T̀he victor belongs to the spoils.' Fitzgerald's ironic epigraph to The Beautiful and Damned exemplifies his attitude toward the young rootless post-World War One generation who believed life to be meaningless and who pursued wealth despite its corrosive effect. Gloria and Anthony Patch party until money runs out; then their goal becomes Adam Patch's fortune. Gloria's beauty fades and Anthony's drinking takes its horrible toll. Fitzgerald here once again displays a wariness of the upper classes, àn abiding distrust,an animosity, toward the leisure class - not the conviction of a revolutionist.

Cover; Contents; Introduction; Note on the Text; Select Bibliography; A Chronology of F. Scott Fitzgerald; THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED; Explanatory Notes;.