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A review by foxfic
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a reimagining of The Great Gatsby from the perspective of Jordan Baker, Nick Carroway’s girlfriend in the original.
I’m not generally a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald or The Great Gatsby — I find the way Fitzgerald characterizes women to be tedious at best, especially given his real-life predilection for obsessing over old loves and plagiarizing the work of the women in his life.
This version, though? I loved it. The Chosen and the Beautiful elevates Daisy beyond the thoughtless temptress she’s portrayed as in the original. Through the eyes of Jordan Baker, Daisy is an unapologetic, mercurial creature — one who never pretends to be anyone other than who she is, and while fallible is ultimately genuine.
Jordan is also given new life, instead of being an afterthought in the narrative she is a major architect in the events surrounding Gatsby and Daisy’s ill fated love affair.
The world is filled with magical realism — Jordan can form entire beings out of paper, it’s rumored Gatsby has made a deal with demons, and Daisy possesses a near siren like charm.
Interwoven additionally are themes of unapologetic queerness, the privilege and freedom of choice that comes from being an independently wealthy woman, and the difficulties of navigating rich, white, and unflinchingly racist society as a Vietnamese immigrant.
The book reads like a fever dream in a fae realm, and just further cements Nghi Vo as one of my all time favorite authors.
I’m not generally a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald or The Great Gatsby — I find the way Fitzgerald characterizes women to be tedious at best, especially given his real-life predilection for obsessing over old loves and plagiarizing the work of the women in his life.
This version, though? I loved it. The Chosen and the Beautiful elevates Daisy beyond the thoughtless temptress she’s portrayed as in the original. Through the eyes of Jordan Baker, Daisy is an unapologetic, mercurial creature — one who never pretends to be anyone other than who she is, and while fallible is ultimately genuine.
Jordan is also given new life, instead of being an afterthought in the narrative she is a major architect in the events surrounding Gatsby and Daisy’s ill fated love affair.
The world is filled with magical realism — Jordan can form entire beings out of paper, it’s rumored Gatsby has made a deal with demons, and Daisy possesses a near siren like charm.
Interwoven additionally are themes of unapologetic queerness, the privilege and freedom of choice that comes from being an independently wealthy woman, and the difficulties of navigating rich, white, and unflinchingly racist society as a Vietnamese immigrant.
The book reads like a fever dream in a fae realm, and just further cements Nghi Vo as one of my all time favorite authors.