Customer Reviews

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

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

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 .

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.

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.

The Great Gatsby is a fascinating book to read. It contains several different types of characters-the selfish, the brutal, the ambitious, and even the reserved characters; all add a touch of intrigue to the book. Jay Gatsby's ambition in the book, gives us the amazing faith within us, that we can achieve anything, as long as we work hard for it. Yet, in the end, does working hard, and having all the materialistic goods in the world to own for yourself, make you a happy person?????

The Great Gatsby is an awesome novel due to the fact that it described how life was in the 1920s. It can be easily inferred from the novel that it was not very good for the women. I WOULD RECCOMEND INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL AGES TO READ IT!!! I think Tom Buchanan was a GOOFBALL!!!

THE GREAT GATSBY BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD WAS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS THAT A HIGH SCHOOLER CAN POSSIBLY BE FORCED TO READ!

I thought this book was a well written novel and I enjoyed it very much. I have read it more than twice and I can read it again. I love a novel that gives some kind of excitement.

Fitzgerald's Gatsby is an outstanding book for study. The more one examines it, the more interesting the book becomes. On the surface it is enjoyable to read, with odd and funny characters and some surprising plot twists. Look deeper and you'll find a very interesting commentary on the values of rich American society in the 1920's.

The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald is definitely one of the better novels I have ever read. The emphasis on the era of the 20's gives the novel an unique and interesting spin. Fitzgerald makes every single character come to life, and allows the reader to understand their thoughts and emotions. The reader sympathizes with Gatsby who is obsessed with the past and is constantly living his life through his dreams. Fitzgerald displays the perfection of Daisy and as the novel develops it is evident that Gatsby will never get his ideal woman, Daisy Buchanan. In this novel Fitzgerald works several different angles which captivate the reader.

The book is great because it demonstates that if we do not live in the present and hope for the future we will be doomed to make the mistakes of the past. However the nuetral style in which it is written leaves me to ponder if Fitzgerald should have been the one to write this. Maybe someone else could have done better with characters. Oh well, this is still worth reading. 3/5