Great Gatsby Buddy Read

[Jojo]

This is the buddy read for The Great Gatsby.

I'm going to say start date is 8th April, if anyone else wants to join in the discussion...feel free!

As I read, I will post any questions or thoughts. I hope anyone else reading will also do the same!! If you are posting I will request that you use the spoilers cut (I will also use it) as we all read at different speeds. It just takes a couple of seconds to do it!

Enjoy!!

[Anima]

Although I read the book something close to 20 years ago, I would gladly refresh my memory and join your discussion, especially as I have my copy of the book :)

[Jojo]

Great! I've never read it, but I want to before the movie comes out!

[Anirudh]

Joanne wrote: "Great! I've never read it, but I want to before the movie comes out!"
same here. will join the discussion as soon as i get my copy. :)

[Anima]

so I can do both, refresh my memory and prepare for the movie :)

[Jenny]

joanne at what time are you going to have discussion on the 8th of this month ?

[Jojo]

The 8th is the start date for reading. Discussion will be throughout the month. :)

[Jojo]

The 8th is the start date for reading. Discussion will be throughout the month. :)

[Jojo]

I read the first two chapters today. So far I like it but it's not gripped me yet. I am wondering when Gastby will make his appearance. Has anyone else started? What do you think so far?

[Anirudh]

havent received my copy yet :( will hopefully get it today...

[Jessica]

Joann, Gatsby's delayed entrance is the most powerful delayed entrance I've seen since Maureen's entrance in the musical rent. You won't be sorry! (Maybe you will. I've read bad reviews. But I loved the impact of the delay)

[Amy]

Finishing chapter 9 tonight. I do like this book but it drag on a little. I too have never read this but wanted to before the movie. It hour the delayed entrance of gatsby was awesome too. I feel like the fragility of Daisy is so important. At first she irritated me but my mom and I talked about it and thought this was so important to her character.

[Amy]

What are others reading? I need something new to read. Mother and I are reading 'Safe Haven'

[Jojo]

Amy wrote: "What are others reading? I need something new to read. Mother and I are reading 'Safe Haven'"

If you go to this thread you'll find lots of suggestions for books to read. http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...?

[Anirudh]

Joanne wrote: "The 8th is the start date for reading. Discussion will be throughout the month. :)"

will join the discussion late... apparently my copy is an imported edition so will take another 10 days...but you all carry on...:)

[Anima]

I'm in chapter 6 now, I have the overwhelming feeling of sadness and loneliness, it is as Gatsby (view spoiler)[was trying desperately to be someone else, to be surrounded by people, but he is all the same still lonely among them, and does not belong, his visitors, the party guests, everyone is using him, but without really accepting him, knowing him, liking him. (hide spoiler)] it makes me really sad and I fell sorry for him.

That's strange, but I somehow managed to forget the ending, I fear it can not really happy one, as I usually have the tendency to forget the sad endings...

What I really like so far is the atmosphere of the New York City in twenties, and the bohemian life of it :) I love it, and love the books that take part in the Big Apple :)

[Jessica]

Anima wrote: "I'm in chapter 6 now, I have the overwhelming feeling of sadness and loneliness, it is as Gatsby [spoilers removed] it makes me really sad and I fell sorry for him.

That's strange, but I somehow ..."

I felt the same way - so sad and lonely for him. The "Great" in the title I think is ironic.

[Anima]

I agree, I've just finished, the book and feel the sadness even stronger... and also partly lack of hope... I have various feelings and emotions washing over me now, I just need some time to order it somehow... What strucks me, is that I read this book some years ago, and still it has such a great impact on me... truly a masterpiece in its short form and the power

[Anima]

I have some questions popping in my head since yesterday, so I've decided to ask them (view spoiler)[
What were Gatsby's motives?

Was it love for Daisy, or just mere greed?

Was his background important to his choices?

