F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby, is widely considered one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1896, Fitzgerald was an avid reader from a young age and began writing at an early age.

After attending Princeton University, Fitzgerald moved to New York City to pursue his writing career. It was there that he met his wife, Zelda Sayre, and the two became one of the most famous couples of the era.

Fitzgerald's first novel, This Side of Paradise, was published in 1920 and became an instant success. The novel was followed by The Beautiful and Damned in 1922 and The Great Gatsby in 1925, which is widely considered his masterpiece. The novel is a portrait of the Jazz Age, a time of excess and decadence in America, and explores themes of love, wealth, and the American Dream.

Despite his success, Fitzgerald struggled with alcoholism and financial problems throughout his life. He continued to write, publishing works such as Tender Is the Night and The Last Tycoon, but never achieved the same level of success as he did with The Great Gatsby.

Fitzgerald died in 1940 at the age of 44, but his legacy lives on through his writing. The Great Gatsby in particular has been adapted into multiple films and remains a staple of American literature. Fitzgerald's contributions to the literary canon have cemented his place as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.