The Great gatsby today
Past Meets Present
Despite its humble beginnings, just short of 99 years since its original publication, The Great Gatsby has sold over 30 million copies. It sells about 500,000 copies annually. Although F. Scott Fitzgerald was not able to see the success of his novel, The Great Gatsby has made him a household name and a well-known name in literature despite his passing nearly 83 years ago.
The Great American Novel
So how did The Great Gatsby go from selling less than 25,000 copies in its first 15 years on the market to now 500,000 copies a year? During World War II, books were being donated to soliders, and The Great Gatsby happened to be one of these novels, leading to it having a resurgence and a newfound popularity. Since then, its popularity has only continued to grow. Its themes are still relevant today from status to love to racism. The 1920s are looked upon as an intriguing time in American history and still have an impact on trends of today. It also helps that the novel has been adapted to movies on multiple occassions as recently as 2013.
The Great Gatsby Adaptations
The Great Gatsby has been adapted directly, keeping the novel's name for the movie title, five times. The first film came out in 1926, and the most recent came out just 10 years ago with Leonardo Dicaprio playing role of Jay Gatsby. The 2000 film G was also inspired by the novel. Each generation has been given a movie of their own following Fitzgerald's captivating novel. This alone speaks volumes of the impact it continues to have today and the impact it will continue to have for years to come.