NPR

Opinion: 'The Great Gatsby' Enters Public Domain But It Already Entered Our Hearts

NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the legacy of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The literary classic's copyright expired on the first day of 2021.

The copyright on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby expired on the first stroke of 2021 and the book entered the public domain.

The classic 1925 novel of love foiled, ambitions foisted, class and betrayal sold fewer than 25,000 copies before Fitzgerald died. It hashas been turned into stage productions, an opera, five film versions, and inspired innumerable prequels, spinoffs and variations.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readWorld
A Baby Girl Born Orphaned And Premature After An Israeli Airstrike In Gaza Has Died
The newborn died after five days in an incubator. Her family was killed in an air strike. UNICEF says 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, with thousands more orphaned and wounded.
NPR3 min readInternational Relations
Hamas Says It's Preparing To Respond To Israel's Latest Gaza Cease-fire Proposal
The militant group says it's examining the latest Israeli suggestions for a cease-fire in Gaza, seven months into the conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
NPR6 min readAmerican Government
Mike Johnson And The Troubled History Of Recent Republican Speakers
Johnson is the sixth Republican elevated to the speakership since 1994. The five who preceded him all saw their time in the office end in relative degrees of defeat or frustration.

Related Books & Audiobooks