F. Scott Fitzgerald's the Great Gatsby (Barron's Book Notes) [Paperback]

Anthony S. Abbott (Author)

Book Description

Series: Barron's Book Notes | Publication Date: November 1984

A guide to reading "The Great Gatsby" with a critical and appreciative mind encouraging analysis of plot, style, form, and structure. Also includes background on the author's life and times, sample tests, term paper suggestions, and a reading list.

Product Details

• Paperback: 102 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (November 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812034155
• ISBN-13: 978-0812034158
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,726,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Great Gatsby and The American Dream, July 8, 2000

By 

Andreea Chirculescu - See all my reviews

This review is from: F. Scott Fitzgerald's the Great Gatsby (Barron's Book Notes) (Paperback)

F S FITZGERALD - THE GREAT GATSBY The best descriptions of Fitzgerald was made by one of his critics : "he stood outside the ballroom , a little boy with his nose to the glass , wondering how much the tickets cost and who paid for the music " . His place in American literature was clearly defined . He records an age and a particular social circle within the age . The Great Gatsby is a character study of a wealthy Long Island parvenu , Jay Gatsby . Gatsby , who had aquired his fortune through shady means , is the archietype of the American self made man , seen in the hurried -crazy alchooldominated haze of the Jazz age , but through the eyes of Nick Carraway , an objective cold blooded observer who represents the the older values of the American Middle west before the war ; The Great Gatsby gives expensive parties , he recalls his struggled youth with romanticism and he seeks to rearrange his friends lives to suit himself . In fact through this behaviour he tried to escape his loneliness of fear of remaining alone . When he rencounters Dasy Fay , a youthful love romance whose memory he has long cherished but who is now married to Tom Buchanan , he seeks to take up the affair where he left off . Dasy ,driving Jay from New York to Long Island in his car , runs over and kills a woman named Myrtle Wilson , who by improbable coincidence is Tom Buchanan`s mistress. Myrtle`s husband , who has seen the car before in the possession of Buchanan , follows Jay , murders him and kills himself . Gatsby`s funeral is attended only by Nick and Jay`s father . The Great Gatsby is a study of success and presents the evolution and developement of the american dream : a poor boy is hurted by a rich and beautiful girl , spends his life in order to aquire wealth and this way to become worthy of her , then finds , after he has achived success that the girl was not worthy of his struggle . The "mystery " of Gatsby , uncovered by Nick Carraway as the novel evoluates , is that his extravagant and vulgar way of life represents an attempt , perhaps subconscious freudian struggle , to win the recognition of the beautiful Dasy who rejected him years before because he was poor and unknown .

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Is Greater Than Gatsby, October 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: F. Scott Fitzgerald's the Great Gatsby (Barron's Book Notes) (Paperback)

This book was excellent in my opinion. It contained love, lust, undying devotion, betrayal, and every other element that makes for a good love story. But it was more than that, meaning can be found in each and every character. Some characters such as Daisy represented the times (the 20's), as she was dependent upon her husband and was nothing more than the vision her husband held in his eyes. While a character such as Gatsby represented the struggle that we shall face until the end of time. The struggle I speak of is one of the heart. If you are at all romantic, I suggest this book to you, and if you are not I suggest it to you because of its intrigue and content.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "GREAT" Gatsby, May 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: F. Scott Fitzgerald's the Great Gatsby (Barron's Book Notes) (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book. I admit, I was surprised. I went into reading this book as a big task, something to be avoided at all costs. But when I really got down to reading it, I realized how interesting the book actually was. The first chapter or so was a bit slow, but after that the storyline just kept gaining momentum. I strongly believe that F. Scott Fitzgerald was the premier writer of the "Jazz Age." "The Great Gatsby" is often referred to as the quintessential novel of the "Jazz Age" and I believe that this is very true! Although he was a great writer, I think he was a little politically incorrect. He also used a lot of plays on words, which made reading the novel a little more confusing. The notes in the back of the book did help a little but it was more confusing then it needed to be. I did like how Fitzgerald used the first person. It lets us get really close inside the narrator's head and that's nice to be able to do. Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and I can't wait to read other books by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Thank you for listening and V.A. rules.