And was the story possible because of the historical period, atmosphere and culture of the twenties or just universal, timeless? Or perhaps the location was more important?

What were Daisy's motives? Was she spoiled because of money or was there anything else behind them?

And finally, was the alternative ending possible? (hide spoiler)]

[Jojo]

I've not had chance to read much this week, I'll hopefully have a few hours to sit down with the book tomorrow. Then I will read your questions Anima!

[Anima]

I'm waiting eagerly for the discussion, but at the same time I'm working through A Discovery of Witches which is rather gripping, so no hurry :), I may be stuck later in May and June as well :)

[Jojo]

Discovery of Witches is good, I'm looking forward to reading the next one next month. I have lots of time this weekend so I will get the Great Gatsby done...hopefully tonight!!!

[Jojo]

Almost done!!!

[Jojo]

I'm going to put my thoughts in a spoiler thingymabob.

(view spoiler)[ Ok, I liked it, but I wasn't like OMG this is amazing! I don't know, maybe I missed something! I never really connected with any of the characters. Daisy irritated me. Reading the story I thought that maybe it was 'true love' with her and Gatsby, but as the story progressed I didn't feel that way. More like infatuation on Gatsby's part and I'm not entirely sure what on Daisy's part. I found the narration from Nicks point of view to be irritating. I'm assuming it was a purposeful choice to be so limited. But I just felt like I wanted more information on each storyline.

I think Daisy was spoiled by money, and also her upbringing. I wonder if Gastby would have been so infatuated with her had she not been from money? Is the moral of the story that money spoils you? I have seen reviews saying that it's the ultimate love story. However, I don't see it that way...I felt like it is a picture of how selfish people can be. Tom and Daisy show no remorse for their situation or for the pain they caused for anyone else. (hide spoiler)]

[Jessica]

Joanne wrote: "I'm going to put my thoughts in a spoiler thingymabob..."

(view spoiler)[I also didn't see it as a love story at all. The song equivalent of this book, to me, is the Police's "Every Breath You Take": on the surface, it sounds like a love song, but when you listen to the words, it's not about love at all, but about obsession. Gatsby doesn't love Daisy; he is obsessed with her. And it ain't pretty.

I think Gatsby would not have put himself in a position to fall in love with Daisy had she not been from money. I think Daisy is money - or a symbol of money in this book. Notice how she is always described as glittering or shining. So, this book is about American's obsession with money, and our chasing of it is symbolized by Gatsby's chasing of Daisy. He makes a foll of himself (surrounds himself with people who don't care about him, does illegal things, etc), just like Americans make fools of themselves to get money. (hide spoiler)]

[Jane(Pixie)]

.Great Gatesby' is an essential read. Count me in. As a companion read, I would like to read Z: A Novel about Zelda Fitzgerald. This is one wife, not to be ignored. She is part of the story. Jane Pixie posting from Guam.

[Jazz]

Joanne wrote: "I'm going to put my thoughts in a spoiler thingymabob.

Ok, I liked it, but I wasn't like OMG this is amazing! I don't know, maybe I missed something! I never really connected with any of the char..."

Jessica wrote: "Joanne wrote: "I'm going to put my thoughts in a spoiler thingymabob..."

I also didn't see it as a love story at all. The song equivalent of this book, to me, is the Police's "Every Breath You Tak..."

I couldn't agree with guys more. I finished this book in school, about a month and a half ago. I think maybe the reason why I didn't like this book is because I read in my regular non honors high school English class, and we took a really long time to read it. Where if I just would read it by my self I would of read almost all of it in on sitting, which would of made it more enjoyable, because its such a short book. Even though I didn't particularly like this book, I'm kind of excited to see the movie. I think it will be one of those books, that will be better as a movie. plus the actors in it look really good.

(view spoiler)[ Gatsby has an obsession with Daisy, and he is blinded by it, and is makes him very Naive. Daisy is a very self centered person and cares way to much about what everyone else thinks. She never would of been with Gatsby. This book is about the achievement of the "American dream", this is typically thought of as money, fame, happiness, love. If you ask me I don't think any of them achieved there dream.

