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A review by paulaks
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A classic that is definitely a grower and worth a reread! It´s full of symbols, metaphors but to it´s core a boring novel.
1) The perspective: The Great Gatsby is written and told from Nick Carraway´s point of view. This confused me a lot at the beginning but it´s well choosen. Nick is really judgy and his opinion and views stem from a middle-class perspective. Because of that, Gatsby´s and everyone´s wealth seems bigger and more important. The novel wouldn´t have worked otherwise.
2) A lot of characters and names: It took a while to understand which characters are important because there are so many of them which we meet in a chaotic order. Once you know them it gets fun. Everyone is pretty unlikeable but well thought out.
3) Relationships: One of the most important themes explored. Wether it´s love, friendship, a fling, jealousy, obsession or pretending. It´s probably the most interesting topic to discuss since the dynamics are so complex and different.
4) Status, wealth, privilege: Obviously. How do we behave having or not having money? Why do we crave it? Is it important? Why does Gatsby want and has it? Comparing West Egg and East Egg. That´s just a handful of questions but definitely my favourite theme to explore.
5) Stereotypes, gender roles and cars?: The women are a catalyst most of the time - especially the "holy trinity": Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker and Myrtle Wilson. They are also very stereotypical like they´re male counterparts. A fun addition are the cars. Did Fitzgerald like cars? I don´t know but they were used in way I haven´t seen before e. g. women driving cars or as a status symbol.
6) Metaphors or symbols, to mention a few: The green light, Doctor T. J. Ecklenburg´s eyes, ashes, West / East Egg and the Midwest, colours and clothing and the list continues.....
7) The author: While researching I stumbled upon a discussion wether F. Scott Fitzgerald actually wrote the novel himself or if his wife Zelda did. Just an interesting thing to keep in mind or research if you are interested.
While it is an iconic piece of literature I found myself bored and confused while reading it. 4 stars for now ;)
1) The perspective: The Great Gatsby is written and told from Nick Carraway´s point of view. This confused me a lot at the beginning but it´s well choosen. Nick is really judgy and his opinion and views stem from a middle-class perspective. Because of that, Gatsby´s and everyone´s wealth seems bigger and more important. The novel wouldn´t have worked otherwise.
2) A lot of characters and names: It took a while to understand which characters are important because there are so many of them which we meet in a chaotic order. Once you know them it gets fun. Everyone is pretty unlikeable but well thought out.
3) Relationships: One of the most important themes explored. Wether it´s love, friendship, a fling, jealousy, obsession or pretending. It´s probably the most interesting topic to discuss since the dynamics are so complex and different.
4) Status, wealth, privilege: Obviously. How do we behave having or not having money? Why do we crave it? Is it important? Why does Gatsby want and has it? Comparing West Egg and East Egg. That´s just a handful of questions but definitely my favourite theme to explore.
5) Stereotypes, gender roles and cars?: The women are a catalyst most of the time - especially the "holy trinity": Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker and Myrtle Wilson. They are also very stereotypical like they´re male counterparts. A fun addition are the cars. Did Fitzgerald like cars? I don´t know but they were used in way I haven´t seen before e. g. women driving cars or as a status symbol.
6) Metaphors or symbols, to mention a few: The green light, Doctor T. J. Ecklenburg´s eyes, ashes, West / East Egg and the Midwest, colours and clothing and the list continues.....
7) The author: While researching I stumbled upon a discussion wether F. Scott Fitzgerald actually wrote the novel himself or if his wife Zelda did. Just an interesting thing to keep in mind or research if you are interested.
While it is an iconic piece of literature I found myself bored and confused while reading it. 4 stars for now ;)