Book Review: The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published by Scribner
Publication Date June 1, 2003
Source: Library
Genres: Classic
Goodreads

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,” it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.

The Great Gatsby starts out slow, like the tortoise and the hare slow, but like the tortoise its a winner.

Like I said, The Great Gatsby takes a while too easy into until Daisy’s husband Tom is seen having an open affair it was a bit like wallpaper paste.  But then Tom slugs his annoying, snob of a mistress Myrtle in the face, and to be honest if he hadn’t I would have found a way myself.

The Great Gatsby actually reminded me of Wuthering Heights, none of the characters were likable and both focus on wealth and class (hell both Cathy and Daisy chose dollar signs over true love).  Also, there is a confrontational scene between Tom/Daisy/Gatsby that parallels that of Linton/Cathy/Heathcliff (and did you notice that both of the home wreckers go by their surnames?)  Anyway, the confrontation involves a “who loves who” which climaxes like a good orgasm.

F. Scott Fitzgerald writes with such clarity that it is easy to imagine yourself in that era, sipping champagne with the glitz and glam of bootlegging and wealth.  An exhilarating read!