The Great Gatsby
discussion
worst book ever!
He understood that the victims of excess were innocent as well as culpable. quote from Gray
You got a cynical chuckle from me Gray. That`s where the socalled insight comes into question, doesn`t it. So the shady criminal who fixes World Series games, traffics in stolen bonds and who knows what other pecadillos of the felonious sort is a victim? Give me a break. Go become an attorney for Bernie Madoff.
Laura-lou wrote: "does anyone agree with me that this is the worst and most boring book of all time?"I definitely think it is overrated.
It is overrated but I don't think it's the worst book ever
Definitely not the worse book I've ever read, but I agree that it's overrated. It was boring for the most part, and the characters were petty. I read this a long time ago, but I remember that I just absolutely hated Daisy.
I don't get you guys , come on this is one of the best books of all time !
There are much better books out there; it's good but it's not one of the best
I have to question whether those that are big fans of GG have read extensively from the classics?
What's that supposed to mean? I'm a fan of the book. Maybe I see something others don't.
Slightly over-rated. But it is indeed a 'literary classic.'
Geoffrey wrote: "I have to question whether those that are big fans of GG have read extensively from the classics?"I honestly don't think love/hate/indifference towards a book (or any work of art, for that matter) is easily defined.
I have a friend who rarely reads, and the only classics she read were the very few that were assigned to her in high school. The only one she loves is The Great Gatsby.
Then I have a cousin who has read many classics that she has enjoyed, and Gatsby is one of them.
It's hard to say what makes a person fall in love with a story. But I think we can all agree that just because a book is labeled as a "classic", it doesn't necessarily mean that the book is the epitome of literature whose merit should never be contested.
I agree with Esther. There are certainly some "classics" that I could debate the merit of. I just don't like the implication that I'm not as smart, or well read, or incapable of understanding the depth of other "classics" because I liked a book you aren't as impressed with. It evidently made an impression on me that many other books haven't- classic or not. If I'm still thinking about it long after I've read the last page, I'd say it deserves some credit. What else can I say?
This is my favorite book. Its genius is the way it captures the innocence, striving and hopefulness that prevail in America despite ugliness and greed and abuse of power that threaten to crush the spirit of our people.
So Gatsby was innocent? He traffics in stolen bonds, fixes the World Series and yet Fitzgerald paints him as an innocent? This is where I believe the author`s naivete and insight is most revealing. As I said it before Hemingway had the right idea.
Laura-lou wrote: "does anyone agree with me that this is the worst and most boring book of all time?"I wouldn't say "most boring" (It wasn't so dry that I couldn't follow the plot), but I really did not enjoy it. To me it seemed like high school among adults in the 1920s... It was all about who cheated on who, who secretly loves who, who's rich, who's poor, yatta yatta yatta.
No, Gatsby was not innocent, but Gatsby himself was not in on the World Series fix. That was Meyer Wolfsheim who made that claim. Gatsby's association with this man makes Nick think Gatsby is involved in bootlegging etc, and may even have killed a man. I don't get that Fitzgerald was painting Gatsby out to be innocent, just a man who was obsessed with a woman, and to impress her and try to compete with the wealth she was accustomed to he needed a lot of money and fast. Daisy just didn't get any of it. Which is why she's not all that likeable and of course neither is her husband. After examining the lives of these spoiled wealthy people, Gatsby ends up being the only one I liked.( maybe a little anti-hero) Although the whole thing is sad. It's an exploration of the differences in classes, wealth etc. You have to look beyond the soap opera aspects of who slept with who etc. It's a deeper story than what's on the surface.
Have to agree with Keri and Norman. I was underwhelmed when I first read The Great Gatsby at the age of 19, after hearing it was like the best book ever. But the older I get, the better it is. Maybe the more experience you have of life, dreams and disappointment, the more pertinent and poignant it becomes? To any nay-sayers under the age of, say, 30, I'd recommend trying it again in about 10 or 20 years' time, which probably goes for a lot of other classics too. There are some books which seem better when you're young, but which are maybe not so great when you read them again later on in your life, and vice versa. The books don't necessarily change with time, but the reader certainly does.
It certainly wasnt easy to read when my english teacher had us thinking about the colors and allegory in the book. I couldnt keep things strait
The green light thing and what it represented? There was a lot of symbolism in that book.
there certainly was alot of symbolism. The green light was one of the most confusing. The green light could have represented his life with Daisy in the future, but he was so dwelled on the past while looking at the green light. It was confusing.
Some people think the green light represented the feeling of hope, but the pursuit of wealth corrupted everyone causing shattered dreams. There are many opinions of what the green light represented. That's what I meant by the book having a deeper meaning than what was on the surface. Read the book again someday and I'll bet it makes more sense to you. It's certainly an interesting study of the 1920's some of it is still relevant today.
im sure someday it will make better since when i dont have to read it in a short time.
I'm surprised that so many disliked The Great Gatsby, a novel that's commonly labeled as the best American novel of the 20th century. The story of James Gatz, a poor midwesterner whose dream of attaining his true love ultimately corrupts and destroys him, resonated with me at a young age since it perfectly illustrated the age-old theme of "absolute power corrupts absolutely" within an American context. Gatz was an ideal dreamer, something we're all encouraged to be, but what happens when the dream envelops us? It's a beautiful tragedy that simultaneously captures the best of America along with its worst attributes. At the same time, however, perhaps the story itself, along with Fitzgerald's style of writing, is no longer relatable. It's something I don't want to believe, but may have to accept, unless I want to end up like Gatsby and constantly believe in something that simply isn't there.
