The exemplary novel of the Jazz Age, F. Scott Fitzgeralds’ third book, The Great Gatsby (1925), stands as the supreme achievement of his career. T. S. Eliot read it three times and saw it as the “first step” American fiction had taken since Henry James; H. L. Mencken praised “the charm and beauty of the writing,” as well as Fitzgerald’s sharp social sense; and Thomas Wolfe hailed it as … Fitzgerald’s “best work” thus far. 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 remarked, “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,” it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s that resonates with the power of myth. A novel of lyrical beauty yet brutal realism, of magic, romance, and mysticism, The Great Gatsby is one of the great classics of twentieth-century literature.
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Insightful into the world of the rich with not much to do …in decades past.
Classic
Horrible characters which any socially redeeming values
Has one of the best closing lines ever written. I am a true Fitzgerald fan and this is a Great American Novel only he could write.
This is an iconic book. If you’ve read it in high school, ; you should re-read it as an older adult. Fitzgerald is still very relevant and describes American re-invention at its best.
I know this is supposed to be a classic but I have never been able to get very far into it. Just nothing to sink my teeth into.
A classic
YUCK
I always heard this was a wonderful book, but never took the time to read it. What was I thinking!?! I enjoyed this book from start to finish and wish I would’ve read it a lot sooner.
This is a wonderful book depicting the era. You can easily visualize and feel the emotion of each character. Scott Fitzgerald is a time Las author.
way overrated.
A classic.
A classic and one that should be re-read in adulthood!
Worth reading many times
Great American Classic
Jay Gatsby, a self-made man who never gives up on his dream, is a character who endures. His mystery draws in the reader and through Gatsby, Fitzgerald writes a scathing critique of 1920s America. This an intelligent book, tackling themes such as love, social status, money, illusion and crucially, the American Dream. A must read.
Fitzgerald does an excellent job of describing the roaring twenties, when booze was illegal and “underground” parties were on the rise. Depicts an affair in high society of New York.
This is one of my favorite novels. It has to do with the perfection of words. I did not bond with the period or the characters, yet, I was swept away by the beauty of the the writing! Fitzgerald at his finest.
I vacillate between thinking this is the great American novel, or giving my vote to “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Both are worth re-reading every few years.
This has been the victim of a few bad movies. Don’t let that stop you from reading the novel.
Hands down Great Gatsby is such a classic.