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Miranda Reads's Reviews > The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
by
by
2.5 Stars
1) Always google who you are going to fall in love with.
He's also in love, with one Daisy Buchanan...who's already married to one, surly, cheating and backstabbing man.
Our narrator has front row seats to all the glitz, the glam and the gore that circles around Jay Gatsby's chaotic life. (Cause, whenever you throw that much money at something, you better be prepared for something to be thrown back.)
Overall, I liked this one better the second time around. I'm a bit more familiar with the story, and I have more of a feel for the way Fitzgerald writes.
I really enjoy the character of Gatsby this time around and love Daisy a little bit less.
The one thing I disliked in round 1 (and have disliked every time I go through this novel) is the language. It just seems...SO over-the-top and flowery.
It really just takes forever to say anything in this book. Like this:
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1) Always google who you are going to fall in love with.
Reserving judgments is a matter of infinite hope.2) For the love of God, make a 401K
They had spent a year in France for no particular reason, and then drifted here and there unrestfully wherever people played polo and were rich together.3) Never swallow a thesaurus.
I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.Jay Gatsby is rich - the kind of exorbitant rich that other rich people like to hang out with him, just so they can bask in his richness.
He's also in love, with one Daisy Buchanan...who's already married to one, surly, cheating and backstabbing man.
Our narrator has front row seats to all the glitz, the glam and the gore that circles around Jay Gatsby's chaotic life. (Cause, whenever you throw that much money at something, you better be prepared for something to be thrown back.)
Overall, I liked this one better the second time around. I'm a bit more familiar with the story, and I have more of a feel for the way Fitzgerald writes.
I really enjoy the character of Gatsby this time around and love Daisy a little bit less.
The one thing I disliked in round 1 (and have disliked every time I go through this novel) is the language. It just seems...SO over-the-top and flowery.
It really just takes forever to say anything in this book. Like this:
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.and this:
It was the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again.AND THIS:
Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men.Ultimately, this one was not the one for me. Maybe I'll give it another shot in a couple of years...
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Reading Progress
June 12, 2018
– Shelved
September 21, 2018
–
Started Reading
September 24, 2018
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 66 (66 new)
message 1:
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Diane
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Nov 08, 2018 03:56AM
Good review, Miranda!
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Great review, Miranda! Gatsby was never my cup of tea either;o)
Diane wrote: "Good review, Miranda!"Thank you!!
J.K. wrote: "Great review, Miranda! Gatsby was never my cup of tea either;o)"Totally agree - I just don't get how SO many people love it.
I liked it, but didn't love it. Same for Tender Is the Night. I did really like The Beautiful and the Damned however. Which reminds me I need to read his first book, This Side of Paradise, since he only completed fourth novels and I still didn't read that one. Maybe another one would work better for you.
Couldn't get into the book but I loved the movie!
2 stars are you serious? why didn't you like this? I thought it was great.
That book is certainly not for everybody! And yes, maybe try it again later. Opinions change over time :)P.S.:Your three bullet points made me laugh.
Catherine wrote: "I liked it, but didn't love it. Same for Tender Is the Night. I did really like The Beautiful and the Damned however. Which reminds me I need to read his first book, This Side of Paradise, since he..."i keep forgetting that he wrote other novels. Perhaps one of those would work better :)
India wrote: "Couldn't get into the book but I loved the movie!"Haven't seen the movie... now i think i have to :)
April wrote: "2 stars are you serious? why didn't you like this? I thought it was great."It's a combo of things - the language, the characters, i just couldn't connect to the story. Wasn't my fave... though this round is considerably better than the previous.
First time through, i hated every word of it. Now it's more like, ehhhh, not for me
Miri ♪ Book Dragoness ♪ wrote: "That book is certainly not for everybody! And yes, maybe try it again later. Opinions change over time :)P.S.:Your three bullet points made me laugh."
True - round 1, absolutely hated the novel. Round 2, wasn't terrible. Who knows? Maybe round 3 I'll like it? :p
Also, glad you liked the bullets :p
es calidad
Miranda wrote: "Catherine wrote: "I liked it, but didn't love it. Same for Tender Is the Night. I did really like The Beautiful and the Damned however. Which reminds me I need to read his first book, This Side of ..."It's true that The Great Gatsby is his most famous novel. It bothers me when a classic gets so much hype that the authors' others books are forgotten. It's unfortunately the case for many authors... Oh, I'm not saying this to blame you, not at all! I blame this general tendency which is the reason why you and others forget those authors wrote others novels.
Maybe another one of his books would work better for you, yes. I gave three stars to this one and to Tender Is the Night because like I said, I liked it but it wasn't great either for me; however I love The Beautiful and the Damned - it's not one of my favorite books so I gave it "only" four stars instead of five, but I love it. I would be curious to know how you would feel about it, because I have absolutely no idea. If you decide to read it one day and to write a one star review because unlike me you hate it, just make me laugh like you did with so many of your reviews! ;)
The movie most people talk about is probably the most recent adaptation (with DiCaprio), but there are four or five movies adapted from this book. I didn't like this movie more than the book, though. The only reason I watched it was because so many people praised it.
