The Great Gatsby

published	May 1980 by Collier Books
first published	1925
binding	Paperback
isbn	0020199600 (isbn13: 9780020199601)
description	In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald announced his decision to write "something new—something extraordinary and beautiful and simple + intricate...more [close] In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald announced his decision to write "something new—something extraordinary and beautiful and simple + intricately patterned." That extraordinary, beautiful, intricately patterned, and above all, simple novel became The Great Gatsby, arguably Fitzgerald's finest work and certainly the book for which he is best known. A portrait of the Jazz Age in all of its decadence and excess, Gatsby captured the spirit of the author's generation and earned itself a permanent place in American mythology. Self-made, self-invented millionaire Jay Gatsby embodies some of Fitzgerald's—and his country's—most abiding obsessions: money, ambition, greed, and the promise of new beginnings. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning—" Gatsby's rise to glory and eventual fall from grace becomes a kind of cautionary tale about the American Dream. It's also a love story, of sorts, the narrative of Gatsby's quixotic passion for Daisy Buchanan. The pair meet five years before the novel begins, when Daisy is a legendary young Louisville beauty and Gatsby an impoverished officer. They fall in love, but while Gatsby serves overseas, Daisy marries the brutal, bullying, but extremely rich Tom Buchanan. After the war, Gatsby devotes himself blindly to the pursuit of wealth by whatever means—and to the pursuit of Daisy, which amounts to the same thing. "Her voice is full of money," Gatsby says admiringly, in one of the novel's more famous descriptions. His millions made, Gatsby buys a mansion across Long Island Sound from Daisy's patrician East Egg address, throws lavish parties, and waits for her to appear. When she does, events unfold with all the tragic inevitability of a Greek drama, with detached, cynical neighbor Nick Carraway acting as chorus throughout. Spare, elegantly plotted, and written in crystalline prose, The Great Gatsby is as perfectly satisfying as the best kind of poem. [close]
date added	02-06-07 edit book

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Gina rated it:

(review of isbn 0743273567)

10/23/07

bookshelves: pans-labyrinth

Over drinks, I’ve observed—like so many smart alacks—that much of The Great Gatsby’s popularity relies heavily on its shortness. At a sparse 180 pages, Fitzgerald’s masterpiece could be argued to be the “Great American novella.” Gatsby, like so many other short classics, is easily readable, re-readable, and assessable to everyone from the attention-deficient young to mothers juggling a kid, a career, and a long-held desire to catch up on all those books “they shou...more Over drinks, I’ve observed—like so many smart alacks—that much of The Great Gatsby’s popularity relies heavily on its shortness. At a sparse 180 pages, Fitzgerald’s masterpiece could be argued to be the “Great American novella.” Gatsby, like so many other short classics, is easily readable, re-readable, and assessable to everyone from the attention-deficient young to mothers juggling a kid, a career, and a long-held desire to catch up on all those books “they should have read but haven’t gotten around to yet”.

I’ve now read Gatsby three times, and I admit that on my first reading during (like handfuls of others) my senior year English class, I wasn’t particularly fond of the book; I believe I used the adjective “overrated” on numerous occasions. Daisy Buchanan seemed like a twit of a woman, and I found Jay Gatsby to be pathetically clawing in his attempt to attain her. Nick, my guide, only annoyed me further with his apparent hero-worshiping of a man I found one-dimensional and his adoration for the kind of woman I’ve seen other men purport to be goddesses, but in fact, are dim-witted simpletons with nice figures.

Over my two subsequent readings—pushed along by friends whose judgment I trusted and who swore the book was “so funny and ironic”—I discovered within Fitzgerald’s fable a sardonic social wit and a heavily layered critique of the American Dream: the poor, working (wo)man rising above his or her social station to discover money conquers all.

Fitzgerald has a discerning ability for sharp critiques of the economically privileged and, like Jane Austin, has an ear for realistic, bantering dialogue. Through Nick’s narration, we see a world that so many Americans dream of (its enviableness only further accentuated by our open disdain for it): a life of endless parties, delicious food, beautiful clothes, and Paris Hilton. Nick who’s paradoxically drawn to his cousin, Daisy’s, and her husband, Tom’s, lifestyle with gloating contempt echoes the contemporary American idolization of an elite lifestyle that none but a select few attain.

We watch Daisy with her voice that “sounds of money” flit about with uncompromising shallowness and vivacious school-girl frivolity, and through her, see so many of the inconsequential remarks and actions others (as well as ourselves) have made for the sheer sake of “having a good time”. In spite of her frivolity and weak disposition, we become, like Gatsby, “overwhelmingly aware of the youth and mystery that wealth imprisons and preserves, of the freshness of many clothes, and of Daisy, gleaming like silver, safe and proud above the hot struggles of the poor.”

Through Gatsby’s veneration of Daisy, we not only imagine what so many Americans desire (success), but also we see the goal and glittering fixation of all humanity: beauty. And like many Americans in the throws of Capitalism, Gatsby believes that money can buy beauty as well as love. Fitzgerald articulates this disillusion with haunting force, particularly voiced through Nick’s obsessive repulsion with the extravagant society his social status has allowed him and the sadness he finds while watching a “working man” attempt to enter it.

