The Basil, Josephine, and Gwen Stories

by F. Scott Fitzgerald, James L. W. West, III

Overview

This volume brings together three series of short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald - the Basil Duke Lee stories of 1928–29, the Josephine Perry stories of 1930–31, and the Gwen Bowers stories of 1936. The texts published here are based on surviving typescripts that preserve Fitzgerald's final revisions for their first publication in the Saturday Evening Post. Collations have revealed cuts and revisions by the Post editors aimed at removing profanity and blasphemy, sexual innuendo, real names of people and places, and references to racial prejudice. These passages have been restored to the Cambridge texts. This volume includes a scholarly introduction, a record of variants, facsimiles and other illustrations, and an appendix that presents early endings for the stories 'The Captured Shadow' and 'Basil and Cleopatra'. Full historical notes identify popular songs, sports heroes, literary works, Broadway shows, and sources for the stories.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521769730
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/03/2009
Series:	The Cambridge Edition of the Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald
Pages:	397
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

James L. W. West III is Sparks Professor of English at Pennsylvania State University.

Date of Birth:

September 24, 1896

Date of Death:

December 21, 1940

Place of Birth:

St. Paul, Minnesota

Education:

Princeton University

Table of Contents

Introduction; The Basil Stories: That kind of party; The scandal detectives; A night at the fair; The freshest boy; He thinks he's wonderful; The captured shadow; The perfect life; Forging ahead; Basil and Cleopatra; The Josephine Stories: First blood; A nice quiet place; A woman with a past; A snobbish story; Emotional bankruptcy; The Gwen Stories: Too cute for words; Inside the house; Record of variants; Explanatory notes; Illustrations; Appendix 1: Original endings, 'The Captured Shadow' and 'Basil and Cleopatra'; Appendix 2: Publication and earnings.