ISBN13: 9780743273565
Average Rating: 3.85
My Rating: 4 out of 5 Summer Vacations (Yes I realize that doesn't make sense. Ha.)
Hello peeps! I am pleased to inform you that my freshman year of high school is complete! Aaand! Book Club vice president in the house! I finished the year with good grades, managing to stay with my group of friends, and a book club promotion so uhm.. yay! But anyway! I am still on week one of Summer Break and trying to avoid working on Summer projects. I finished reading this book last week. This book is one of the classics, and is considered the 'great American novel' so I was excited to read this for myself. Even though I'll have to read it over again in the 11th grade.
I can see why this book is considered that though, since Gatsby moves from the Midwest to New York to pursue the 'American Dream' and get rich in the stock market (Since this is the 1920s) Of course, the main characters are all white too so that to helps. I can go on about how almost all of the candidates for 'Great American' novel status are extremely racist but hey! It is also an endearing and honest rags to riches story that sets a great example to the children... wait.
The book also didn't have as much symbolism, or imagery as other 'school books' this year.(I group this as a school book because again, it's covered in Junior year English) There were things to mention though, like shiny cars, bright lights, colors "the green light...". Also, another thing going against it, the characters were all horrible people. Nick is a narcissist, saying things along the lines of 'I'm the only honest man left alive' and is a little disgusted (and probably jealous) of Gatsby. Nick may be committing the 'lesser evils' compared to the rest of the characters but by no means is he a saint. As for Daisy, she is in a word, irresponsible. She leads on two different men at once, one is a cheater himself and broke his mistress' nose, and the other is an active member in organized crime. She pays no mind to 1) what is best for her daughter (whom by the way doesn't get enough emphasis except for Daisy's "little girl you should be a fool'' speech) and 2) the consequences of her actions which eventually cause the deaths of several people. And then there's Gatsby. He is an excellent example of a spoiled, rich, unappreciative American. He has more money than he knows what to do with, not in prison (which I say because he probably should be) but he is also a lonely, broken romantic. So pretty much Christian Grey. "Daisy. Red room of pain. Now." Sorry. Bad joke. But still... character similarities! Then again he also reminds me of Mr. Rochester of Jane Eyre but that wouldn't quite as humorous.
No. I liked this book pretty much for one thing. The depth. Lots of Classic books are like onions, you think you understand them on the surface but then all of a sudden you pull back another layer and there's so many things you never even noticed before. And occasionally... while in the kitchen with your mother making dinner... they will make you cry. (Okay maybe not often) Anyway! When I poked around online about this book there were so many detailed discussions about plot, characters, theme, etc. They talked about things I hadn't even had the faintest thought about. For example, 'Is Nick secretly gay and in love with Gatsby?' I was like... what?! But apparently everyone notices that one. I mentioned it to my English teacher out of curiosity and she pretty much said "Well. Duh." It made me feel like a total dunce. It made me go back through the pages and really look. I was tempted to read the book over again with a fine toothed comb just to see I would find any other Easter eggs like that. I truly think that right there is the sign of a good author. I applaud you, F Scott Fitzgerald. Nice job.
Thanks for Reading!
-R
No. I liked this book pretty much for one thing. The depth. Lots of Classic books are like onions, you think you understand them on the surface but then all of a sudden you pull back another layer and there's so many things you never even noticed before. And occasionally... while in the kitchen with your mother making dinner... they will make you cry. (Okay maybe not often) Anyway! When I poked around online about this book there were so many detailed discussions about plot, characters, theme, etc. They talked about things I hadn't even had the faintest thought about. For example, 'Is Nick secretly gay and in love with Gatsby?' I was like... what?! But apparently everyone notices that one. I mentioned it to my English teacher out of curiosity and she pretty much said "Well. Duh." It made me feel like a total dunce. It made me go back through the pages and really look. I was tempted to read the book over again with a fine toothed comb just to see I would find any other Easter eggs like that. I truly think that right there is the sign of a good author. I applaud you, F Scott Fitzgerald. Nice job.
Thanks for Reading!
-R