One critique of The Great Gatsby, which could also be argued as a positive, is the limited scope of action and themes Fitzgerald chooses to encapsulate. We only see the wealthy elite (or people wanting to be the wealthy elite), and only Nick really has any depth of characterization. Unlike a tome, such as War and Peace, Gatsby fails to have numerous interwoven plotlines within a grand historical context. Yes, the Jazz Age is the novel’s backdrop, but Fitzgerald fails to engage in any discussion beyond a summer among the wealthy youth partying into the wee hours of the night in the West Egg. Yet, the control with which Fitzgerald expresses his limited themes makes the novel’s lack of scope forgivable.

Gatsby is short and easily accessible, and I have no doubt these aspects of the novel do lend to its everlasting popularity. At the same time, it should never diminish its truly admirable ability to tease apart some of the most confounding qualities American culture values: money, beauty, youth, hardwork, and the every effusive, love. ...less

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Kayley rated it:

(review of isbn 0743273567)

05/15/08

“The Great Gatsby,” is a novel that is loved by many generations of readers and I’m certain that you will enjoy reading it too. It was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and is known as one of the great American classics of 20th century literature. I really like “The Great Gatsby” because it is a modernist novel that takes place during the Jazz Age. It perfectly portrays the decline of the American dream in the 1920s and exposes the emptiness and moral decay of upper class life on the Eas...more “The Great Gatsby,” is a novel that is loved by many generations of readers and I’m certain that you will enjoy reading it too. It was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and is known as one of the great American classics of 20th century literature. I really like “The Great Gatsby” because it is a modernist novel that takes place during the Jazz Age. It perfectly portrays the decline of the American dream in the 1920s and exposes the emptiness and moral decay of upper class life on the East Coast. It was first published in 1925, a time when the economy soared and prohibition made millionaires out of bootleggers.
The story unfolds through Nick Carraway’s point of view. Nick moved from Minnesota to a community for the newly wealthy known as the West Egg of Long Island. He graduated from Yale, fought in WWII and wanted to learn the bond business in New York. He is a honest man and has reserved judgment. People easily trust him with their secrets throughout the novel. In the West Egg, Nick befriends his neighbor Jay Gatsby. Gatsby, a man who dedicated his life to becoming wealthy, is well-known in Long Island for the lavish parties he throws in his mansion.
As the relationship between Gatsby and Nick is strengthened, Nick finds out Gatsby is in love with his cousin Daisy. Daisy Buchanan met Gatsby at a training camp in Louisville. They fell in love and she promised to wait for him when he went to war. She eventually gave up on waiting and married a wealthy, arrogant and hypocritical man of the old aristocratic community of Long Island known as the East Egg. I didn’t like him because he tended to not live up to the standards of morality he demanded from others. The moral conflicts are revealed when superficial socialites are caught hiding the pain of infidelity.
Nick is introduced to Daisy’s friend Jordan Baker near the time of his arrival. She is a cynical and self-centered competitive golfer who is eventually set up with Nick. She is beautiful but often bends the truth. Jordan tells Nick about Tom’s affair with a lady named Myrtle. Myrtle Wilson is a curvy woman who lives above her husband’s auto shop in a place referred to as the Valley of Ashes. The place is an important setting because it defines what the American dream is not. The ruin of the community perfectly reveals the false aspects of the American dream. Myrtle is ashamed to live there because Tom is wealthy. She uses the affair to create a classy and sophisticated image that many people of the 1920s longed to reflect. However, nobody buys the disguise. I think the book is a good read because many people can relate to Myrtle when she pretended to be something she is not.
The fast paced style of writing excites the reader and makes you want to flip to the last page to find out how the story turns out. Many can relate to numerous issues the characters face. Nick eventually rekindles the love that Daisy had for Gatsby. This made me extremely happy when I was reading the book. Fitzgerald wrote, “His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning-fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips touch, she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete.” Fitzgerald’s description of their kiss was so intimate and beautiful that it made me wonder if he took this from personal experience. It wasn’t a cheesy love scene we often read in current novels. The phrasing is perfection. I remember reading that part over and over. I’m sure you will too.
As the situations and conversations become more heated, things get complicated. When Tom learns of Gatsby and Daisy, things begin to get messy. I enjoyed reading about the loose atmosphere of Gatsby’s red-carpet-like parties. It was also entertaining to read about the tension between Tom and Daisy at the dinner table. Some of the details I’m not giving away will really catch you off guard. It’s a thrilling adventure. In the end, Nick realizes Gatsby’s dream of Daisy was destroyed by dishonesty and money just like the American dream of individualism and happiness has disintegrated into a pursuit of wealthiness. Nick concludes that Gatsby’s ability to transform his dreams into reality is what makes him “great” and like Gatsby’s dream, the American dream is over. Fitzgerald’s great American classic appeals to anyone with good taste. The upbeat social scene of New York in the 1920s is appealing in itself! I think many can make personal connections with some of the conflicts the characters struggle with throughout this lovely novel. I highly recommend this one. It’s pretty great!
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Lisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0743273567)

03/10/08

Read in February, 2008

recommends it for: Anyone!

