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The Great Gatsby?
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Elena
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Apr 25, 2016 04:22PM
Hi, I'm wondering if I should read The Great Gatsby. As far as I know, there is infidelity, and basically a bunch of wild activities that aren't good., etc. in it, but I assumed it's only mentioned. Basically, I don't want to put a bunch of garbage in my head. Will I feel like I'm wallowing in a dumpster if I read this? What do you think? Thanks!
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I read it in high school & did NOT care for it; loose morals, affairs, raging parties, disregard for human life & no real happily ever after for anyone. It's been so long tho, that I can't remember how graphic/detailed it was. I just recall getting to the end & thinking "that was a waste of time" - tho we did have some interesting discussions on it in English class. I watched the movie that came out recently & was reminded, again, that it's not for me. I can't recall how closely the movie followed the book, but it definitely earned its PG13 rating. Hope that helps!
Thanks, Erica. That answers my question! Think I'll skip it!
I think it basically just mentions stuff, but the author is ambiguous about presenting it as unnacceptable.I read this for a college English theory class, and it left me scratching my head. It seemed rather pointless. If you don't read it, you won't be missing anything.
It is certainly all those things. The depravity in the book is not spelled out, only referred to. The pointless-ness is the point. Technically, it is clean, but it is a head scratcher for most people. In my opinion, it's not a 'must read.' There are much better options out there from the same time period.
I read the book as a school assignment and I can't even remember what it was about. I wonder why this book is one of the ones chosen for assigned reading.
For that matter, why are any of the books chosen for English assignments the ones that are chosen? There seems to some unwritten rule a book must be incomprehensible, depressing, pointless or inexplicable (or best yet, all of the above) in order to qualify.
I didn't care for it either. It's supposed to be well liked because the symbolism is so well done, but I found it so lacking in anything worth actually reading that I didn't want to put the thought into the symbols.
I was in Advanced Honors English in High School so I was reading some pretty crazy stuff. The Great Gatsby has to be one of the wordiest, boring-est, waste-of-time books I've ever read. Even the so-called symbolism is cloudy and far-fetched. I still fail to understand how this book falls in the category of "classic" other than it does use the English language descriptively., and begs the question, "do I daydream like this?" Heaven forbid!Thumbs down!
Thanks for all your answers! I'll be skipping The Not-So-Great Gatsby!
Gatsby is the kind of book where there is a lot of implied sex. There is nothing dirty in it. the most suggestive it gets is saying things like "Daisy comes over most afternoons now". Well you can assume that she's not coming over to talk and drink tea. The first time I read it, the suggestive stuff was lost on me as a teenager. It can be interpreted in a chaste way. It is my favorite book of all time. Fitzgerald was a genius.
I had to read this book in school and watch the old movie. I personally didn't like way to much drama and affairs for my taste. I really don't understand why it's a classic.
I homeschool my kids and have been very disappointed with the content in the standard American Literature High School Reading lists. It seems like it is all a bunch of smut. I wish I could find a decent list of quality clean American Literature for those wanting their teens to be educated without the ick factor.
Sandy wrote: "I homeschool my kids and have been very disappointed with the content in the standard American Literature High School Reading lists. It seems like it is all a bunch of smut. I wish I could find a decent list of quality clean American Literature for those wanting their teens to be educated without the ick factor."Sandy, have you heard of The Good & The Beautiful book list? The latest edition is coming out in September. Currently, the book list includes hundreds of title recommendations for books with high moral and literary content for all different ages. The updated version will not only have more recommendations, but also a list of titles that are NOT recommended and why. For example, Johnny Tremain was not recommended because of some language, but some families may be fine with that. Selecting quality reading is much easier with this list, and it gets better and bigger every year. http://www.jennyphillips.com/good-bea...
Angie wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I homeschool my kids and have been very disappointed with the content in the standard American Literature High School Reading lists. It seems like it is all a bunch of smut. I wish I ..."I have the list but I haven't looked at the high school level too closely. The younger levels it seemed like the titles were hard to find and/or not available at my library (which is pretty extensive). I will have to look closer at the High School Level recommendations. Thanks for the idea.
Sandy wrote: "Angie wrote: "Sandy wrote: "I homeschool my kids and have been very disappointed with the content in the standard American Literature High School Reading lists. It seems like it is all a bunch of s..."The "Good & The Beautiful" looks like a really helpful site. So many of my friends back home, have switched to homeschooling. I guess that's says enough about the state of our public schools, doesn't it ?
Europe is even more tyrannical it's illegal for parents to home school their children - I looked that up.
Marlene wrote: "I was in Advanced Honors English in High School so I was reading some pretty crazy stuff. The Great Gatsby has to be one of the wordiest, boring-est, waste-of-time books I've ever read. Even the so..."Great review ! I really enjoyed reading your take on what has become an"untouchable" book. People have become so syncopated. - They'll go along with anything if they think that's THE way to go.
I hated Great Gatsby. When it was pointed out to me that "Great" in the title was ironic, I read it again. It wasn't quite so hateful, but I still didn't care for it. I think that those who love the book are enthralled by the description of the time and class setting. But I read books for the people and their character. The people in Great Gatsby were not my type at all.
The Great Gatsby is the great American novel. There is absolutely nothing dirty in that book. I think that maybe some people who can't appreciate classic literature are reading way too much into this. As for Fitzgerald being wordy, he was entirely the opposite. Each word was chosen with absolute precision. None of his books are long or boring, they all do capture the romance of the jazz age and it's beauty in a way that no other author ever did or has since. Gatsby is quite simply, the perfect book for any student of literature or life.
Cami wrote: "The Great Gatsby is the great American novel. There is absolutely nothing dirty in that book. I think that maybe some people who can't appreciate classic literature are reading way too much into th..."I appreciate a lot of classic literature, but just because someone deems something a classic doesn't mean it's wholesome. I've read plenty of classics full of rape, adultery, obscenity and the like.
The Great Gatsby's plot revolves around coveting, lust, adultery and debauchery. While it may not be graphic or explicit, it is still trashy. I most sincerely hope that is not the great American novel.
Clearly we all have different taste in writers. I enjoy a rather refined taste and Gatsby is a beautiful book for those of us that have both the education and class to appreciate it. I am not offended easily when an artist is creating art.
Wow, seriously? That was passive-aggressive at best. People with "education and class" can still have different opinions than you...
Okay, I haven't really weighed in on this discussion because GG was a did-not-finish for me. It has many debauched characters and expressions of a wild lifestyle, as well as some language I don't feel comfortable reading. There's a message of hopelessness that makes me not interested in reading the entire book. Granted, it does capture a good snapshot of the Roaring Twenties, but that's not a society I care to spend much time getting to know up-close.Not all art is beautiful or edifying.
It doesn't matter to me how artfully written it may be, debauchery and adultery are simply not classy. I don't desire to spend my time and energy on that kind of subject matter when there are so many good books to read. And I can't recommend it to others either. The question was whether or not the book was clean not whether or not it was well-written.
I consider it clean and well written. I give an author leeway when they are writing masterpieces. I also read D. H Lawrence, who isn't at all "clean".
