F. Scott Fitzgerald is known for his stories about the Jazz Age. He explored themes of wealth, love, and the ever-present American Dream.
If you enjoy authors who examine similar ideas, especially those focused on social class and personal longing, you might be interested in the following writers.
Books by Ernest Hemingway often speak directly to readers who enjoy Fitzgerald’s exploration of human struggles and dreams. Hemingway writes in a crisp, straightforward style that captures complex emotions and experiences with clarity.
A great place to start is “The Sun Also Rises,” a story that follows Jake Barnes and his expatriate friends through post-war Europe.
They move restlessly between café life in Paris and lively fiestas in Spain, confronting themes of love, disillusionment, and loss in a changing world. The characters, especially the charismatic Lady Brett Ashley, embody a sense of searching for meaning in a life altered by war.
Readers who connect with Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the Lost Generation might appreciate how Hemingway portrays his own set of characters battling inner emptiness while chasing fleeting moments of happiness.
Readers who enjoy F. Scott Fitzgerald’s vivid portrayal of characters and his subtle exploration of human emotions may also appreciate Virginia Woolf.
Woolf’s novel “Mrs. Dalloway” captures a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a woman preparing for an evening party in post-war London. The novel gracefully moves between characters, bringing to life their hidden thoughts, regrets, and quiet moments of revelation.
Woolf’s careful attention to detail and her ability to showcase the emotional depth behind seemingly ordinary moments can deeply resonate with Fitzgerald fans. Through Woolf, readers step into an intimate and authentic human experience.
Evelyn Waugh was an English writer known for his satirical wit and elegant prose. Readers who appreciate F. Scott Fitzgerald’s sharp social commentary and depiction of high society might enjoy Waugh’s novel “Brideshead Revisited.”
The story follows Charles Ryder, an artist who becomes fascinated with the aristocratic Flyte family of Brideshead, their grand estate. Through vibrant characters and vivid settings, the novel explores themes of privilege, deep friendships, lost innocence, and complex desires.
Waugh creates a passionate portrait of pre-war English society and the fading world of aristocratic opulence, reflecting nostalgia and critique similar to Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”
John Dos Passos was an American novelist known for capturing the energy and complexities of early twentieth-century America. If you enjoy Fitzgerald’s depiction of the Roaring Twenties and his sharp critique of society, Dos Passos could catch your interest as well.
His novel “Manhattan Transfer” portrays the lives of several ordinary New Yorkers in a rapidly changing city. Through vivid snapshots and intersecting stories, he gives readers a layered view of urban life, ambition, and struggle in New York City.
Dos Passos captures personal dreams alongside disappointment, love tangled with heartbreak, and delivers a striking portrait of a city that can both uplift and overwhelm its inhabitants.
If you enjoy Fitzgerald’s sharp, witty insights and keen observation of society, you might appreciate Dorothy Parker. She was a celebrated member of New York’s literary scene during the Jazz Age.
Parker’s “Complete Stories” is a collection full of satire and humor, where she portrays New York City’s elite. In stories like “Big Blonde,” Parker gives an unflinching view of loneliness and disillusionment beneath the glittering surface of urban life.
Her clever writing style exposes how complicated and fragile people’s lives can be, even when they look glamorous from the outside.
Donna Tartt is a contemporary author known for her lyrical prose and stories with complex characters, elements Fitzgerald fans often appreciate. In her novel “The Secret History,” Tartt tells the story of a tight-knit group of classics students at an elite college in Vermont.
Richard Papen, a young man from a modest background, becomes fascinated by this charismatic set of friends who embrace ancient Greek culture and philosophy. He soon discovers they harbor dark secrets.
Tartt explores themes of guilt, privilege, and moral ambiguity within the refined atmosphere of academia. Fitzgerald readers may find Tartt’s portrayal of flawed individuals set against the backdrop of wealth and beauty especially appealing.
Bret Easton Ellis is an American novelist known for exploring the darker side of privilege in modern America. If you enjoy Fitzgerald’s critical perspective on wealth and status, you might appreciate Ellis’s satirical and unsettling narratives.
His novel “American Psycho” features Patrick Bateman, a young investment banker in 1980s Manhattan who embodies an obsessive pursuit of material wealth and social status. Behind his carefully maintained facade, Bateman hides disturbing violent impulses.
Ellis sharply examines the moral emptiness beneath extreme consumerism and shallow social interactions. The book is provocative and darkly humorous but also provides a powerful critique of the society it portrays.
If you enjoy F. Scott Fitzgerald’s sharp eye for complex characters and detailed exploration of human motives, give Tana French a try. French is a talented crime novelist known for her Dublin Murder Squad series.