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

I first read the Great Gatsby when I was sixteen. Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of unrequited love was enough to set my adolescent pulse racing and send me to the library with the grand ambition of reading everything Fitzgerald ever wrote. A decade later I am even more awed by the book than I was the first time I followed Gatsby’s story through the breathless pages of Fitzgerald’s modernist American classic.
The story takes place over the course of one summer, not coincidentally beginnin...more I first read the Great Gatsby when I was sixteen. Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of unrequited love was enough to set my adolescent pulse racing and send me to the library with the grand ambition of reading everything Fitzgerald ever wrote. A decade later I am even more awed by the book than I was the first time I followed Gatsby’s story through the breathless pages of Fitzgerald’s modernist American classic.
The story takes place over the course of one summer, not coincidentally beginning just before Independence Day. The narrator, Nick, moves to a peninsula out side of the city called West Egg which looks straight across to its physical double, East Egg. Despite the outward similarity of these two locations, the inhabitants of East Egg are from old money while the prosperity of the citizens of West Egg is due to much more recently acquired wealth. The towns are therefore described as, in actuality, bearing a “bizarre and not a little sinister contrast” to one another. This juxtaposition sets up a narrative of the push and pull of opposites: east versus west, new versus old, truth versus illusion.
The two worlds of West Egg and East Egg are brought onto a collision course through Nick who rents the house next door to James Gatsby’s enormous mansion and who happens to be the cousin of Gatsby’s love interest, Daisy, and friend to Daisy’s old moneyed, old fashioned husband, Tom Buchanan. As the summer unfolds, it becomes clear that none of the characters are whom they appear to be, Gatsby is not from a rich family nor is he an alumni of Oxford, as a matter of fact, when he first met and fell in love with Daisy he had almost no money at all. Tom is an outspoken proponent of the traditional family structure while he simultaneously carries on an affair, and Daisy is neither quite as brave nor quite as independent as she would like the world to believe. Even Jordan Baker, Daisy’s friend who has an affair with Nick that summer, is a professional golfer who has been accused of cheating and is described by Nick as “incurably dishonest.” Each character can also be understood to stand for a different arch type within American society, Tom is the wealthy patrician, carrying in his blood and his bearing decades of privilege and position, yet he has recently begun to read pseudo-science books about the impending fall of civilization. In other words, that civilization which has been shaped and protected by men in Tom’s social class is in jeopardy. Daisy is a modern woman, witty and provocative, she has even had sex before her wedding night, but when she announces to Nick that she is sophisticated he feels “the basic sincerity of what she has said.” Flappers of the twenties may have looked and behaved unconventionally, but when it came right down to it, most of them married men liked Tom who could provide them with material security. Jordan is more the truly modern woman, a professional who mostly takes care of herself, but she has achieved this position through various acts of dishonesty. Gatsby, of course, is the self made man, the challenge to the established order of society. It is not Gatsby’s existence that threatens the world of East Egg, America has always boasted of self-made men, it is the fact that he has suddenly come so close. He is just across the bay and his mansion, while gaudy and tasteless, is nevertheless every bit as big as Tom’s. Gatsby is finally in a position to make a claim on Daisy’s love, and therefore on Tom’s social superiority. He is so close to fulfilling the American dream he can almost reach right out and touch it.
Like Fitzgerald himself, Gatsby pursues his dream through the vehicle of fiction. Gatsby invents a new persona for himself in order to enter Daisy’s world; Fitzgerald created windows into the lives of the rich and glamorous and through these stories, became a figure of fame and fortune himself. In the end, Gatsby does not succeed in winning Daisy, but it isn’t really about her, it’s about his dream, his belief in limitless possibilities, that quality of bravery and ingenuity that has come to be known as the American dream. “The orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther...And one fine morning--"...less

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Pete added it (review of isbn 0743273567)

03/10/08

Read in March, 2008

The Great Gatsby is the story of a presidential primary.

—I’m sorry; my notes must be confused here. Ah yes. Let me begin again:

The Great Gatsby is the story of the emptiness of the American Dream. Set in and around New York City in the 1920’s, Gatsby explores the lives of the rich as they pursue fulfillment in an era of booming stock markets, prohibition, bustling crime bosses, and jazz.

Three figures dominate a cast of smaller, if no less compelling, ch...more

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Lacey rated it:

(review of isbn 0743273567)

