worst book ever! Showing 351-400 of 1,030

[Gina]

the plot of the book was very intresting with a murder, and love triangle however, the way it was told with several flashbacks to Gatsby's old life and Nick dronng on and on about Gatsby's backround made the book drone on forever!! Learning about Dan Cody and all the other stuff Gatsby was involved in just confused me even more! I understnd that the book was about scial class and about how Tom is higher than Nick and so on and so forth but that lesson was shown throughout the book. However, this lesson, to me, has to be one of the most boring to learn!!! Living anywhere in the world, you must know that there are people of different social classes. And if you don't, you will find out soon enough without reading this terrible book!

[Lady Jane]

I don't think it's the worst book ever, but it is seriously overrated. I read it because when I shared that "Beautiful and the Damned" and "This Side of Paradise" are my favorite works by Fitzgerald, the professor chuckled as one would chuckle at an innocent child who doesn't know any better, and said, "You haven't read 'The Great Gatsby,' have you? EVERYONE knows that is the best of his ouvre." The way she enunciated the words 'everyone knows' reminded me of the typical high school scene where the leader of a clique tells you that 'EVERYONE KNOWS' your favorite band sucks, and the one she likes is the best. Curiosity got the best of me, so I read the novel. It was one of the most boring pieces of literature I have ever read. Gatsby is a crime to the spirit of art. He's a noncomformist, but at the same time he never lives the life he wants. He's a halfway character. Nothing ever happens of interest. It is a flurry of emotions and unsatisfied hopes that never reach a climax. They just deflate into nothingness, and everything goes back to asphyxiating normalcy. I didn't learn anything from this novel, there was no catharsis the way I felt in "Beautiful and Damned," and I didn't feel I could relate at all. It was dumb, like a long Facebook conversation that leads to nowhere.

[Alice]

I don't agree,
I thought it was great, i just re-read it again this summer.

[Cyn]

Actually - I enjoyed reading it the second and third time around. I liked it better when I was in my forties when I was also reading the history of the time. It reminded me of my grandparents except for the alcoholism.

[Iain]

Read it in high school, so it's been a long, long time. Nevertheless, I remember enjoying it, and I would by no means call it the worst book ever. Perhaps it dragged a bit here and there, but it is an undeniable American classic.

[Iain]

Actually, the worst book ever for me in high school was The Oxbow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark.

[Geoffrey]

One of the comments made by a poster was that this book made him rich and famous.Actually the book was neglected in his lifetime.The publishers printed80,000 copies only 20,000sold. The book didnot become popular until the 50`s.

[Geoffrey]

I stand corrected. The original printing was 75,000. But the 20,000 figure were initial sales, which dropped drastically after the first year. Thousands of copies just languished in the warehouse.

Just what was the point of the starlet and the film director at the Gatzby party? I get the distinct impression their inclusion had not so much to do with the narrative of the story, but Fitzgerald had seen such a scene and couldn`t get it out of his head.It has nothing to add to the story.

[Emily]

Try reading The Jungle and then complain

[Mariah]

I liked it a lot. In fact, I found that book today while I was cleaning out my bookshelf and I plan to reread it soon.

[Pia]

The story was pretty simple, but it was at least colorful. I thought Catcher in the Rye was worse.

[Rachel]

You've obviously never read 1984 by George Orwell. Now THAT'S the WORST book ever. The Great Gatsby is a timeless American classic and it's quite good.

[Angela]

I've read so many of these comments and am very depressed to hear that so many of you didn't like this book. I read it last year, my junior year in high school, and loved it. But alas I have found many that have the same opinion as many of you and it is heart breaking. I even plan to re-read it later because even though I loved this book, I was lost and a bit confused as to was going on. Maybe that is what some of you should do. Re-read it and try to do so with a blank slate of opinion. If then you still feel the same as before then it was not meant to be. Happy readings. :)

[Megan]

I think that you are on crack and you don't have a good sense of what's a good book or not. If you don't understand the book don't say it sucks.

[Julie]

I love this book! Was "forced" to read it in high school, too. It was a great discover. Fitzgerald is a master.

[Henry]

Out of the almost thousand books I have read this is one of the worse. It got to the point that I started to skim over passages just so I could proclaim. I read this!

[Jennifer]

I guess it would help to know what books the people who don't like Gatsby do like.

[Betsy]

Amanda wrote: "I didn't love The Great Gatsby, but it's not the worst book ever.

The worst book ever is "The Bridges of Madison County.""
hahahhaa... I LOVED Gatsby and only wanted to peek in here because I'm always fascinated when a book I love doesn't land on others in the same way. Reading is so subjective and I get that. So I wouldn't have commented except I saw your response, Amanda. I burst out laughing. I completely agree. Bridges of Madison County was the worst for sure!

