The Beautiful and Damned

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and Damned chronicles the destructive marriage of Anthony Patch and Gloria Gilbert, gilded-age socialites. As they await a vast inheritance, their lives dissolve into indolence, alcoholism, and bitter resentment. Their beauty and charm mask a profound emptiness, revealing the corrosive effects of wealth and aimless desire. The novel explores the fleeting nature of youth and the tragic consequences of a life without purpose.