05/16/08

I told my grandmother about my Great American Novel class and out first book we were going to be reading. “The Great Gatsby?” she replied. “Oh, I remember reading that he wore a white linen suit to impress the woman he loved. It’s a very good book. You’re going to like it.”
Wow, I thought. It must be really good if she remembers what he wore after so many years. ‘It’s a classic’ I’d always heard. Without ever hearing a synopsis or anything about the actual story line, I eag...more I told my grandmother about my Great American Novel class and out first book we were going to be reading. “The Great Gatsby?” she replied. “Oh, I remember reading that he wore a white linen suit to impress the woman he loved. It’s a very good book. You’re going to like it.”
Wow, I thought. It must be really good if she remembers what he wore after so many years. ‘It’s a classic’ I’d always heard. Without ever hearing a synopsis or anything about the actual story line, I eagerly started to read with high expectations. This brilliantly written, wildly interesting story far exceeded my expectations
You can not help but be drawn in by the array of characters. Nick Carraway, the narrator, is telling the story from his point of view. We find out everything when Nick does. Nick is the quiet cousin of Daisy Buchanan. The two live on opposite eggs of New York City: Nick on the “less fashionable” West and Daisy the extravagant East. Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan, a wealthy New Haven alumni with a mistress in the city, Myrtle. Myrtle Wilson’s husband owns an auto garage and that is the scene for a crucial and very interesting part of the novel. Their lives are seemingly great until we get hints that Daisy has a secret of her own. Then the story unfolds into a web of deceit and lies.
Jay Gatsby, also known as “The Great Gatsby”, lives next door to Nick on the West Egg. What is so strange and the is the mystery of the book, is that Gatsby is incredibly wealthy and lives next door to Nick’s eighty dollars per month shack. Of all the wonderful, beautiful houses in the East Egg, Gatsby chooses to build this amazing home on the “poor” egg. How does Gatsby get all the money he has? Many people who come to his extravagant parties don’t even know Gatsby; much less know how he got so wealthy. The large, attention gathering parties Gatsby throws are another mystery. He has them regularly, but nobody knows why. The greatest mystery of all is that of the green light across the Sound behind Nick and Gatsby’s houses. What is it, and why does Gatsby stare at it every night?
Using descriptive words helps the reader get a better picture of what’s going on. F. Scott Fitzgerald brilliantly describes every scene perfectly. For example, “And so it happened that on a warm windy evening I drove over to East Egg to see two old friends whom I hardly know…their house was elaborate, a cheerful red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay.”
Not only do you get a sense of what the house looks like, you also are told what the weather is like. He doesn’t just leave it alone at “one evening” He makes you feel as though you are in that car on that “warm windy evening.” with him. Although, not short and to the point, detail is important. It’s like the A-1 to your T-bone. Sure you could eat the steak alone and it be ok, but the sauce adds flavor. Fitzgerald knows when to stop pouring the A-1. Too much detail can crowd the idea or point being made. He pours just enough to make it delicious and make you want another bite.
Fitzgerald makes the reader feel as if they’re right there standing with Nick in every single conversation and at every party. Personalities can be “judged” by a physical description. Describing Jordan Baker (Daisy’s friend) Fitzgerald captures her personality by merely telling of her physical position. “She was extended full length at her end of the divan, completely motionless, and with her chin raised a little, as if she were balancing something in it which was quite likely to fall.”
Jordan Baker is a little arrogant and thinks she is too good. She must always have her way, especially in a game of golf; a sport she is very good at but she cheats. The way each character is introduced and describes, makes them seem real.
The Great Gatsby is an amazing story with a little mystery and romance. Its style can’t be touched. The Great Gatsby is indeed a classic story and a Great American Novel. Once you think you have the story figured out, it changes and you’re wrong. The book is filled with drama, but not catty, girlie drama. Males as well as females will enjoy this book. Even though through it all, love is a predominant theme in The Great Gatsby. This book is filled with passion, lust, jealousy, overindulgence, deceit, and yes, even a murder or two. With a change of clothes and manner of speaking this story could’ve happened during any time period since this book was written. It is still relevant and imagine it always will be. You will not want to put this book down. It is timeless. I recommend The Great Gatsby to everyone. Whoever reads this book will remember it for the rest of their life. My grandmother is proof of that. It was written in a classic era with classic style, and that is why it will always be remembered as a Great American Novel.
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Alex rated it:

(review of isbn 0743273567)

03/10/08

The Great Gatsby is your neighbor you're best friends with until you find out he's a drug dealer. It charms you with some of the most elegant English prose ever published, making it difficult to discuss the novel without the urge to stammer awestruck about its beauty. It would be evidence enough to argue that F. Scott Fitzgerald was superhuman, if it wasn't for the fact that we know he also wrote This Side of Paradise.

But despite its magic, the rhetoric is just that, and it is a cruel facade...more The Great Gatsby is your neighbor you're best friends with until you find out he's a drug dealer. It charms you with some of the most elegant English prose ever published, making it difficult to discuss the novel without the urge to stammer awestruck about its beauty. It would be evidence enough to argue that F. Scott Fitzgerald was superhuman, if it wasn't for the fact that we know he also wrote This Side of Paradise.

But despite its magic, the rhetoric is just that, and it is a cruel facade. Behind the stunning glitter lies a story with all the discontent and intensity of the early Metallica albums. At its heart, The Great Gatsby throws the very nature of our desires into a harsh, shocking light. There may never be a character who so epitomizes tragically misplaced devotion as Jay Gatsby, and Daisy, his devotee, plays her part with perfect, innocent malevolence. Gatsby's competition, Tom Buchanan, stands aside watching, taunting and provoking with piercing vocal jabs and the constant boast of his enviable physique. The three jostle for position in an epic love triangle that lays waste to countless innocent victims, as well as both Eggs of Long Island. Every jab, hook, and uppercut is relayed by the instantly likable narrator Nick Carraway, seemingly the only voice of reason amongst all the chaos. But when those boats are finally borne back ceaselessly by the current, no one is left afloat. It is an ethical massacre, and Fitzgerald spares no lives; there is perhaps not a single character of any significance worthy even of a Sportsmanship Award from the Boys and Girls Club.