He writes beautifully. Look at the writing and don't just concentrate on the plot. It's pure brilliance.
It was cheesy, annoying, and girly as hell.
Worst book discussion thread ever
Then start a discussion! Discussin threads only go so far.
This is a classic!!! Not my fave, but I enjoyed it. 'ol sport....And seriously? someone else said Jane Eyre was one of the worst books, that is possibly one of my faves.
I guess it's a matter of opinion any way you look at it.
This is my FAVOURITE book. It's actually the novel I use as a template for writing. I'm always amazed when people don't like it. Oh well...to each his own. My yardstick for the perfect novel.
I could think of hundreds of books that qualify as the worst ever, but The Great Gatsby is one not close to "worse" ~ I liked it enough to re-read it several times.
Or maybe the author himself was a bit confused as to what the green light was supposed to represent. This is where I fault Fitzgerald the most in that he doesn`t necessarily understand his own literary tricks and what they are supposed to mean, they just read well which can be said for his overall writing style-impeccably edited and with a brilliant poetic sensibility, but at times it`s just a wide golden arch of piss in the wind.
Geoffrey wrote: "Actually I think Andrew has raised an interesting point, considering from the very beginning of the novel that Nick claims an impartiality that he doesn`t have. From the very first page he talks ab..."(Late to the party on this thread but I couldn't help but jump in on this point).
Nick is absolutely a very questionable narrator. I don't think it messes with the plot very much, but it definitely influences the presentation of Gatsby (since we see him through Nick's eyes). Along with the line you mentioned where he claims he doesn't judge anyone but does exactly that, there's also his two-timing romance with the girl in the city (I can't recall her name, or if she has one), while he's involved with Jordan. Nick is able to present himself one way, while thinking something entirely different. You're definitely right that he is two-faced when it comes to Tom and Gatsby, but I think it's clear that he favors Gatsby. The lens through which we see Tom (via Nick) is far less rose-colored than the one through which we see Gatsby.
Laura-lou wrote: "does anyone agree with me that this is the worst and most boring book of all time?"Thank YOU!!! Yes.
I don't think this book was boring at all! I thought there was a ton to think about when it came to what Fitzgerald was trying to say about the Buchanans. For example, he clearly displayed his hatred for them through Nick, but he still had them get out scratch-free. I think people who don't like it enjoy books with lots of action, not necessarily morals.
Morals? I guess don't keep pursuing something that is not right for you. Be always of moral character. But all in all even with a moral, the book was not interesting to me. The story itself did not grab me.
Worst book(s) ever has to go to the Twilight series.
Michael wrote: "Worst book(s) ever has to go to the Twilight series."Or the 50 Shades of Grey garbage that is popular now.
Those who didn't like it in their first reading should read it again. That's all I can say. Sometimes a book reveals itself in the second reading.
Worst book ever?Pick up any contemporary book in Barnes and Noble. The whole weight of that book is not equal to one paragraph of Gatsby.
Ten years from now, all those books will be gone.
Gatsby will last.
Shelley, Rain: A Dust Bowl Story, http://dustbowlpoetry.wordpress.com
hahaha!!this book can affect people differently but it is a great book..you have to understand it to appreciate it...
Thank you Shelley, I definitely agree. Gatsby is brilliant because it is double sided. The first side people see, and the only side the people who dislike the book so vehemently see, is just the narrative. There is so much meaning underneath each of the characters, and if the reader allows themselves to relate to them, and pays attention to the parts of the novel that disengage from the story line and go to Nick's musings on the events, then they will have to see this book as one of the great literary feats of its era. Seriously, there is much more to that book then the characters and the story line.
And not all books can claim the same.
Have you guys ever thought that maybe it's just not your genre? And it's not necessarily ALL ABOUT YOU and how IT SHOULD RELATE TO YOU but rather how it may be representative of another time, or reflection of different personalities, perspectives and books should be an alternative world. Its not always about you. I guess this is the thread where it's cool to bash on classics that have withstood the test of time.
Worst book ever for me was The Road.
Melody wrote: "Worst book ever for me was The Road."I hated this book as well. Why do so many people love Cormac McCarthy? He won the freaking Pulitzer?
Not the worst ever but certainly over rated.
Have you ever thought you might take other people's opinions about books too seriously? What's the big deal if some people hate this novel?Meesh wrote: "Have you guys ever thought that maybe it's just not your genre? And it's not necessarily ALL ABOUT YOU and how IT SHOULD RELATE TO YOU but rather how it may be representative of another time, or re..."
I love The Great Gatsby and i actually own a first edition of this novel. I am a huge fan of modernism literature.
Kirsten wrote: "Have you ever thought you might take other people's opinions about books too seriously? What's the big deal if some people hate this novel?Meesh wrote: "Have you guys ever thought that maybe it'..."
No. I don't. Thank you for your concern.
Meesh wrote: "Have you guys ever thought that maybe it's just not your genre? And it's not necessarily ALL ABOUT YOU and how IT SHOULD RELATE TO YOU but rather how it may be representative of another time, or re..."I totally agree with you..... Everyone is different and no matter what in life what one person loves another will dislike. What get me is how people seem to go out of there way to express there dislike for somethings. :(
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Rachel, you get it.