Author: F.Scott Fitzgerald
Series: -
Genres: Classics, Academic, Historical Novel, Romance
Publisher: Scribner
Source: Paperback
Pages: 180
// Add to GoodReads // // Amazon //
Series: -
Genres: Classics, Academic, Historical Novel, Romance
Publisher: Scribner
Source: Paperback
Pages: 180
// Add to GoodReads // // Amazon //
BLURB:
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
I read The Great Gatsby in my first semester in University as an English Bachelor student, but I have to tell you I didn't understand it. I read it because it was a classic and because the plot took part in the 1920's, so I just flipped through it and put it aside until I saw the movie coming out. I watched the movie, I absolutely adored it so I picked the book again and this time I did enjoy it because I understood what this book was about. So please follow me inside the world of the crazy roaring 20's!
THE WORLD: As mentioned the plot takes place in 1922 if I'm not mistaken, so yeah we are thrown in the middle of the roaring 20's with crazy clothes, parties, jazz, dance, champagne and wild wild hearts! Actually what I enjoyed most about this book was the detailed descriptions of the parties and the luxury life. My imagination would go wild just to imagine myself dancing surrounded by so many people, with a beautiful lose dress, my hair done and champagne everywhere! Truly, most beautiful descriptions I have ever read, it really made you feel like you where a part of all that actions!
CHARACTERS: This book is super short only 180 something pages so actually there aren't that many characters. Let's start with Nick Carraway - a young Yale graduate who decided to become a writer. He is also the narrator of the story so the entire book is told from his point of view. I liked Nick, I think he wasn't annoying or over the top or anything. He was more of an observer, that kept aside and watched other people live. He is really naive and just a good person that believes the best in others and I liked that, it was refreshing to see such a character, of course as the novel goes on we see a swift in him.
So remember I said he's a writer? Yeah well come to think of it I think he works in the stock market or something like that but he moves to Long Island to attempt to become a writer and it so happens that he becomes the neighbor of the a very rich and mysterious man Jay Gatsby! From the very beginning he is super mysterious, because we only become aware of his background from little information and everyone has an opinion on who and what this Great Gatsby is! Even his name evokes certain emotions in you - Gatsby Gatsby Gatsby - say it with me and let me now if you felt enchanted!!! I know I did! So he throws there extravagant parties every night but never attends any of them until one night Nick goes to one of the parties and meets him in person. What can I say about Jay Gatsby? He is one of those characters that you want so much to succeed and it doesn't matter if they are bad or good! I loved Gatsby - I loved how old fashioned he was, how deeply he believed in love, and the always and forever concept the one true love idea! There was just something about this character....you know what? Let me correct myself - Gatsby was a fascinating character because he was blinded by love and that blindness took everything from him!
And that blindness is caused by Daisy Buchanan - a beautiful embodiment of shallowness! Daisy is actually the love of Gatsby's life and through out the book we see just how much he loves her. She is also Nick's cousin. Daisy is actually married to Tom Buchanan, a horrible drinker, abuser and cheater, and they have a daughter together. So without just giving too much away Daisy and Gatsby met when they were young but he went to war and she married Tom to continue being rich because she was like most beautiful girl or something like that. Actually Daisy is considered to be this flapper, a type of women in the 20's that were considered to be very modern. Wearing short skirts and short hair, smoking and going out, but to be honest Daisy was way too shallow for me to like her. At the beginning she was okay but towards the end you understand that she is nothing more than a 'beautiful little fool' (I'll come back to this later).
We also have little minor characters like Jordan Baker, Daisy's friend, or Myrtle Wilson - Tom's mistress who is getting tired of being pushed around by Tom. We also have her husband George who is a mechanic and few other characters.
So remember I said he's a writer? Yeah well come to think of it I think he works in the stock market or something like that but he moves to Long Island to attempt to become a writer and it so happens that he becomes the neighbor of the a very rich and mysterious man Jay Gatsby! From the very beginning he is super mysterious, because we only become aware of his background from little information and everyone has an opinion on who and what this Great Gatsby is! Even his name evokes certain emotions in you - Gatsby Gatsby Gatsby - say it with me and let me now if you felt enchanted!!! I know I did! So he throws there extravagant parties every night but never attends any of them until one night Nick goes to one of the parties and meets him in person. What can I say about Jay Gatsby? He is one of those characters that you want so much to succeed and it doesn't matter if they are bad or good! I loved Gatsby - I loved how old fashioned he was, how deeply he believed in love, and the always and forever concept the one true love idea! There was just something about this character....you know what? Let me correct myself - Gatsby was a fascinating character because he was blinded by love and that blindness took everything from him!
