Whether you heard about it in a high school English class or by way of the 2013 remake with Leo DiCaprio, it's a title with which you're likely familiar, or somewhat obsessed, like myself. I mean, Robert Redford AND Leo playing Mr. Gatsby? What could be better? Perfect analogy: Leo and Rob are for the eyes, what donuts are for the soul.
The classic novel is written by author F. Scott Fitzgerald, a man who, much like his character Gatsby, struggled with the pulls of young love and a certain inability to live up to the American Dream. In fact, his wife, Zelda, only agreed to marry him after his first work This Side of Paradise had become successful enough to gain him an amount of money she deemed acceptable. The theme of excessive wealth and its pressures on the American Dream during the Jazz Age is the major idea of The Great Gatsby. No doubt his own life was an influence on his greatest work.
Today, bookstores are selling copies of the novel for 10-15 dollars a copy. However, the version seen in the picture above is worth nearly $200,000: 125,000 Euros to be exact. This book isn't even 100 years old yet, so why is it worth so much?
The answer boils down to two factors that go hand-in-hand: rarity and cover art.
The widely-recognized cover, pictured above, is the work of Francis Cugat. The sad, female eyes and bold red lips are seen looking over the distant city lights. According to an article in Smithsonian Magazine, Cugat finished his draft of the cover art before Fitzgerald had even completed the manuscript of the novel. This detail is seemingly insignificant, until you realize that Fitzgerald intended for the eyes on the cover to be those of Dr. T.J. Eckleberg, a description-less character whose large, blue eyes with bright yellow spectacles we see in a billboard overlooking the stretch of road on which (spoiler) the all-important car accident takes place. Between the details of Dr. Eckleberg provided in the book and the eyes on the cover art, there are some pretty obvious differences, e.g., gender, glasses, and eye color.
There are many theories that exist to offer up possible explanations to the differences. One says that Cugat actually provided Fitzgerald with different versions of the cover art initially, and Fitzgerald wrote these characteristics into his book. This is supported by a quote from Fitzgerald stating, "For Christ's sake don't give anyone that jacket you're saving for me. I've written it into the book." Although no context is provided, it seems as though something in Cugat's work inspired Fitzgerald's character.
Another theory says that Fitzgerald had had a discussion with Cugat, in which he gave the idea of eyes looking over a city where grave events were about to take place, and the sadness of the eyes on the cover reflect not only the city lights but also the sorrow of what is to come.
These are just a couple of the many opinions people have on the interpretation of each set of eyes.
Cugat was the first artist to provide art for the cover of Gatsby so, naturally, these original editions are going to sell for much more than a mass-produced copy would. As previously stated, a copy owned by a U.K.-based book hub called The Jones Brothers was sold to them for a whopping 125K Euros (yes, I definitely thought it said Jonas Brothers at first glance. I'm a little ashamed to admit the 13-year-old version of me is still excitable at the mention of the boy band I used to idolize). Like any work, the first editions are considered rare, but what made the value of a first edition Gatsby go up was library use. By stamping and adding stickers to the covers in the library system, along with reader wear-and-tear, the number books in good condition quickly dwindled.
I knew Leslie Knope was on to something when she said libraries were evil... Just kidding. Kind of.
Regardless, Fitgerald's The Great Gatsby is a beautiful book, literally from cover to cover. Its story and artwork are what make it a true American classic.
The classic novel is written by author F. Scott Fitzgerald, a man who, much like his character Gatsby, struggled with the pulls of young love and a certain inability to live up to the American Dream. In fact, his wife, Zelda, only agreed to marry him after his first work This Side of Paradise had become successful enough to gain him an amount of money she deemed acceptable. The theme of excessive wealth and its pressures on the American Dream during the Jazz Age is the major idea of The Great Gatsby. No doubt his own life was an influence on his greatest work.
Today, bookstores are selling copies of the novel for 10-15 dollars a copy. However, the version seen in the picture above is worth nearly $200,000: 125,000 Euros to be exact. This book isn't even 100 years old yet, so why is it worth so much?
The answer boils down to two factors that go hand-in-hand: rarity and cover art.
The widely-recognized cover, pictured above, is the work of Francis Cugat. The sad, female eyes and bold red lips are seen looking over the distant city lights. According to an article in Smithsonian Magazine, Cugat finished his draft of the cover art before Fitzgerald had even completed the manuscript of the novel. This detail is seemingly insignificant, until you realize that Fitzgerald intended for the eyes on the cover to be those of Dr. T.J. Eckleberg, a description-less character whose large, blue eyes with bright yellow spectacles we see in a billboard overlooking the stretch of road on which (spoiler) the all-important car accident takes place. Between the details of Dr. Eckleberg provided in the book and the eyes on the cover art, there are some pretty obvious differences, e.g., gender, glasses, and eye color.
There are many theories that exist to offer up possible explanations to the differences. One says that Cugat actually provided Fitzgerald with different versions of the cover art initially, and Fitzgerald wrote these characteristics into his book. This is supported by a quote from Fitzgerald stating, "For Christ's sake don't give anyone that jacket you're saving for me. I've written it into the book." Although no context is provided, it seems as though something in Cugat's work inspired Fitzgerald's character.
Another theory says that Fitzgerald had had a discussion with Cugat, in which he gave the idea of eyes looking over a city where grave events were about to take place, and the sadness of the eyes on the cover reflect not only the city lights but also the sorrow of what is to come.
These are just a couple of the many opinions people have on the interpretation of each set of eyes.
Cugat was the first artist to provide art for the cover of Gatsby so, naturally, these original editions are going to sell for much more than a mass-produced copy would. As previously stated, a copy owned by a U.K.-based book hub called The Jones Brothers was sold to them for a whopping 125K Euros (yes, I definitely thought it said Jonas Brothers at first glance. I'm a little ashamed to admit the 13-year-old version of me is still excitable at the mention of the boy band I used to idolize). Like any work, the first editions are considered rare, but what made the value of a first edition Gatsby go up was library use. By stamping and adding stickers to the covers in the library system, along with reader wear-and-tear, the number books in good condition quickly dwindled.
I knew Leslie Knope was on to something when she said libraries were evil... Just kidding. Kind of.
Regardless, Fitgerald's The Great Gatsby is a beautiful book, literally from cover to cover. Its story and artwork are what make it a true American classic.