In a word, The Great Gatsby is about deception; Fitzgerald tints our glasses rosy with gorgeous prose and a narrator you want so much to trust, but leaves the lenses just translucent enough for us to see that Gatsby is getting the same treatment. And if Gatsby represents the truth of the American Dream, it means trouble for us all. Consider it the most pleasant insult you'll ever receive....less

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Catie rated it:

(review of isbn 0743273567)

05/08/08

Read in January, 2008

recommended to Catie by: Mr. Barwick
recommends it for: Anyone

Catie Mae Heenan
05-09-08
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is one of the best books I have ever read. It is full of twists and continuous drama. The Great Gatsby illustrates the lavish life of upper class living in Long Island during the 1920’s. It is the story of a man named Jay Gatsby who appears to have everything, but not the things he really desires. The only thing he truly wants is Daisy Buchanan; he will do anything it takes to make Daisy his.
The narra...more Catie Mae Heenan
05-09-08
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is one of the best books I have ever read. It is full of twists and continuous drama. The Great Gatsby illustrates the lavish life of upper class living in Long Island during the 1920’s. It is the story of a man named Jay Gatsby who appears to have everything, but not the things he really desires. The only thing he truly wants is Daisy Buchanan; he will do anything it takes to make Daisy his.
The narrator, Nick Carraway, is the first character we meet. He is a smart, single man who graduated from New Haven and now works in bonds. In the first chapter Tom and Daisy Buchanan are also introduced, as well as Daisy’s close friend, Jordan Baker. Tom and Daisy are a dysfunctional married couple. Tom is having an affair with a lady named Myrtle. Myrtle is the opposite of everything that is Daisy. Daisy is aware of the affair and does not do anything to prevent it. Jordan Baker is a famous golf player who has won many championships, but later in the book she is exposed as a liar and cheater. Nick and Jordan start a flirtation later in the story, but it never really blossoms into anything. At the very end of chapter one Nick sees his neighbor, Gatsby, reaching out towards a green light. “Involuntarily I glanced seaward- and distinguished nothing, but a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of the dock. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness.” Once a reader finishes this novel, the symbolism of this quote becomes quite clear.
Gatsby has a huge mansion where he throws massive and obnoxious parties every weekend. He does this mostly to get Daisy’s attention and favor, because there is a history between Daisy and Gatsby. At one time Daisy and Gatsby were sweethearts. It was when they were young, and then Gatsby was called to war. Daisy waited as long as she could, but when Gatsby had to go to Oxford, she did not understand, so Daisy being Daisy, married Tom. No one, including Tom and Nick, knew anything about this past romance until it was later revealed. Gatsby invites Nick to one of his parties; Nick accepts his invitation not knowing anything about him. At the party Nick coincidently sees Jordan again, and the flirtation begins. While the party is in full swing, Gatsby tells Jordan the whole story of him and Daisy; he is still in love with her and will need Nick’s help to reunite them. Nick does not hear about this conversation until later in the story. When he does, he arranges a tea at his house for Daisy and Gatsby to meet again.
Gatsby and Daisy secretly start their relationship again which sets in motion a new romance. As this new affair develops, Tom and Myrtle continue with theirs. Nick and Jordan start seeing more of each other, but he doesn’t really know how honest of a person Jordan is or how honest anyone is, for that matter. “Everyone suspects themselves of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.” The parts of the plot I can reveal without ruining the end--Tom finds out about Daisy and Gatsby and he discovers, through Myrtle’s husband, George Wilson, that Myrtle wants to move West. Both of these facts make Tom very angry and distraught. George has also suspected Tom and Myrtle of having an affair, and as a result he locks Myrtle in a room. Myrtle escapes to go get help; this is where all the trouble really starts to unfold.
The style of writing F. Scott Fitzgerald uses in The Great Gatsby is very casual and easy to read. It is told in the first person; Nick Carraway is the narrator throughout the whole book. The Great Gatsby is set in Long Island in the 1920’s, mostly on the two egg shaped islands. The East Egg represents the upper class and the West Egg represents the lower class. I enjoyed the detail of the book and how Fitzgerald told his story; it was easy to follow and very interesting to read. The novel never dragged. I think is a credit to Fitzgerald and his book, The Great Gatsby.
F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in 1896 in Minnesota and died in 1940 at the age of 44. He married a woman named Zelda Sayre. It is a popular theory that the character of Daisy is based upon Zelda. The couple remained married until his death, though he was rumored to be an alcoholic and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He wrote many other popular books including The Beautiful and the Damned and Tender is the Night. I think it’s safe to say The Great Gatsby is his most popular work. Not many authors can say they have written a great American novel, but I think this is something Fitzgerald has achieved brilliantly.
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Emily added it (review of isbn 0743273567)

05/08/08

Read in January, 2008

The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Review by Emily Alston

Today’s society may be the result of society in the 1920s. In the 1920s the American Dream was born and money was becoming a status symbol. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald does a wonderful job portraying the very different lifestyles and values among people in the 1920s. The Great Gatsby is a story about how hard it is for people to forget the past and move toward the future. At the end of the book the theme begins to t...more The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Review by Emily Alston

