The Great Gatsby

Somehow through both high school and an MA in English, I managed to miss reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.  So when I discovered that Baz Luhrmann was making it into a movie, I decided to read the book before going to see it.

Right when I read the first page, I knew The Great Gatsby wasn’t going to be my kind of book.  I could tell from the way it was written, and how it had a slow build; I much prefer books where I can jump right into the action.  But even though it was a struggle, I persevered and ended up enjoying it.

The Great Gatsby is all about one summer in Long Island, New York, when Nick Carraway finds himself living next door to Jay Gatsby.  Gatsby throws outrageous parties every weekend and Nick slowly finds himself caught up in the drama surrounding the man.  But just who is the mysterious Gatsby?  None of the other party-goers seem to know, content to fling wild rumours around about their host.  But slowly Nick finds himself getting to know the real Gatsby, the man who hides behind a smokescreen of wealth and decadence.

The Great Gatsby is a great commentary on the American dream during the roaring-twenties.  It is a curious book, full of moral corruption and yet centers around an enduring hope.  Although it wasn’t really my type of book, I still liked it.  Hopefully if you’re like me and have never read it, you’ll consider giving it a shot as well.