The Great Gatsby (Penguin Modern Classics) (Paperback)

I took my time and savoured every word as it flowed along with a mysterious edge, causing me to be somewhat unsure of where you I was actually heading next.

Narrated by Nick Carraway who had been anxious to come out to the East (New York) after spending a rather dull childhood in the Midwest, I found Carraway a very interesting person. A bit of a schemer sometimes; one is never sure how he really feels about Jay.

Jay Gatsby is the enigma in this story; a rather poor officer who before he goes to war falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful Daisy Fay from Louisville. But what happens after the war???

The Great Gatsby having heard that his lovely Daisy has tied the knot with the uncouth, ill-mannered and filthy rich Tom Buchanan, goes to great measures to become wealthy too.... by all means. When he accomplishes this, he buys an elaborate house not far from the Buchanans where he hosts glittering and five star parties most weekends; with the hope that Daisy will eventually turn up.

You will be entertained and shocked by the things Jay Gatsby does all in the name of love. His parties filled with lots of celebrities and Hollywood people do nothing to assuage his troubled and lonely soul. I felt his pain in this book and his isolation which you will experience too when you read this book.

This is one of the best Classics on the market, even more so now that it has been updated. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to get my hands on F. Scott Fitzgerald's other updated ones; The Beautiful and The Dammed and Tender Is The Night. Fitzgerald is a boss and oh; the cover is soooo beautiful.

The Great Gatsby is developed in novel form around the story line of a Greek tragedy. Nick Carraway, Gatsby's neighbor, is the narrator, serving the role of the chorus. This choice of structure creates a marvelous reinforcement for the book's theme. The novel is constricted by the tragic form, even as Gatsby's future is by his immobilization by the past. If you like that sort of irony, you'll love The Great Gatsby.

Nick knows both Gatsby (his neighbor in West Egg, Long Island) and Daisy Buchanan (his cousin who lives in East Egg, Long Island). Daisy knew Gatsby before he was Gatsby and before meeting Tom, her husband. Gatsby has made himself into a rival for Daisy over the five years since they have last seen each other, and makes his play for her again through Nick about mid-way through the book. Daisy and Tom's responses shape the tragedy that is this story. I won't say more because it will harm your enjoyment of the novel.

The story itself is somewhat dated by the romantic perspective of the Roaring Twenties, and few will read it for the instant connection they will feel with the characters. Why would someone want to read this book? I see three reasons. The first is to explore the theme of moving illusions about the future built from the happiness of the past. The second is to see a fine example of plot development. There are no wasted words, actions, and thoughts. The third is to enjoy the language, which is beautifully expressive.

These are not characters you will find uplifting.

Why did Fitzgerald create such characters? Precisely because he did not approve and did not want you to approve. Everything that glitters is not gold is a way of summing up the lessons of this novel.

Why should someone not read this book? A reader who wants to be inspired by positive examples will find little to uplift oneself here. Someone who wants a story they can personally identify with will likely be disappointed. A student of how to create love and happiness will mainly find out how to create heartache and unhappiness. So the book is not for everyone.

After you have read the book, I would encourage the self-examining reader to consider where in one's own life the current focus is dominated by past encounters rather than future potential. Then consider how changing that perspective could serve you and those you love better.