Nick is a very judgmental person, even though he doesn't say it out loud. I found myself getting mad and frustrated at this book. I don't understand why this book has so much hype around it. I thought the plot was boring, and nothing really happened between when Nick met Myrtle until the 6th-7th chapter. Then things got a little more interesting.

At the end, I found it very sad that know one but Nick, Owl eyes, servants, and Gatsby's father came to his funeral. Gatsby lived a very lonely life before he met Nick. He always was trying to make himself better, and achieve the American dream of happiness. I think Gatsby should of have more people at his funeral, and I think that Daisy should of had the common decency to come. Especially because he was covering up the murder for her, and she supposedly loved him. (hide spoiler)]

[Jazz]

Anima wrote: "I have some questions popping in my head since yesterday, so I've decided to ask them
What were Gatsby's motives?

Was it love for Daisy, or just mere greed?

Was his background important to hi..."

Was it love for Daisy, or just mere greed?
I think that Gatsby thought he was in love, but the way the book portrayed it, it seemed like an unhealthy obsession.

Was his background important to his choices?
I think because he wanted to change and leave his old life behind. He needed Daisy for that last piece to the American Dream puzzle. He had fortune and fame, but was missing love/happiness.

And was the story possible because of the historical period, atmosphere and culture of the twenties or just universal, timeless? Or perhaps the location was more important?

I feel like the twenties had a lot to do with it, because people were more focused on the generic American Dream. Whereas, today the American Dream is broader. To me the American Dream is different for each person and in the end only the person knows if they reached there version. But I think that the element about greed, and obsession it had to it is timeless.

What were Daisy's motives? Was she spoiled because of money or was there anything else behind them?

She cares very much, about what other people think about her, and is afraid to fall in society. I guess it could be because she is spoiled, or because society has warped her view on happiness is that you must have money, and you have to act like you all right emotionally all the time.

And finally, was the alternative ending possible?

I didn’t know there was an alternative ending, that wasn’t in the school copy when I read it, a month and a half ago, in my English class. I will have to look it up; I think I remember my teacher saying something about that. But, she didn’t like it or something. So we didn’t look at it.

[Lynn, Moderator]

Just a classic :)

[Karen ⊰✿]

Anima wrote: "I have some questions popping in my head since yesterday, so I've decided to ask them ...

What were Gatsby's motives?
I think he fell in love with Daisy before he went to war. And in those times, I guess it was 'easy' to believe you were in love when you never knew if there would be a tomorrow. So it is possible Daisy let him love her, or an idea of her, that actually wasn't real. Tom loved the real Daisy.
When he got back from war he realised that in order to be with Daisy he had to have money in order to make her happy. The only way to do it quickly was illegally. At this point it just became an obsession of his. We see this particularly in the scene where he demands that Daisy tells Tom she never loved him. Gatsby basicaly wants to wash away his past life this way

Was it love for Daisy, or just mere greed?
I think it was lust, infatuation, and also she was so taken in with the idea of how much he loved her. Whereas Tom cheated on her basically from day 1.

Was his background important to his choices?
It is the cornestone of them

And was the story possible because of the historical period, atmosphere and culture of the twenties or just universal, timeless? Or perhaps the location was more important?
I think the time period and location are what made the book 'a classic'. As viewed critically through today's eyes it is not "all that" of a book

What were Daisy's motives? Was she spoiled because of money or was there anything else behind them?
She loved that life. She was brought up into it! And as she says at the start it is better to be a fool in this world when you are a girl. She just wants to be looked after

And finally, was the alternative ending possible?
No. End this book any other way and it would have rotted on a shelf somewhere many decades ago. It is Gatsby's death, and particularly his funeral, that makes this book somehow worthwhile. The utter sadness and injustice of it.