Today’s society may be the result of society in the 1920s. In the 1920s the American Dream was born and money was becoming a status symbol. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald does a wonderful job portraying the very different lifestyles and values among people in the 1920s. The Great Gatsby is a story about how hard it is for people to forget the past and move toward the future. At the end of the book the theme begins to tie characters together and answer questions that readers will have about previous events. Nick Carroway, a bondsman in New York, narrates the story. Nick Carroway introduces the readers to the rich and middle class lifestyles of New Yorkers during the 1920s. While narrating Nick helps the readers understand the values of the characters and how past events cause the characters to act the way they do.
The narration of the story paints a wonderful picture of each scene and makes me feel like I know the characters on a personal level. By the end of The Great Gatsby I felt like each character was a part of my life. When the characters in the book mourned I found myself mourning, when the characters in the book longed for something I wanted the same achievement, and when the characters were smiling I often found myself smiling. While Nick explains the lifestyles of each character a love story also unfolds giving readers a chance to learn more about the characters.
The Great Gatsby is set in New York and Long Island. In the beginning of the story, the readers are introduced to the narrator Nick Carroway. Early in the book Nick becomes interested in the mysterious life of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. The first time Nick sees Gatsby is Gatsby is reaching for a green light across the water. Nick knows this mysterious neighbor throws elaborate parties in which many society people attend. Nick is invited to one of Gatsby’s parties by an invitation delivered to him by Gatsby’s chauffer.
At the party Nick does not realize he is talking to Gatsby until Gatsby reveals his identity. In the midst of the conversation Nick finds out that Gatsby had an affair Nick’s cousin, Daisy, right before the war. While Gatsby is away at college Daisy marries Tom Buchanan because he is a very wealthy man and Gatsby had no money at that time. Gatsby tells Nick how the event hurt him and that he is still in love with Daisy. Gatsby devises a plan that will to reunite Gatsby with Daisy. Nick tries to discourage the plan by telling Gatsby, “You can’t repeat the past.”
Nick reunites Daisy and Gatsby. Daisy learns of Gatsby’s wealth and finds herself falling for Gatsby again. Eventually Gatsby tries to convince Daisy to leave Tom but Daisy’s love for Tom only makes the situation more complicated. Tom, Daisy’s husband, also has a mistress named Myrtle, who he goes to New York to visit frequently. Myrtle, like Gatsby is very wealthy and changes clothes frequently throughout the book, which reveals her status.
Social and money status of every character is revealed in the book and often play a role in the decisions the characters make. Nick eventually learns the true background of Gatsby and the unanswered questions Nick has about Gatsby are answered. As the novel closes the characters begin tying together in many ways. The book ends with Nick saying, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” The quote sums up the theme of the book, how past dreams affect the future. The theme shows the readers that past dreams not fulfilled may return in the future. The theme is not meant to teach the reader a lesson but to let the reader read the novel and see how past events result in some of the happenings of the story.
The author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, lived his life partying and spending money. Learning about the author leads me to believe that Fitzgerald created a character like Gatsby to portray himself through. Gatsby is like Fitzgerald in many ways. I believe that Gatsby was a way for Fitzgerald to say things that he always wanted to say.
Readers can relate to this story today because the same events that take place in the story are likely to take place in the lives of many people today. I believe that some people will read this story and see themselves in the characters. There is a time in everyone’s life that ‘What If..” thoughts take place; this story is a great example of just that, wanting to find out what if I had done things differently. If you want to find out what happens to each character and how the love affairs are solved, I encourage you to read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
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Matt rated it:

(review of isbn 0743273567)

03/05/08

Read in June, 2007

recommends it for: Everyone

Perfection is a suitable word to describe ‘The Great Gatsby’ by Fitzgerald. If this goodreads contest had a one word limit reviewers might say: astonishing, enchanting, genius, beautiful, memorable, timeless, and so forth. Basically reviewers would use terms with extremely positive connotations.
Thankfully for the reviewers and readers our word limit is 750, a brief but adequate amount.
Narration is one element Fitzgerald used to make this book so engaging. Nick Carraway, the narrator, ...more Perfection is a suitable word to describe ‘The Great Gatsby’ by Fitzgerald. If this goodreads contest had a one word limit reviewers might say: astonishing, enchanting, genius, beautiful, memorable, timeless, and so forth. Basically reviewers would use terms with extremely positive connotations.
Thankfully for the reviewers and readers our word limit is 750, a brief but adequate amount.
Narration is one element Fitzgerald used to make this book so engaging. Nick Carraway, the narrator, arrives at West Egg New York from the Midwest. Early in the story the reader realizes that Carraway is reflecting back on something life changing that he will tell. First person can relay a story intimately, and the reader can feel directly in tune with the narrator’s thoughts.
With Carraway as the outsider looking in he introduces a whole set of characters: the Buchanans, Jay Gatsby, Gatsby’s mistress, a gas attendant, party flappers, gangsters and so on. All of the characters are described with precision. Fitzgerald like no one else can introduce a character and bring him or her to life through description, dialogue, opinions, and perfect word choices.
Now, here is the basic story outline. Nick Carraway looks back on his time with Gatsby. Carraway moved to small rental house next to Gatsby’s mansion. Carraway’s relative was Daisy Buchanan who lived in East Egg across the river. So Carraway’s social set was through Daisy and her brutish husband Tom. The story evolves and Carraway is invited to his neighbor’s party with others to follow. At these parties Gatsby created a mystique, because no one really knew him, but rumors were rampant. After awhile Carraway was summoned by Gatsby and became a confidant. Gatsby told of his Oxford days which he exaggerated, and soon expressed his passion for Daisy, an ex-girlfriend. Carraway becomes a go between for Gatsby and Daisy and soon becomes entangled in their situation. Toward the end in the hotel room scene the problem resolves and Daisy returns to her husband. Gatsby’s mistress gets run over and in a misunderstanding Gatsby gets murdered. Carraway arranges the sparsely arranged funeral, learns of his hatred for people like the Buchanans, and the novel ends.
This plot line unravels slowly chapter by chapter in this short American classic. Mysteries develop that pull the reader through the text. Almost every character Carraway encounters needs to be figured out. Three mysteries resolve around Gatsby. Who is he? How did he become rich and was it through illegal means? Lastly, what is his puppy dog infatuation with Daisy Buchanan? These mysteries and other questions all get resolved at the conclusion, giving the reader a very fulfilling feeling after the turn of the last page.
No book review of ‘The Great Gatsby’ can neglect to mention the theme of money. Nick Carraway, on the first page states his background from a well off family. Tom and Daisy are in the same boat with money passed down through generations. Gatsby fabricated his upbringing of inherited wealth when he had humble origins. The old time money in this story lived in East Egg, while the new money lived in West Egg. Gatsby yearned for and created his wealth solely to impress Daisy. But he did it the wrong way with gaudy parties that were attended by people with lower status. When Daisy finally attends a party, she does not care for it. Rich versus poor is also a theme, illustrated masterfully by the gas attendant and his financial woes with his unfaithful wife who he loved dearly. Near the end Carraway told Gatsby. ‘They're a rotten crowd.’…”Your worth the whole bunch put together.’ This shows the impact Gatsby had on the narrator in concern with society and money.
Perfection is the one word I chose to describe ‘The Great Gatsby’ and this is why; a definition of fine literature is the complete understanding of the human condition. This classic displays humanity vividly. The emotions of the characters are universal. Gatsby’s mansion, his car, the roaring twenties, and the extravagance are all the backdrop, or setting. But the drama, life changes, and interactions all adults can relate to. As the narrator, people go through life figuring out mysteries, and forming mottos to live by.
Fitzgerald wrote this and three other gems of novels along with his numerous short stories. One has to wonder if he lived until old age what he would have produced. For one thing, if he had more longevity, Hemingway would have nothing on him.