[Bryan]

I read it in college for the first time. Enjoyed it. As an English teacher, I can see and appreciate what students like and dislike about it. The more I read it and the older I get, the more I like it. The characters are so hateable, and there are many things that are difficult for young adults to connect with until they get into college or out of and begin living 'the life'. Many discover it isn't really 'the life'. All the things they have chased after really aren't the things they want nor are they attainable, which is Fitzgerald's point.

Interesting new movie: "Midnight in Paris"

[Geoffrey]

Many discover it isn't really 'the life'. All the things they have chased after really aren't the things they want nor are they attainable, which is Fitzgerald's point. Quatation from Bryan.



I suppose if you never wanted that life, there would be no allure to it, and there would be no lesson learned. I grew up with folks wealthier than myself, despite having a father who was a doctor, but never did I envy my classmates their wealth. Their lives were too "fu---d up" for me to be envious. One classmate, a wealthy scion descendant from the rum, slave, molasses triangle, became pregnant at the age of 11 and got her abortion. So a lesson learned-I learned it from the lives of my peers.
So perhaps that is in part why I am not particularly impressed with the book´s moral. As for it´s literary merit, granted the prose is stupendous at times, the structure of the book is brilliant, but the character development, literary faults and it´s vapid characters turn me away. I much prefer that teachers assign a choice of a roster of books for students, as they did for our two book summer reading requirement. Now why couldn´t we have done that the entire year and stuck to short story assignments that would be the only lit discussed in class. 3 months on one book was way too much.

[Jennifer]

I liked it. I had to read it in AP Lang, and I really did like it. Sure there was very little connection between me and the characters, but I still enjoyed it.
To me, the worst books I have ever read were Lord of the Flies and Heart of Darkness. They are the only books I have ever fallen asleep reading. And that is BAD. I'm not saying they weren't good books, they just weren't for me.

[Henry]

Jennifer wrote: "I liked it. I had to read it in AP Lang, and I really did like it. Sure there was very little connection between me and the characters, but I still enjoyed it.
To me, the worst books I have ever..."

Having never read the heart of darkness I can't comment on it. But Lord of the Flies had much more interesting characters.

[Diane]

Seriously? I think I fell in love with every word! And I find myself still yearning for that far away green light on the pier... But hey, go with your gut. A good book should speak to you, even somehow whisper into your soul, and if you're not "feeling" it, then that means there's another book out there waiting for its chance...

[Nathan]

It depresses me to see so many readers "hate" The Great Gatsby. It is a difficult task to find literature as compelling, deep and complex as this. I suppose that some of the book's greatness lies in the fact that many readers mistakenly feel it is so simple and boring.

[Liv]

Jamie wrote: "What? This was the second best book that I read in high school. Macbeth takes top honors."

Yay! Same here :)

[Liv]

I just don't understand why people detest it so much! I mean, no it's not the best book in the world, but it was far more interesting than half the other books I read in high school. I could understand how people could shrug their shoulders and say "eh" but not shudder and proclaim it the worst book ever!

However, don't feel bad that you dislike it, it says nothing about your lack of literary intelligence. My senior year AP English Lit teacher detested it as well, much to my confusion haha

[Geoffrey]

It depresses me to see so many readers "hate" The Great Gatsby. It is a difficult task to find literature as compelling, deep and complex as this. I suppose that some of the book's greatness lies in the fact that many readers mistakenly feel it is so simple and boring. Nathan

Maybe its because we have read so many other novels in which there is a greater complexity and depth of characters.

[Sherry]

Yep, had to read it in HS and found it incredibly boring. Made another attempt *after* HS; it was still boring! One person's great novel is another's "time I'll never get back!" The term great is clearly very personal.

Out of the top 50 books listed at www.thegreatestbooks.org, I've read 5 of them and made the attempt at several others but just couldn't stomach them!

[Beth]

I won't say that this book is for everyone, but it is one of my very favorites of all time. I was required to read it in high school like everyone else, but have read it again and again by choice since then. The characters have a depth and complexity that makes them fascinating, and it has been a fantasy of mine for some time to do a stage adaptation. I find that the best books are the ones that have enough layers that you get something new out of them each time you read them, and this is definitely one of those books. Yet it's short enough to be a quick read, making it even easier to pick up and re-read. You may not see the point in reading classic lit, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth your time. I hated Jack Kerouac's "On the Road", but I'm glad I read it because it helps me to understand a period in history, and a generation of people better than I could have otherwise.

[Liv]

Beth wrote: "I won't say that this book is for everyone, but it is one of my very favorites of all time. I was required to read it in high school like everyone else, but have read it again and again by choice s..."

Ooooh, a stage adaption would be awesome!! Maybe even like a musical or something? hmu if you ever do that and I'll buy the first ticket!! :D

[Gina]

Emu wrote: "It's not the WORST book ever; that would be Jane Eyre. But this is an easy number 2."

finally someone who dislikes Jane Eyre! So much for womens rights with that ending!

