The Great Gatsby
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Kevin
Jul 23, 2015 11:49PM
Hello All,
I have some questions for the group.
First some background :
I read a mix of fiction and non-fiction, and average about 1 book a month. I am male 44 yrs old, live in India, and consider myself at a command level of English. I'm college educated and have fairly diverse interests ranging from Philosophy to Sociology, Economics and Political Science.
Now my question is this :
I read the popular book titled - "The Great Gatsby" about a year ago, and found some of the work quite rich and satisfying.
However, given that the book is set in the early 20th Century in America and makes a lot of cultural as well as social references to attitudes and outlooks at the time, how is a reader from the 21st Century [ and beyond ] meant to read it and derive a fuller understanding ?
So I chanced upon a "study guide" to the Great Gatsby, and realised that I had missed many thematic and symbolic motifs within the work.
That led me to evaluate my approach to all the classic works I had read for recreational purposes (NOT towards academic accomplishment.) And found that it is possible I may have had only a partial view / appreciation.
This question is turning out to be lengthy in its framing, but I'm getting there....
1) Do I read an accompanying "guide" with every piece of literature ?
2) If not Do i risk having an incomplete understanding ?
3) Should I read the guide post completing the main book, or read it alongside ?
4) If I undertake such an approach, it would seriously lengthen my reading time, and I would fall hopelessly behind on my list.. . .
Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
I have some questions for the group.
First some background :
I read a mix of fiction and non-fiction, and average about 1 book a month. I am male 44 yrs old, live in India, and consider myself at a command level of English. I'm college educated and have fairly diverse interests ranging from Philosophy to Sociology, Economics and Political Science.
Now my question is this :
I read the popular book titled - "The Great Gatsby" about a year ago, and found some of the work quite rich and satisfying.
However, given that the book is set in the early 20th Century in America and makes a lot of cultural as well as social references to attitudes and outlooks at the time, how is a reader from the 21st Century [ and beyond ] meant to read it and derive a fuller understanding ?
So I chanced upon a "study guide" to the Great Gatsby, and realised that I had missed many thematic and symbolic motifs within the work.
That led me to evaluate my approach to all the classic works I had read for recreational purposes (NOT towards academic accomplishment.) And found that it is possible I may have had only a partial view / appreciation.
This question is turning out to be lengthy in its framing, but I'm getting there....
1) Do I read an accompanying "guide" with every piece of literature ?
2) If not Do i risk having an incomplete understanding ?
3) Should I read the guide post completing the main book, or read it alongside ?
4) If I undertake such an approach, it would seriously lengthen my reading time, and I would fall hopelessly behind on my list.. . .
Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
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I think you just have to read the book and that's it. You are overthinking it. We live in a world where apparently we forgot to follow and develop our intuition. In every aspect of our lives. In this particular one that we are talking about, it's like you feel the need of a guide to understand a bit better certain book, we need a guide for everything. We will need for a guide to read the guide pretty soon.
I deeply believe that any work of art should be contemplated by us and only us. Our interpretation, meaning and significance is what matters. And it's only ours and no one else's. There's no wrong interpretation. Nor meaning nor whatever. Just relax and enjoy the wonderful pages you have in front of you.
Of course that there'll be books you enjoy more than others, and with those one sometimes feel like digging a bit more about them. Here you can do as you please. Reading the book again. Reading about the author. Reading about the historical context. And so on. But reading a guide who only tells me how to interpret and understand a particular book would be the last thing on _my_ list.
Sorry if I completely misunderstood what you meant. Anyway, this how I fell about it.
Good reading!
I deeply believe that any work of art should be contemplated by us and only us. Our interpretation, meaning and significance is what matters. And it's only ours and no one else's. There's no wrong interpretation. Nor meaning nor whatever. Just relax and enjoy the wonderful pages you have in front of you.
Of course that there'll be books you enjoy more than others, and with those one sometimes feel like digging a bit more about them. Here you can do as you please. Reading the book again. Reading about the author. Reading about the historical context. And so on. But reading a guide who only tells me how to interpret and understand a particular book would be the last thing on _my_ list.
Sorry if I completely misunderstood what you meant. Anyway, this how I fell about it.
Good reading!
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Having a guide, or a source book, or even a text book that opens up topics on theme, symbol, structure, etc. is a good idea. After a few of these on the book you are reading, you will begin to open up the story on your own. Keep in mind one helpful idea. "Guide" books are written by academics - those usually interested in Literary Theory - and written for students - those usually interested in learning Literary Theory. Most of us read to experience the art of the novel we are reading. We read to enjoy it, not to study it. Having said that, any source material, whether it is academic or not, that opens up your experience of reading the book is a good thing. After all, why read it if it isn't enjoyable?
Hi Kevin. Just a few thoughts....
You speak of your fear of missing out on all the angles of the "classics" (such as The Great Gatsby) you've read. Can we assume you're talking about western classics?
I would think, that if you think, your exposure to western history and culture is limited, then maybe you might want to seek out a guide to help out a little bit with context, if you're interested in gaining a richer experience from the book.
But keep in mind that by looking elsewhere for information about any piece of fiction, you're gaining more experience, not necessarily more knowledge, about the book. You're discovering someone else's experience, what THEY see, or want you to see, in the story (which may or may not actually be there). If you accept their premise, then that's great.
You speak of your fear of missing out on all the angles of the "classics" (such as The Great Gatsby) you've read. Can we assume you're talking about western classics?
I would think, that if you think, your exposure to western history and culture is limited, then maybe you might want to seek out a guide to help out a little bit with context, if you're interested in gaining a richer experience from the book.
But keep in mind that by looking elsewhere for information about any piece of fiction, you're gaining more experience, not necessarily more knowledge, about the book. You're discovering someone else's experience, what THEY see, or want you to see, in the story (which may or may not actually be there). If you accept their premise, then that's great.