And that blindness is caused by Daisy Buchanan - a beautiful embodiment of shallowness! Daisy is actually the love of Gatsby's life and through out the book we see just how much he loves her. She is also Nick's cousin. Daisy is actually married to Tom Buchanan, a horrible drinker, abuser and cheater, and they have a daughter together. So without just giving too much away Daisy and Gatsby met when they were young but he went to war and she married Tom to continue being rich because she was like most beautiful girl or something like that. Actually Daisy is considered to be this flapper, a type of women in the 20's that were considered to be very modern. Wearing short skirts and short hair, smoking and going out, but to be honest Daisy was way too shallow for me to like her. At the beginning she was okay but towards the end you understand that she is nothing more than a 'beautiful little fool' (I'll come back to this later).
We also have little minor characters like Jordan Baker, Daisy's friend, or Myrtle Wilson - Tom's mistress who is getting tired of being pushed around by Tom. We also have her husband George who is a mechanic and few other characters.
LOVE: A huge part of the book is dedicated to who will Daisy choose Tom or Gatsby?! Because we have a lot of the most beautiful and silly romantic conversations between Daisy and Gatsby, we see that they are truly in love and due to some horrible misunderstanding they couldn't be together from the start. But as the book goes on you do understand that there are layers of each character, layers that when you peal the 'perfect' you might not like what you find and that changes the entire love aspect in the book. Either way, believe me you will enjoy reading about Daisy and Gatsby!
PLUS: I have to admit from the beginning - I did not see the ending coming! It surprised me and I was absolutely shocked but fascinated by it! I really enjoyed the friendship between Gatsby and Nick! A true friendship, true bromance, because you see that there is no agenda between their connection.
What I also loved in this book was the quotation! Lord and all heavens there are so many beautiful quotes, such as:
- 'I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool' - Daisy says about her daughter.
- 'Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead'.
- 'Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!' - Gatsby says to Nick
And my absolute favorite:
- 'He looked at her the way all women want to be looked at by a man.' - Jordan to Nick
PLUS: I have to admit from the beginning - I did not see the ending coming! It surprised me and I was absolutely shocked but fascinated by it! I really enjoyed the friendship between Gatsby and Nick! A true friendship, true bromance, because you see that there is no agenda between their connection.
What I also loved in this book was the quotation! Lord and all heavens there are so many beautiful quotes, such as:
- 'I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool' - Daisy says about her daughter.
- 'Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead'.
- 'Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!' - Gatsby says to Nick
And my absolute favorite:
- 'He looked at her the way all women want to be looked at by a man.' - Jordan to Nick
MINUS: To be honest with you as much as I enjoyed this book it was a little slow for me. It's super short but there just wasn't no good paste where you could really just eat the book up. It also got a little to much reading the over detailed descriptions about the surroundings, while I mist a little more details on the characters, but other than these few points I don't really have much minuses.
OVERALL: I truly believe that you guys should know about this story either you read the book or watch the movie, but to be completely honest with you, if you are not a hard core book reader, just go watch the movie. It's amazing, it's quick, it has everything a good movie adaptations needs, plus the party scenes with all the jazz and crazy roaring 20's vibe is remarkable and it will bring you so much joy. Besides it's Leonardo di Caprio and Baz Luhrmannn!
So which ever you choose please let me know if you enjoyed this book, because hey - a little party never killed nobody! ;)
OVERALL: I truly believe that you guys should know about this story either you read the book or watch the movie, but to be completely honest with you, if you are not a hard core book reader, just go watch the movie. It's amazing, it's quick, it has everything a good movie adaptations needs, plus the party scenes with all the jazz and crazy roaring 20's vibe is remarkable and it will bring you so much joy. Besides it's Leonardo di Caprio and Baz Luhrmannn!
So which ever you choose please let me know if you enjoyed this book, because hey - a little party never killed nobody! ;)
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What did you think of THE GREAT GATSBY ?