[Liv]

Gina wrote: "Emu wrote: "It's not the WORST book ever; that would be Jane Eyre. But this is an easy number 2."

finally someone who dislikes Jane Eyre! So much for womens rights with that ending!"

Wooooowwww - you ppl have some CA-RAZY ideas about bad books . . .

[Annelise]

Daisy is one of the most annoying characters I have ever encountered in a book. I absolutely hated this book and thought it was over-hyped. It was forced on me in high school or I would never have finished it.

[Geoffrey]

I would liken GG yo THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES in that both authors have a dim view of humanity. This one sidedness is what most of GG`s detractors take exception to, as evidenced by the posters on this message thread.

Literature is more than just good diction, poetic writing, novel structure....it`s also an author`s understanding of life. Fitzgerald`s take is way too one sided, a cynical take on the depravity of its characters. Doesn`t he have anything good to say about people? Or are they all parasitic gaddabouts?

[Liv]

well, Geoffrey, that is debatable. While it is true that literature is more than style and form, every author is entitled to incorporate his personal view of life into his/her narrative. That's what makes a novel different from an article. If you want unbaised or equal opinion, read the newspaper (although I doubt you'll find it there lol). Fitzgerald's viewpoint, while bleak, is something he is entitled to portray, and what makes a book so interesting is that it either supports a reader's viewpoint or challenges it. Can you imagine how boring reading a book would be if the author was not allowed or did not voice his convictions but instead attempted to make everyone happy?

[Donald]

Jamie wrote: "What? This was the second best book that I read in high school. Macbeth takes top honors."

god that right great book

[Gina]

Liv wrote: "Gina wrote: "Emu wrote: "It's not the WORST book ever; that would be Jane Eyre. But this is an easy number 2."

finally someone who dislikes Jane Eyre! So much for womens rights with that ending!"..."

its just Jane Eyre that I dislike, the Great Gatsby is one of my favourite books, i cant wait to read it in school myself

[Liv]

lol okay you are redeemed haha

[Kathleen]

I read the Gatsby in an AP honors course in high school. It was on a summer reading list, and I picked it because it was short. I agree with most people in this discussion that I hated it at 17 yrs. old. I just couldn't get into why Nick was so boring or why Daisy always cried everything either. I also didn't get why everyone idolized Gatsby even though he was the one throwing the parties and had all the money. I never aspired to be in the popular click, so maybe that's why I never could connect with Nick. However, I did read the book later as an adult. Fitzgerald's writing craft is beautifully executed, especially his use of symbolism; however, I agree that it seems more of a period piece. You read it to understand the 1920s a little better. If I were to try reading it again today, I would probably either read it all in one day or it would be the book that sits on my nightstand that I pick up every once in a while when I can't find the book I'm really reading.

[Christina]

I'm pretty young (18), but I found the story enjoyable. Like many, I read it in an AP course in high school. I will, however, admit that I probably won't ever choose to read it when I have spare time.

[Donald]

i love the book, but my question for all of you; what is the most interisting part of this book, describe and explain why

[Karl]

Stephen Fry was on to something when he said that sentence for sentence, there is no book as great as The Great Gatsby.

[Jimbo]

I'm pretty sure "Dildo Cay" is the worst book ever. Apparently, I can't include links, but it's easy to google.

[Fatema]

I had to read it for high school. It isn't the worst but it's definitely overrated.

[Sarah]

Can't disagree with you more. This is one of the BEST books ever. To each his own.

[Geoffrey]

And I preferred Hamlet, the equivocator.

[Joanne]

Wow -- I love this book and re-read it periodically because I find it so funny, wise and tragic. But I also know readers who find it boring. So I guess it's the classic case of "for every reader, there is a book and for every book, there is a reader."

[Trekscribbler]

Hmm. I read THE GREAT GATSBY mostly because of its loose association to George Remus. (For those of you who don't know who George Remus is, Google him and you'll see. In short, I absolutely L-O-V-E non-fiction surrounding Prohibition, but much of the literature I've found lacking.) It just didn't hook me. The story of Remus's real life is just so much more fascinating than anything that happens in the fairly predictable GATSBY.

[Whitty]

Huh? The Great Gatsby is one of the most technically perfect novels ever. In fact, it's exquisite! Fitzgerald's use of irony, imagery, color as symbolism, his references to TS Eliot's "The Wasteland", etc are genius!

[Trekscribbler]

Whitty wrote: "Huh? The Great Gatsby is one of the most technically perfect novels ever. In fact, it's exquisite! Fitzgerald's use of irony, imagery, color as symbolism, his references to TS Eliot's "The Wastelan..."
Yawn.

Sorry, that's all I got.

If you know the history of the people involved in GATSBY, then maybe you'd feel as I do. Maybe it's just that I always find real history far more fascinating than manufactured fiction.