The wealthier Americans intensely lived the 1920s, also known as the "Roaring Twenties," the Jazz Age, and the era of grand parties fueled by illegal drinks, when
F. Scott Fitzgerald published what would become his first major literary success:
This Side of Paradise. The book tells the story of the young Amory Blaine. A rich, handsome, intelligent, and arrogant boy. Annoying and irritatingly charming. He is a product of what intellectuals call the American "Lost Generation." A generation that was enchanted by progress and its machines, yet discontented and restless with the country's situation and the austerity of the older generation. No one depicted this American historical period with as much talent and sensitivity as Scott Fitzgerald, especially since his life and the lives of his characters intertwine in the book in an unmistakable way.
