ISBN #: 978-0743273565
Page Count: 180
Copyright: September 30, 2004 (Reissue Edition)
Publisher: Scribner
Description:
(Taken from Amazon)
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.
Kathy's Review:
(Reprinted with permission from Kathy's personal reading blog, Grown Up Book Reports)
Bear with me, because I finished this over a week ago and then went on vacation, so already this is growing hazy in my brain. This is my book club's selection for this month, with a future planned outing to go to the movie when it is released. This is also one of my entries for the Back to the Classics 2013 Challenge. Two birds. One stone!
I also read this in high school at some point, and honestly, the only thing that stuck with me was that somebody died in a swimming pool. I thought it was Daisy. And when I read that part, the most significant action in the novel, I didn't even realize that Gatsby had died until I got to the next chapter talking about his funeral. It's so subtle, the way Fitzgerald writes it, with the raft and a blood mark, or something like that. Again. It's been a week and my brain is still on West Coast time.
The things that struck me about this novel: Gatsby is kind of a psycho. I mean, he's a friendly guy but kind of passive aggressive, especially toward Daisy's spouse, Tom, just because he's married to his lady love. Also, how shallow this group of people is. They come to party at Gatsby's mansion because it's the cool thing to do, but the guy dies and no one can be bothered to show up. Cold.
I think every woman wishes they had someone like Gatsby who pined over them for years. I don't know, maybe that's just me. I think I would find it extremely flattering but maybe also just a tad creepalicious. I guess it depends on who it was. Certain ex-boyfriends and friends-with-benefits, not so much. Those are the ones I'd prefer to forget ever existed, period. If my eighth grade boyfriend ever resurfaced that would be a different story. I've seen pictures and he has aged well, let's just put it that way. And he's an attorney. What am I saying? Anyway ...
I am not sure that I loved this book. It was lacking something, a je n'ai sais quois (sp) that also eluded my jetlagged brain.
So I am going to link to a review that is much funnier and smarter than mine. Check out Bird Bryan's review on Goodreads! (You may have to scroll down - it's the Valentine's quiz)
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It's a very tragic love story but in a modern tradition, I think. maybe that's why I like it so much!
ReplyDeleteI read this book for the first time last year and was surprised how much it stayed with me, even though I wasn't aware of the effect it had on me while I was reading it.
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