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Robin's Reviews > The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This was a bookclub read that I've not read for many many years. It was of course assigned reading in both high school and college. I remember pouring over all the various aspects of this book and picking it a part like disecting a frog.
Now that I'm older....much older. This reading broght a whole new light on this book for me. And I'm sorry to say....I think this book is HIGHLY overrated.
This book was never a sucess (either critically or via sales) when it was released and I think that it actually is far from "The Great American Novel". I think this is a case where years of "reading into" this book has made it seem more than it is.
I HATED the book discussion (and kept silent through most of it) while I listened to a few pretencious people spout verbatium the various things I learned when "studying" the book. Trying to sound knowledgable on what Fitzgerald meant by this or that or the other thing.
The bottom line....Fitzgerald is dead and I've not found credible sources from HIM as to what he meant. So I'm left with analyzing this book with my own intellect and now that I'm old enough "to think for myself" and not concerned about the grade I will receive I find this book "coming up short".
Now that I'm older....much older. This reading broght a whole new light on this book for me. And I'm sorry to say....I think this book is HIGHLY overrated.
This book was never a sucess (either critically or via sales) when it was released and I think that it actually is far from "The Great American Novel". I think this is a case where years of "reading into" this book has made it seem more than it is.
I HATED the book discussion (and kept silent through most of it) while I listened to a few pretencious people spout verbatium the various things I learned when "studying" the book. Trying to sound knowledgable on what Fitzgerald meant by this or that or the other thing.
The bottom line....Fitzgerald is dead and I've not found credible sources from HIM as to what he meant. So I'm left with analyzing this book with my own intellect and now that I'm old enough "to think for myself" and not concerned about the grade I will receive I find this book "coming up short".
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| 02/03/2016 | marked as: | read | ||
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Sandi
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rated it 4 stars
Feb 16, 2009 06:02PM
I think I tried to read this about 20-25 years ago when I was on a quest to read great books that I had never read and felt were lacking in my education. I don't think I made it very far through this one.
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While I can appreciate your dislike for the book, I have to say that I still love it to pieces. I think I may just love Fitzgerald's language. There are so many lines that were just beautiful to me through out the book - and that is without reading into the color meanings or his subtle "cleverness" etc. It just keeps me fascinated every time that I read it.
I really need to read this book... and I really really don't want to...
Don't read it if you don't want to, unless it's for an assignment or something. I'm at a loss for all the clever symbolism in this book, but I loved the book. Great American Novel is an overstatement but I loved the beauty of FSF prose.
Even though I think it's an excellent book, I think it's really cool that your views on the book have changed as you have aged. Care to elaborate on why (not too many details please hehe) ?
I am late to this discussion. Since I did not grow up in the United States, and missed reading the great American Novels in high school, I just recently read it. It came about by a conversation with a person who is well read. When I mentioned to him that Jacques Barzun thinks that Moby Dick is the greatest American Novel, he answered that there are many who think it is The Great Gatsby. These two books are difficult to compare as they are so different. I agree with Callie's comment, that the Fitzgerald's language is great. The images he creates in the minds eye are lasting. As to the story, it is just a reflection of the Roaring 20's.
regarding "pretencious," I believe you meant "pretentious." Correct spelling of very common words will add a bit more credibility to what you write and post in Goodreads.
F 25x33 Virginia Bucci I wonder why you thought so. You don't really say, other than to claim that is hardly a 'great American novel' & failed to reach you even upon re-reading.Let me try to convince you.
What I love about this novel is that it juxtaposes a straight-arrow
plot [character sketches of self-absorbed folks.from both sides of tthe iclass-fence who inevitably collide--crash, dénouement]
witha remote, airy narrative voice [Nick's]: his lyric. Is neutral yet poetic, & he gives us all his observations-- in an attempt to portray these difficukt & complex characters in the round-- tho he occasionally, back to the wall [as w/ Jordan, whom he lves- but he observes how when push comes to shove, she backs Tom/.,Daddy's convenient lie re: the facts of the car accident],-- neverthesless he gives the benefit of the doubt to Gatsy, understanding him as an arriviste outsider w/ a delusional blind spot for Daosy.
Most important-- as a 'Great American Novel-- Fitzgerald captures, presciently in 1925, the crazy speculative economic bubble that was in the making-- depicting it as Gatsby the arriviste's over-the-top castle/ house parties capturing hundeds of guests..."" weekly--.suddenly deflating to a nearly-deserted home populated w/ shady-mobster-type servants (when his bond-theft scheme went sour)-- to his death at the hand of a jealous working."-claass peon whom not Gatsby, but an upper-class neighbor had swindled-- all reflecting metaphorically what would happen a few yrs hence on a national scale... (less)
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