The Great Gatsby (Novel)

(spoiler alert..... read the book first... movie later...)

I feel that there is no need for me to explain or try to convince anyone why this book is so great. It is a classic novel that is not only well written but brings to life a view of how wealth and a certain mindset can lead to trouble. The title in itself is a commentary on what truly constitutes greatness. Gatsby was so "great" that the troubles he got into lead to his death... Personally, I never want to be that "great."

If you haven't recently read the book, here's a little something to boost your memory.

In reading this book I noticed how important it is that Nick Carraway is the narrator. Had the narration been done by Gatsby the story would be clouded by the fancies of his own mind. Gatsby is an extremely romantic thinker. His view is that once his love is always his love not realizing that other people move on. Gatsby is one who loves the past but also loves bettering himself for the future. All together his character is one that needs a clear-headed neighbor and narrator like Nick Carraway.

What makes me pity Gatsby is how generous he is with his wealth and how unappreciative most of his guests are. An argument can be made that a man doesn't need all the material things he owns and is therefore obligated to share in his splendor; however, I feel that Gatsby is often taken advantage of. The fact that Gatsby isn't a drinker also makes me question how much he enjoys the company of such boisterous guests. All of this just emphasizes how Gatsby feels the need to surround himself with fun, parties, and all around wealth in order to feel the greatness that he has created.

            Another emphasis of the novel is how corrupt the world of wealth and parties is. At one of Nick’s first parties a man wrecked his car and was too drunk to realize it. A night that was painted in such a dazzling light came to a close in the least flattering way. Throughout the novel there are hints to how unfortunate a life of greatness can be. It’s as if the writer was saying, rich people are just as loud and obnoxious as everyone else as long as you hang out with them long enough. This emphasized when Nick hung out with Tom, Myrtle, and her Sister. The night ended in Myrtle getting punched in the face, not a very civilized way to end a conflict especially for such classy people as themselves. The “classy” people end up being the most gaudy in the end.

This brings me to the movie that I have yet to see. I began reading the book just last week when commercials of the movie were already being played therefore my image of how the characters should look was skewed. That being said my skewed view thinks that the actors chosen seem to look the part. I plan on seeing the movie this weekend and will be back with a post on how good or bad it was.

(On an unrelated note... I have been listening to the movie soundtrack and it's amazing!)