Renee
Renee asked:

I just started reading The Beautiful and Damned. I really enjoyed the Great Gatsby. I'm not understanding this one line from the book. It's on the first page: " two years were already gone since irony, the Holy Ghost of this later day..." What is irony? What does "the Holy Ghost of this later day" mean? Thank you so much!

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Gilbert Pilz People used to think of the Holy Ghost as inhabiting nearly everything. It's presence was everywhere and it was moving everything around from within. "The Holy Ghost of this later day ..." is saying that this sense of the Holy Ghost has been replaced by the presence of irony; irony is now controlling everything.
Ron Humble A simple way of putting it is that irony usually signals a difference between the appearance of things and reality. In this case irony replaces God for Anthony in 1913 when he was 25.
Jess Dunphy Totally agree.. I have to confess to reading one page and closing my kindle. I was put off! Should I persevere?
Neal Syrette Prophetic vision.

The sudden realization of what is to come...

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