Here's what I say.
1. First, read the book just for your own pleasure. It's a gripping story, and you'll probably enjoy it.
2. Second, read that commentary you have. You'll get more out of it after you've read the book.
3. It could also be interesting to listen to/watch any or all of the following:
a. http://www.studio360.org/story/95326-...
b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mstm...
c. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaBVL...
d. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-uvP...
e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQz6Y...
1. First, read the book just for your own pleasure. It's a gripping story, and you'll probably enjoy it.
2. Second, read that commentary you have. You'll get more out of it after you've read the book.
3. It could also be interesting to listen to/watch any or all of the following:
a. http://www.studio360.org/story/95326-...
b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mstm...
c. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaBVL...
d. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-uvP...
e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQz6Y...
Kevin wrote: "
1) Do I read an accompanying "guide" with every piece of literature ?
2) If not Do i risk having an incomplete understanding ?
3) Should I read the guide post completing the main book, or read it alongside?
4) If I undertake such an approach, it would seriously lengthen my reading time, and I would fall hopelessly behind on my list.. . . "
Great questions. You're on the right track by coming here and posing them.
My thoughts...
What a reader receives from a reading is always a function of his or her experience and education. This includes cultural exposure. Intelligence alone cannot overcome lack of exposure to cultural idioms, therefore a study guide can be of value when reading outside one's own culture. Translators are supposed to compensate for idioms, but they can't always.
For example, knowledge of the Christian Bible is essential to understanding the religious implications in Steinbek's East of Eden. "The American Dream," and the East versus West theme, are cultural idioms essential to a fuller understanding of The Great Gatsby.
When I first read East of Eden I rented a video of the miniseries with Jane Seymour and synched it with my reading while keeping a journal. It was worth it.
A single reading is inadequate, therefore read only literature worthy of a healthy investment of time. The list of books to read is always endless. For me, it's about quality, not quantity.
If I were reading outside my culture I would first read reviews on Goodreads and Amazon for clues as to whether to read a study guide beforehand to pick up on idioms that would otherwise fly over my head. I don't know Krishna from Santa Clause.
Plan on at least two readings. Preferably three, if it's a worthy book.
Ideally, for any reading, surrender without prejudice all expectation so you can receive more fully what is on the page. The useful information in a study guide invariably comes with a dose of prejudice. My inclination would be to read the book, then the guide, then the book again.
Above all, enjoy the process.
1) Do I read an accompanying "guide" with every piece of literature ?
2) If not Do i risk having an incomplete understanding ?
3) Should I read the guide post completing the main book, or read it alongside?
4) If I undertake such an approach, it would seriously lengthen my reading time, and I would fall hopelessly behind on my list.. . . "
Great questions. You're on the right track by coming here and posing them.
My thoughts...
What a reader receives from a reading is always a function of his or her experience and education. This includes cultural exposure. Intelligence alone cannot overcome lack of exposure to cultural idioms, therefore a study guide can be of value when reading outside one's own culture. Translators are supposed to compensate for idioms, but they can't always.
For example, knowledge of the Christian Bible is essential to understanding the religious implications in Steinbek's East of Eden. "The American Dream," and the East versus West theme, are cultural idioms essential to a fuller understanding of The Great Gatsby.
When I first read East of Eden I rented a video of the miniseries with Jane Seymour and synched it with my reading while keeping a journal. It was worth it.
A single reading is inadequate, therefore read only literature worthy of a healthy investment of time. The list of books to read is always endless. For me, it's about quality, not quantity.
If I were reading outside my culture I would first read reviews on Goodreads and Amazon for clues as to whether to read a study guide beforehand to pick up on idioms that would otherwise fly over my head. I don't know Krishna from Santa Clause.
Plan on at least two readings. Preferably three, if it's a worthy book.
Ideally, for any reading, surrender without prejudice all expectation so you can receive more fully what is on the page. The useful information in a study guide invariably comes with a dose of prejudice. My inclination would be to read the book, then the guide, then the book again.
Above all, enjoy the process.
Monty J Heying
You're most welcome @Kevin.
@Robert, agreed. Actually, there were several fingers in that pudding. Casablanca is the gold standard in love stories. Sp ...more
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@Robert, agreed. Actually, there were several fingers in that pudding. Casablanca is the gold standard in love stories. Sp ...more
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Ah ! Yes. . . Reminds me of Gertrude Stein saying : "Why should a sequence of words be anything but a pleasure".
Thank you for your pragmatic response Mr Potter.
Thank you for your pragmatic response Mr Potter.
Kevin,
Re. your comment about reading Homer in translation, I have studied the original text and unfortunately classical Greek is so different from English and most other modern languages that the sentences you're reading are very far from the originals. Translators have to take a lot of artistic license to turn them into text which reads well in English.
However, Homer's texts are so rich in so many other ways that these books are extremely rewarding and make a great change from modern novels. They have so much in common, and yet so much is different. The best thing is to find a great translation and enjoy the translator's writing as another factor in what you are reading. The closer the translation is literally to the Greek, the more likely it is to be stilted and awkward prose.
What do you think? Have you been enjoying Homer?
Re. your comment about reading Homer in translation, I have studied the original text and unfortunately classical Greek is so different from English and most other modern languages that the sentences you're reading are very far from the originals. Translators have to take a lot of artistic license to turn them into text which reads well in English.
However, Homer's texts are so rich in so many other ways that these books are extremely rewarding and make a great change from modern novels. They have so much in common, and yet so much is different. The best thing is to find a great translation and enjoy the translator's writing as another factor in what you are reading. The closer the translation is literally to the Greek, the more likely it is to be stilted and awkward prose.
What do you think? Have you been enjoying Homer?
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