giddy child, saying that perfect line to Gatsby, “I wish I could put you in one of those clouds and just push you around”.

It's so strange, before watching this video i knew absolutely nothing about fitzgerald, but now it's as if I'd known these few things about him all along, as if the facts of his life were somehow encapsulated in 'the great gatsby'

I live in Lake Forest on Ridge Road right by the house. Somebody bought it and is now repairing it.

Wow... One of the best episodes in my opinion

Such a great recount. Would LOVE to see more author videos.

you didnt use the 'unleash hidden masterpiece' segue for Manscaped!? what are you DOING man!? you had one job!!! i fully expect the exact same segue for the next video for a manscaped ad

Thanks for the presentation and analysis.. Good Job.. -- Born ceaselessly into the Past --

Good video 👍

_Spending like an Italian government_ Now that’s a quote I’ve never heard until to this day, and somewhat it feels true considering the economic instability Italy as a nation always kept itself into.

A real person who feels true guilt and shame is always one with a loving soul capable of great creativity. The mindless need to peer pressure (which is unscientific, uneffective, and dangerous to the mental psyche) can confuse a beautiful soul.

You ought to do a biography of the Dulles Brothers, Secretary of State & Director of the CIA for Eisenhower. They were also board members of United Fruit, which became Chiquita. John Foster Dulles is credited with the invention of the modern international corporate shell game. They also helped redraw maps after both world wars.

I need a Zelda Fitzgerald biographics

F. Scott Fitzgerald was such an amazing author! “The Great Gatsby” is one of the best novels ever written!

You should upload the audio as a podcast somewhere

You should do one on Thor Heyerdahl, he was wrong in many of his hypothesis, but fascinating. And my grandmother knew him as children.

The book, "The Great Gatsby" is.... Great!!!

Work as hard as Simon. Goals!

Fabulously over the top 🎀🖼🧸 So wonderful to go back to that wonderful time 🎊 Thank you for bringing him back into our life 💞🎻🥂🍾🍸🍒🌈💫🌼🌸🌺🌻🍄🍀🎋🦩🕊🦚🐳🦋🦄👠👗👛👒💍🦺💃🏾🕺🙆‍♀️🧚‍♂️✍️😪☺️

I like the Infinite Jest reference, can you do a video on David Foster Wallace?

Shout out to the writer for the spot on Human Traffic refrerence.

When are going to update the spotify podcast? I love the channel...

When are you going to do a bio graphics on jd Salinger, Simon?

Please more author videos! I love them!!! Thank you!

God, I love the great Gatsby, it’s so brilliant!

Here are some suggestions for another video - all interesting people April Ellison/William Ellison Jr. (1790-1861) - a freed slave from South Carolina who became a successful slaveowner and planter himself before the civil war. Anthony Johnson (1600-1670) - a former indentured servant who became one of the first African American property owners in America and a successful tobacco farmer. Lord Mountbatten (1900-1979) - Prince Philip’s uncle and Queen Elizabeth’s second cousin once removed who was assassinated by the IRA Yukio Mishima (1925-1970) - Japanese poet, author, playwright, actor and nationalist who committed seppuku after a failed attempt to overthrow Japan’s 1947 constitution. Robert Walpole (1676-1745) - British politician who was the first prime minister of Great Britain from 1721 until 1742 under King George I and King George II. Eamon DeValera (1882-1975) - prominent political leader in 20th century Ireland who, after the Irish war of independence from 1919 to 1921, was in the public eye for over forty years from 1922 until his death were he served as head of government (Taoiseach/prime minister) and head of state (president). He was nearly executed in the Easter Rising in 1916 and was key in putting into place the new constitution on 1937. A very prominent Irish figure and one of the most important in Irish history. George Eastman (1854-1932) - American entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak company. He was a pioneer of photography and a major philanthropist. He commit suicide at the age of 77 because of chronic pain from health problems. Emile Zola (1840-1902) - French novelist and journalist who is an early practitioner in the literary genre, naturalism. He was involved in the Dreyfus affair, a political scandal in France. He died in 1902 at the age of 62 from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. ryoichi sasakawa (1899-1995) - Japanese businessman, politician, sports administrator, philanthropist and was criminal who helped Norman Borlaug with his Green Revolution. Seamus Heaney (1939-2013) - Irish poet, playwright and translator who won the 1995 Nobel prize for literature and wrote a poem about The Tollund Man comparing his cause of death to The Troubles in Northern Ireland. W.B. Yeats (1865-1939) - Irish poet, dramatist and writer with an interest in the occult who helped found the Abbey Theatre and was a senator for the Irish Free State. He is one of the most important historical figures in Irish history. Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh (1921-2021) - husband and consort to Queen Elizabeth who served in the navy as a young man, serving in the Second World War. He died recently so it would be a good choice. Jordan Belfort (born 1962) - former stockbroker, author, motivational speaker and convicted felon who committed fraud via stock market manipulation. His book was the inspiration behind the film The Wolf of Wall Street starring Leonardo DiCaprio in 2013. Andrew Cunanan (1969-1997) - spree killer responsible for five murders before his suicide via gunshot. His victims include Gianna Versace and Lee Miglin. Lee Miglin (1924-1997) - American business tycoon, real estate developer and philanthropist who was spree killer, Andrew Cunanan’s third murder victim. “The Count of Saint Germain” (1691 or 1712 -died 1784) - European Adventurer who achieved prominence in high society in the 1700’s. His real name is unknown while his background is obscure. He claimed to be the son of Prince Francis II Rakoczi of Transylvania. He was arrested for suspicion of espionage during the Jacobite rebellion but was released without charge. Julia d’Aunigny (1670 or 1673 -died 1707) - 17th century French opera singer who was known for her flamboyant lifestyle. Her father was a secretary to the master of the horse to King Louis XIV. She was a keen sword fighter, cross-dressed and tried to run away with a female lover after killing a man in a duel. She died at the age of 33. Past American presidents, British prime ministers, monarchs and Roman emperors would be good as well.

Here's a interesting random bit of trivia: According to legendary video game creator Shigeru Miyamoto, the titular Princess Zelda of the famed The Legend of Zelda video game series, is named after Zelda Fitzgerald.

‘He began to lay of the sauce’ Simon Whistler

Thanks dude

Hi Biographics, can I suggest that you upgrade upgrade you camera to record in 1440 and 2160. would make your videos so much crisper. Thank You And Keep Up The Good Work.

Hemingway was such an over-compensating closet case lol!!!

Please make a video about Erich Maria Remarque!

What is the name of that music track that plays at the end during the credits?

I've bought a compilation of a few short stories of his once. He had a dynamism that was enough to put some famous names of today as slow and clunky.

George Sand please !!! Thank you for your time and effort, Simon.

The Great Gatsby truly is a masterpeice.

Could you do a biographics on the radium girls? It would be very interesting

Couldn’t click on the like button faster than I did when I saw the video was about Scott Fitzgerald

And so we beat on. Boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

How about a video on William Randolph Hearst?

Not gonna lie, I got super excited when I heard a reference to my hometown of Muscatine, Iowa lmaooo

one of my favorite books

an H.L.Mencken episode would be great

Could you possibly do a video on Sitting Bull, the Native American chief? Please and thank you.

Could you make a video about the brilliant Bertrand Russel? @Biographics