Who Would Like This Book:
Step inside the glimmering, bittersweet world of the Roaring Twenties! The Great Gatsby is celebrated for its lush, poetic writing and razor-sharp observations of high society and longing. Fitzgerald’s classic is perfect for readers who love stories set in glamorous eras, who enjoy flawed, fascinating characters, and who appreciate novels that offer much more than meets the eye. Whether you’re a fan of tragic romance, rich symbolism, or American social history, there’s plenty here to dive into, discuss, and even debate. And at a brisk length, it’s also an ideal pick for those who want a classic that doesn’t ask for a huge time investment.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers find themselves at arm’s length from the book, put off by the shallow, selfish characters and the melancholy tone. If you’re looking for action-packed plots, characters to root for, or uplifting endings, Gatsby might leave you feeling cold. Others dislike the sometimes flowery prose or feel forced symbolism overshadows the story. High schoolers forced to read it may struggle to connect with the mature themes or subtleties of adult regret and disillusionment. If you want unambiguous heroes or a clear moral center, Gatsby probably won’t be your cup of tea.
About:
"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a classic American novel set in the 1920s, depicting the excesses and struggles of the Jazz Age. The story follows the enigmatic Jay Gatsby who transforms himself to win back his lost love, Daisy Buchanan, showcasing themes of the corrupting influence of wealth and the elusive nature of the American Dream. Fitzgerald's writing style is praised for its clear, melodious prose with engaging rhythm, and the book is noted for its rich symbolism and portrayal of flawed and complex characters.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of infidelity, domestic violence, death, and moral decay.
Has Romance?
Romance is a significant element in the story, particularly the complicated love between Gatsby and Daisy.
From The Publisher:
Invited to an extravagantly lavish party in a Long Island mansion, Nick Carraway, a young bachelor who has just settled in the neighbouring cottage, is intrigued by the mysterious host, Jay Gatsby, a flamboyant but reserved self-made man with murky business interests and a shadowy past. As the two men strike up an unlikely friendship, details of Gatsby's impossible love for a married woman emerge, until events spiral into tragedy.
Regarded as Fitzgerald's masterpiece and one of the greatest novels of American literature, The Great Gatsby is a vivid chronicle of the excesses and decadence of the "Jazz Age", as well as a timeless cautionary critique of the American dream.
Ratings (1615)
Incredible (176) | |
Loved It (405) | |
Liked It (450) | |
It Was OK (380) | |
Did Not Like (162) | |
Hated It (42) |
Reader Stats (2257):
Read It (1746) | |
Currently Reading (6) | |
Want To Read (300) | |
Did Not Finish (22) | |
Not Interested (183) |
34 comment(s)
3.5 stars rounded up. A modern American tragedy where the American Dream is equated with money, which in turn can buy you happiness and love. But can it? Poor Gatsby, you old sport.
Classic/10
I want someone to admire me as much as how Nick admires Gatsby.
Audio v en
I read this three years ago, but I don’t think I actually registered what it was reaching for, at least, it seems that way now.
The gaudy landscapes are suffused with vacuous pomps and platitudes, the inhabitants, disoriented, grasp for shallow ostentation and sentiment are sent reeling by the implacable vapidity; the individual is broken by the inexorable accumulation, the sensuous ring hollow. So incredibly poignant, to have constructed a work this effusive and melancholic, within the confine of only two hundred pages, it is a shattering apotheosis of its form.
I hate every single character in this book except the main character, who is ironically not important to the plot whatsoever. They all deserve to choke on dirt and the themes are not enough to justify such an intensity unpleasant journey.
Read to hear the rhythm in prose, great stylist.
I'm glad I never was forced to read this as a kid because I can understand where the hatred for reading would come from. Dear lord, this was such a tedious and overrated read. For a short book, it felt like it would never end.
A shimmering tale of gilded age America that isn’t afraid to poke holes in the idea of needless extravagance while empathising with its aims of ultimate fulfilment.
Prose, prose & prose. My first Fitzgerald & it is beautifully short & contains some of the best words that were ever written.
What can you read after
The Great Gatsby?
About the Author:
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) was born into a well-to-do Catholic family living in St Paul, Minnesota. At Princeton University he decided to become a writer, leaving without graduating in 1917 to join the army when America entered the First World War. Believing he would be killed at the front, he hurriedly wrote the novel that would become This Side of Paradise, but in the end was not sent to Europe. The novel was published in 1920 to great critical acclaim. He married Zelda Sayre a week after the publication and they embarked on an extravagant lifestyle in New York. Their marriage was blighted by alcoholism, mental illness and financial strife, and provided much material for Scott's numerous short stories and subsequent novels - The Beautiful and Damned (1922), The Great Gatsby (1925) and Tender is the Night (1934). Fitzgerald died aged forty-four, and is regarded as one of America's greatest and most influential writers.
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