Tender is the Night. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1934. First edition, inscribed on the front free endpaper "Dear Curtis - You've been so appreciative of my books in the past that I thought this might amuse you/Scott Fitzgerald." Publisher's cloth, in the original first issue dust jacket, housed in full dark blue morocco clamshell case. 7 3/8 x 5 inches (18.6 x 12.5 cm); 408 pp., with decorations by Edward Shenton. The front pastedown with a tipped-in newspaper review and the small stamp and printed label and two contemporary Los Angeles booksellers (see note), offset and small abrasion to inscribed leaf, the jacket toned and with paper replacement to spine tips and corners, a short split to one flap fold, a few minor creases and small stains, the volume sound. Provenance: Jane Engelhard (small Cragwood booklabel to recto of rear free endpaper), sold Christie's 2 December 2005, lot 165; with Bauman Rare Books

A scarce inscribed copy of Tender is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel of the French Riviera, and the last published in his lifetime. The volume is inscribed to Curtis, surmised by Matthew Bruccoli to be Town & Country reviewer William Curtis, who had favorably reviewed The Great Gatsby in 1925 (noting the maturity of that work compared to his first two novels was like "realizing that a hopeful child has become an adult"). Despite publication nearly a decade later, Fitzgerald began writing Tender is the Night while visiting Europe just weeks after the release of The Great Gatsby, and while the characters of Dick and Nicole Diver are loosely based on his acquaintances the American ex-pats Gerald and Sara Murphy, their story mirrors that of Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda who respectively suffered with alcoholism and mental illness. Fitzgerald was sensitive about reviews of his works and in another known presentation copy of Tender is the Night implored Malcolm Cowley not to review it; he here recognizes William Curtis for his appreciation of his books rendering this an important presentation copy.

In addition to the above-listed provenance, the book bears the contemporary label and stamp of two Los Angeles bookshops (Granada Book Shop and Barary Library) and a contemporary review of the novel. The tipped-in review, signed only "M.M.", is favorable "His people are destined to frustration, experiment and despair. We wonder what all the fuss is about, why we should be moved at the futility and failure of these people. But the fact remains, we are moved."

Connolly Modern Movement 79; Bruccoli A15.1.a; Bruccoli Fitzgerald in the Marketplace 41.