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Jonah rated it:

(review of isbn 0743273567)

03/07/08

A teacher once explained to me: “Lots of us have read Gatsby, but we should remember that there are some people out there who haven't had the advantages of reading it.”

I’ve always remembered that, because it’s true. Some people out there can not recall a single memory from any of the book’s scenes: the billboard eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, the view of Gatsby’s house across the way and his view of Daisy’s green light over the water, or even the bookcover’s multilayered im...more

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Shannon rated it:

(review of isbn 0743273567)

05/08/08

Read in January, 2008

recommended to Shannon by: Chad
recommends it for: Teenagers and up

Do you crave drama and soap operas? Does your mouth water over the gossip of your boss’s new girlfriend or your worst enemy’s prom date? Do you attend group meetings of “Daytimes TV’s Anonymous?” If you answered two of the following question with “yes” (I hope you don’t attend DTVA) then you’ll probably enjoy F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby. You might think “oh no, it’s one of those really boring books English teachers force their students to read”, but to your ...more Do you crave drama and soap operas? Does your mouth water over the gossip of your boss’s new girlfriend or your worst enemy’s prom date? Do you attend group meetings of “Daytimes TV’s Anonymous?” If you answered two of the following question with “yes” (I hope you don’t attend DTVA) then you’ll probably enjoy F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby. You might think “oh no, it’s one of those really boring books English teachers force their students to read”, but to your dismay your theory is incorrect. This story involves infidelity, lavish parties, and long lost lovers (all in that order). So, if any of this sounds remotely interesting to you, please read on.
The story is told from Nick, a modest humble man who observes the story in a non discreet manner. Nick, who has just recently moved to the West Egg in Long Island, visits his distant cousin, Daisy, and her husband, Tom, in the prestigious East Egg. While at dinner, Tom excuses himself to tend to a phone call. While he’s away, Daisy openly admits that he’s having an affair and his mistress is currently on the phone. A few days later, Tom takes Nick to Manhattan to meet his mistress, Myrtle. There, he observes an intimate, informal get- together in Tom and Myrtle’s apartment.
To complicate the story more, a gentleman who goes by the name “Gatsby” lives next door to Nick. Gatsby is notorious for his lavish, grand parties and carefree personality. As time proceeds, Nick and Gatsby become well acquainted with one another. Gatsby eventually admits to Nick that he dated Daisy about five years back and is still deeply, irrevocably in love with her. He then asks Nick to entertain both of them at his house, so that they can become “reacquainted.” Nick agrees to this and Daisy comes over. As the night proceeds, Daisy is charmed by Gatsby’s personality and the night ends with three people relocating over to his house. Eventually Tom learns of Gatsby and things start to get messy.
I don’t want to spoil the ending for you, but I do wish to comment on the style of writing in which Fitzgerald wrote the book. The book was written in a prose that was simple enough so a non-intellectual average individual could comprehend it . Yet, Fitzgerald’s descriptions of some events are so deep and personal, that you must have actually believed he was the Great Gatsby himself. One event that really remained prominent in my head was the description of Daisy and Gatsby’s first kiss. “His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl. And forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning-fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed for him like a flower and the incarnation was complete.”
Another aspect that made this book a good read was the urban setting in which the story took place. It was entertaining to read Nick’s detailed descriptions from Gatsby’s gigantic parties to the intensity of Tom and Daisy’s dinner table. The best setting description was Nick and Tom’s train trip to Manhattan. Nick described how ashy the land appeared and the bleakness the communities seemed to exhibit. One important factor that really played a vital role in this particular setting was a billboard with an advertisement for an eye doctor. He described the billboard as having two green eyes watching the whole city. Later on you learn that this foreshadows the atmosphere for the remainder of the book.
A final asset I would take pleasure into complementing Fitzgerald is his distinct capacity to maintain a constant beat to the events in the book. You probably are wondering what on earth I am talking about, so let me explain. At the beginning of the book, Nick is giving background details of his life. Then, he goes on to explain the dinner at Tom and Daisy’s house. As events lead to events, the reader can feel Fitzgerald building the story up to its climax. Once the climax hits, Fitzgerald calms the story down with a monotonous sense of a cool and calm intensity. This, my dear friend, is the ultimate, unique beauty of Fitzgerald’s diction. In all honesty, if you are in absolute need of a “good beach book” this summer, I highly recommend this one. You won’t be sorry.
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Sara rated it:

(review of isbn 0743273567)

05/16/08

Read in January, 2008

recommended to Sara by: Barwick made me read it
recommends it for: Everybody

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby is an exceptional book to read, and I think a great candidate to be called a Great American Novel; drama, scandal, mystery and lost loves reunited, is only part of the criteria needed in order to be called a Great American Novel. Two other parts of this criterion is needed to be filled in order to be called a Great American Novel, and that is The American Dream needs to be completed with happiness and whether or not the story could be moved from the ...more F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby is an exceptional book to read, and I think a great candidate to be called a Great American Novel; drama, scandal, mystery and lost loves reunited, is only part of the criteria needed in order to be called a Great American Novel. Two other parts of this criterion is needed to be filled in order to be called a Great American Novel, and that is The American Dream needs to be completed with happiness and whether or not the story could be moved from the original place (time wise) and be put into other era. The American Dream is the main focus of the book The Great Gatsby; the thought of when people come to America, they believe that the American Dream is to get rich and be better off in a new country than what they were when they lived in another country. The idea seems to be mandatory to have, in order to be happy and survive in America, this world.
The writing in the book The Great Gatsby would be that of a hopeful man, the narrator Nick Caraway, who is surrounded by the rich people of East Egg Island where the American Dream seems to prevail on the Island. Underneath all the glamour and façade, the people of East Egg are just unhappy and feel as if they are missing something in their lives, even though they have money, and that is all they thought they would need to obtain the American Dream, money, and nothing else that would make them happy and with their life. Comparing the East Eggers to the West Eggers would be like comparing two things that do not go together at all; the West Egg people seem to be happy with what they have and that happiness is exactly what the rich East Eggers want to obtain, but do not know that it is missing from their lives. They can not ever have that happiness because they are so caught up with becoming rich and better off than most people that they do not even stop to look and see what they are missing out on in their lives.
What is the American Dream you say? The American Dream is based on the idea that if you come to America poor, and build yourself up in this country, with no money to your name, and you become successful in what you do in your life, then you have obtained the American Dream that everyone was perceiving to get in the first place. The American Dream that everyone TRULY wants is the one that lets you have your money, but also allows you to be happy and not be selfish in your well off situation.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing style of this Great American Novel, The Great Gatsby puts the reader inside of the book’s scandalous lifestyle of the rich East Eggers and shows that the American Dream is not always as it is cracked up to be.
I believe that the book The Great Gatsby is a great book to read because of the fact that it shows a different side to the American Dream, that it is not all about the money and the power that you hold with your money. If you have the money but you do not have the happiness that the people who do not have the money, than you are missing something great in your life, happiness.
I believe that the book The Great Gatsby is a superb novel that was written really well and provides excitement, mystery and scandal all in one story. I do not believe that there is another book exactly like, or comes remotely close to The Great Gatsby’s story line that I know about so far. F. Scott Fitzgerald did an amazing job creating a story that you yourself feel connected with, and that you actually believe that you are in the story with Nick, feeling his happiness and also his sadness. If you can put yourself inside a story then the Great American Novel title is needed for the book; also if you could put the story line into another place and time. Let’s say for instance, that we took the book The Great Gatsby and put it in the time of the 1970s, do you think it would work out and fit into the time? I believe that it could be happened, and that is what a Great American Novel needs to be tested for, because without the testing then how would we know if it was great?
The book The Great Gatsby is a phenomenal book to read and I would recommend people who have not read the book to read it and see if they truly like it and would think if they would remember reading that book at least twenty years from now, to test to see if it was a book of brilliance, to be remembered by.

I love Barwick. And I will miss him next year in track and as a teacher!...less

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Dessy rated it:

(review of isbn 0743273567)

05/07/08

bookshelves: favorite-books

Read in January, 2008

recommended to Dessy by: Barwick class assignment

Scott Fitzgerald has a way with words when describing scenes. He uses enough descriptions to get the implied meaning across to the reader without directly spelling it out. In the time period that the Great Gatsby is set there were clear divisions of the upper and lower economic classes. So everyone who was not wealthy wanted to be like the upper class because they were seen as living the American Dream. Yet Fitzgerald was able to show his readers that everything was not prefect in the life of hi...more