Her book “The Secret Place” centers around a mysterious note discovered at an elite girls’ boarding school. This note suggests someone knows who killed a boy found murdered a year earlier on the campus grounds.
French thoughtfully examines friendship, teenage secrets, social tensions, and hidden rivalries as detectives investigate this cold case. Her characters have depth, and the story gradually unveils layers of suspenseful drama, psychological tension, and unexpected connections.
If you admire Fitzgerald’s ability to depict intricate personal relationships and emotional landscapes, you’ll find Tana French offers a satisfying mix of suspense and insightful characterization.
Truman Capote was an American writer known for his sharp, elegant prose and insightful character studies. Readers who appreciate Fitzgerald’s exploration of wealthy society will likely find Capote’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” intriguing.
The novel centers on Holly Golightly, a charming yet mysterious young woman living in New York City. Through the eyes of the narrator, readers see Holly navigate parties, friendships, and dreams of luxury, while hiding deeper truths beneath her carefree surface.
Capote captures the glamour and longing of city life alongside subtle sadness and loneliness. His writing is crisp and clever, bringing both humor and empathy to Holly’s story.
Readers who appreciate F. Scott Fitzgerald’s exploration of complex relationships and social dynamics may enjoy author Sally Rooney. Rooney, an Irish novelist, captures the subtleties of friendship and young love with precision and honesty.
Her novel “Normal People” follows Connell and Marianne, two teenagers from opposite backgrounds whose lives repeatedly intersect as they move from high school to college.
Each meeting brings a subtle shift in their relationship, highlighting class differences, self-discovery, and the delicate balance between love and friendship.
Rooney’s clear yet emotional writing echoes the thoughtful portrayal of personal struggles found in Fitzgerald’s timeless narratives.
Readers who enjoy Fitzgerald’s exploration of class tensions and personal conflicts might find E.M. Forster’s “A Room with a View” appealing. Forster, an English novelist active in the early 20th century, often examines society’s constraints on individual desire and happiness.
“A Room with a View” follows Lucy Honeychurch, a young woman traveling through Italy, whose experiences abroad challenge her conventional upbringing.
Upon returning to England, Lucy’s encounter with social expectations and romantic confusion creates an engaging contrast between passion and propriety, freedom and tradition.
The novel captures humor and irony while questioning the stiff conventions of Edwardian England, themes that resonate similarly in Fitzgerald’s work.
Jay McInerney captures the spirit and energy of 1980s New York City in his popular novel “Bright Lights, Big City.” The book follows an unnamed narrator who navigates the fast and glittery nightlife of Manhattan.
Like Fitzgerald, McInerney focuses on young, ambitious characters caught up in glamorous but empty lifestyles. The narrator works at a respected magazine but soon finds himself losing control, trapped in a haze of parties, drugs, and fleeting relationships.
The story vividly portrays his internal struggles and the chaos that comes with pursuing a shallow version of success.
McInerney’s portrayal of the city and his characters’ dreams and disappointments make this novel resonate with readers who appreciate Fitzgerald’s work, especially “The Great Gatsby.”
Zadie Smith is an English novelist known for her sharp and witty portrayals of modern society, class tension, and personal identity.
Her novel “On Beauty” follows two families, the Belseys and the Kippses, both led by academic fathers whose passionate rivalry sets the stage for humor and emotional complexity.
Set in a university town near Boston, Smith cleverly explores heady themes of race, politics, and marriage through vivid characters and biting dialogue.
Readers who enjoy Fitzgerald’s exploration of social status and inner conflict may find Smith’s compelling depiction of family dynamics and cultural clashes particularly engaging.
Richard Yates was an American writer known for his clear and honest exploration of mid-20th-century life, especially in suburban America. His novel “Revolutionary Road” follows Frank and April Wheeler, a seemingly happy couple who live in a Connecticut suburb during the 1950s.
Beneath their comfortable lives lies deep dissatisfaction and dreams unfulfilled. Similar to Fitzgerald, Yates captures characters struggling with the difference between appearances and reality, ambition and loss, and the quiet unraveling of hopes just out of reach.
If you enjoy F. Scott Fitzgerald’s thoughtful portrayal of complex characters and emotional depth, you might appreciate Carson McCullers. McCullers captures loneliness and longing in an honest and moving way.
Her novel, “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,” tells the story of a deaf man named John Singer who becomes a quiet confidant to several distinct and isolated people from a small Southern town.
Among them are Mick Kelly, a young girl who dreams of music and escape; Dr. Copeland, an African-American doctor frustrated by injustice; and Jake Blount, a restless wanderer obsessed with social inequality.
Each character believes Singer alone understands their troubles, but Singer holds his own unspoken sorrow. McCullers weaves their stories together, creating empathy and understanding even in their solitude.