Author: F.Scott Fitzgerald
Publisher: Simon & Schuster - Scribner
Published: October 1th 2012 (first published in April 10th 1925)
Pages: 180 pages
"THE GREAT GATSBY,
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of
his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by
generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby
and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long
Island at a time when The New York Times noted “gin was the national
drink and sex the national obsession,” it is an exquisitely crafted tale
of America in the 1920s. The Great Gatsby is one of the great classics of twentieth-century literature.
"
Dear Fitzgerald,
When I first read your masterpiece, I hated it. I really hated it with all my heart! I did not appreciate it as I should have and I feel bad for it. The Great Gatsby is one of the most beautifully-woven novels I ever read -everything is crafted carefully in this book. I apologize to you, Fitzgerald, because now that I re-read your outstanding novel, I can see all its allure and enticement.
Writing: I'll probably sound very corny, but Fitzgerald writing is magical (I just had to read this novel a second time to realize it). Everything seems what it's and what it isn't. Do you understand? I mean, the green light is not just the green light. The eyes of T.J. Eckleburg are not just the eyes of a forgotten add. East Egg and West Egg are more than a geographical representation of where the characters live. Everything is crated to the detail (not a single thread is forgotten) and that is why the writing is so perfect.
Characters: What a bunch of mean characters... Daisy is not as innocent as she wants everyone to believe she is. Tom is racist and has no problems cheating on his wife. Jordan didn't achieve her victories fairly. And, Gatsby is not the person he wants everyone to believe he is. However, from this set of characters (not counting with Nick, of course), Gatsby
ends up being the most noble of them. Why? Everything he did was to achieve
his dream, being with Daisy. He had no malice in him, he simply wanted Daisy and the "love" they once share. Maybe he should have followed another path to find a way to be
with her. However, Daisy only had one care in the world and that was not to
love and be loved in return.
Nick, who is the narrator/observer of the story, is the only person who has nothing to hide. What you see is what you get. Nick went to West Egg looking for a new life; a life away from his family and away from the West (where, to him, nothing happened). Of course, Nick got a lot more than he bargained for, realizing that maybe his place was not in the middle of people so vicious and unscrupulous. By the end, he is the only one who learns something from the events in The Great Gatsby because he sees what's behind the masks everyone wears.
Worldbuilding: I don't think any other book depicts the Jazz Age as well as The Great Gatsby. There are the crazy late night parties; you can see how important it was to people to own a car; the flapper girls are represented... It shows the good and the bad of a new world that was built after the First World War. It's a world of lights and music and glamour - but also of lies. If you want to know the crazy twenties, this is the book for you.
Nick, who is the narrator/observer of the story, is the only person who has nothing to hide. What you see is what you get. Nick went to West Egg looking for a new life; a life away from his family and away from the West (where, to him, nothing happened). Of course, Nick got a lot more than he bargained for, realizing that maybe his place was not in the middle of people so vicious and unscrupulous. By the end, he is the only one who learns something from the events in The Great Gatsby because he sees what's behind the masks everyone wears.
Worldbuilding: I don't think any other book depicts the Jazz Age as well as The Great Gatsby. There are the crazy late night parties; you can see how important it was to people to own a car; the flapper girls are represented... It shows the good and the bad of a new world that was built after the First World War. It's a world of lights and music and glamour - but also of lies. If you want to know the crazy twenties, this is the book for you.
Posts
Really great review! I disliked The Great Gatsby the first time I read it as well. I think I was way too young to truly appreciate its artistry because when I came back to it a few years later, it became one of my all-time favorite books.
ReplyDeleteThanks. :) When I first read The Great Gatsby, not only I was forced to do it, but also I had to read it very fast for a class. I did not have the time to appreciate the story/characters/worldbuilding. However, this time I did and Fitzgerald is a genious.
DeleteHappy readings! ;)