I feel you that this is one of the lesser “classics”. I read it in high school. Hated it (same things you pointed out. Daisy is an airhead and there is SO much purple prose). Fast forward, I’m student teaching. I had like 2 weeks left. I was supposed to do book clubs. It got changed last minute and I got assigned this instead. I almost wept. I read it again with my class and it wasn’t as bad as I remember, although the same issues were irritating. I really dislike Fitzgerald as a human being, though. I can admit he has a talent for writing objectively. But he was kind of a shitty person and this gets a LOT of praise.
I remember this only being an average quick read for me in hs and then being shocked when it was the class favorite for the semester... then we watched the ‘74 film with Robert Redford and I started to like it but got super pissed all over again at the end. 😂 I think if I watched the new film I might end up in a Titanic déjà vu crying “Jack, come back!” 😭
"Always google who you are going to fall in love with."Literally laughed out loud at this. Great, entertaining review!
Sacrilege! My favorite classic. But your review made me laugh :)
Ahhahah Miranda this is one of my favorite books ever but your review was fun and brilliant as always. Let's agree to disagree, and agree that you write the best roasts!
Valery Esmeralda Marbella Figueroa Gonzáles wrote: "es calidad"Gracias
Catherine wrote: "Miranda wrote: "Catherine wrote: "I liked it, but didn't love it. Same for Tender Is the Night. I did really like The Beautiful and the Damned however. Which reminds me I need to read his first boo..."Who's. Didn't know there were more than once movie for the book. Learning a lot today.
If i ever get to more Fitzgerald novels, I'll be sure to let you know! i do love the title, The Beautiful and The Damned - fingers crossed that i like it!!
Whitney wrote: "I feel you that this is one of the lesser “classics”. I read it in high school. Hated it (same things you pointed out. Daisy is an airhead and there is SO much purple prose). Fast forward, I’m stud..."Sometimes, i really wonder what makes some novels stick around aa classics and others fade into obscurity.
How did your class react? Did they enjoy it?
✩ Ashley ✩ wrote: "I remember this only being an average quick read for me in hs and then being shocked when it was the class favorite for the semester... then we watched the ‘74 film with Robert Redford and I starte..."LOL - if you ever see the latest film, be sure to let me know how you feel about the ending then :p
Scot wrote: ""Always google who you are going to fall in love with."Literally laughed out loud at this. Great, entertaining review!"
Haha - glad you liked it :)
Evers☯n wrote: "This is a god review of a book I will never read. Humm, now that I think about it, I've never read anything by Fitzgerald. And somehow I've managed to miss out on all of the movies made from this b..."You're welcome :)
Felicia wrote: "Ugh I feel your pain on this one"Woohoo! Not alone!
Leslie wrote: "Sacrilege! My favorite classic. But your review made me laugh :)"Sorry! Maybe I'll like it more the next round...?
Beatrice wrote: "Ahhahah Miranda this is one of my favorite books ever but your review was fun and brilliant as always. Let's agree to disagree, and agree that you write the best roasts!"I can agree to that :p
The dreaded days of growing and padding words and phrases beyond the straight-forward have thankfully scattered like foul dust in a pungent summer breeze. LOL!!! I attempted to comment in my flowery Fitzgerald imitation!!! GREAT review as always, Miranda!!!
Terrific critique, Miranda!
I had to read that in school, hated it. didn't like the movie cuz it was boring
Julia wrote: "The dreaded days of growing and padding words and phrases beyond the straight-forward have thankfully scattered like foul dust in a pungent summer breeze. LOL!!! I attempted to comment in my flower..."I absolutely adored your loquacious and verbose response :)
Paula wrote: "Terrific critique, Miranda!"Thank you!!
Amber wrote: "I had to read that in school, hated it. didn't like the movie cuz it was boring"Yikes - guess we are all on the same page :p
Miranda wrote: "Julia wrote: "The dreaded days of growing and padding words and phrases beyond the straight-forward have thankfully scattered like foul dust in a pungent summer breeze. LOL!!! I attempted to commen..."Haha!!! I thought you might ;)
I did like this classic and it's a favorite. But not everyone likes them and they are hit and miss. I think I just liked reading about that era.
That sort of flowery prose seems to have been extremely popular at the time of the writing. It drives me nuts.
YASSS Someone agrees with me! I stopped half way cause it got reeeaaallly boring but my parents and teachers say it's a classic blah blah blah
Brandi wrote: "I did like this classic and it's a favorite. But not everyone likes them and they are hit and miss. I think I just liked reading about that era."Any other suggestions for books in this era then?
Lizzy (Bent Bookworm) wrote: "That sort of flowery prose seems to have been extremely popular at the time of the writing. It drives me nuts."I know, right? It's like.... just get to the point already!
MichelleLovesBooks wrote: "YASSS Someone agrees with me! I stopped half way cause it got reeeaaallly boring but my parents and teachers say it's a classic blah blah blah"Yeahhhhhh.... definitely not for me
Lucifer wrote: "i love that book!!"Glad you like it :)
NICHOLAS wrote: "hey"Hi
Sorry it wasn't for you. I loved it so much. But I hated most of the characters.
Really? I was kinda looking forward to read this book someday.
Aqsa wrote: "Sorry it wasn't for you. I loved it so much. But I hated most of the characters."If you hated most of the characters, what drew you to it?
Shannon wrote: "Really? I was kinda looking forward to read this book someday."I say, definitely give it a shot. Just cause I wasn't fan doesn't mean you wouldn't be!
