#10: The Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald, F Scott: The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print. 180 pages.

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SETTING: 1922, Long Island and New York City.
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SUMMARY: Nick Carraway, a WWI veteran, Yale graduate, and bonds salesman, tells the story of the mysterious Jay Gatsby.
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "He smiled understandingly - much more than understandingly.  It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life." - Chapter 3, page 48.
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I read this novel in the 10th grade (I think), and I clearly remember enjoying it, but not nearly to the extent that others have raved about this story.  It's undoubtedly a well written and thoughtful story, but I don't find the story line to be so extraordinary as to warrant the fame it has acquired.  I'm sure popularity is the telling marker of whether or not a book will enter the "classics" category, but overall the entire process of how a novel becomes a classic is still a mystery to me.  Anyhow, I decided to reread this novel after recently watching the trailer for the upcoming film adaptation.  Why?  BECAUSE AMITABH BACHCHAN IS IN IT.  Now, I'm not into Bollywood films at all, but when you have a famous (possibly the most famous) South Asian actor in a Hollywood film, it's incredibly exciting (I'm South Asian, for those who don't know).  Since I have so much time on my hands right now, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to reread the novel in preparation for the movie.
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Things I liked about this book:

1. Nick Carraway!  He's the embodiment of goodness and honesty, and his character is used very well to contrast the faults and vices in the other characters.
2. The story reads like a diary.  It's a personal account, and I usually don't like first person narratives, but this is comfortable and flows well.  It also doesn't describe the narrator's emotions and thoughts as much as it is a storytelling of the other characters.
3. The setting.  When time travel is a reality, 1920s New York will be one of my destinations.
4. Gatsby's unwavering love. 
5. The creepy eyes from the ophthalmologist's billboard!  I love how it's randomly mentioned throughout the story.
6. The underlying theme of how people sometimes do find themselves living in the past, clutching desperately to memories and notions of "what life was like," and how it really can ruin a person.

Things I didn't like about this book

1. Tom and Daisy Buchanan.  If I am to ever meet such people, 99.6% chance I will not be their friend.
2. It is assumed that the reader is privy to the atmosphere of the 1920s United States.  I would have appreciated it if at least a few pages were dedicated to a detailed description of that time period, especially because the book was written in 1925.  A description from the author would have provided an authentic understanding of the 1920s, versus the assumptions the 21st-century reader will make based off of history lessons and movies.

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All in all, this story does not leave me with happy feelings.  I'm glad I reread it because I had completely forgotten the story line, but unlike what usually happens with books I reread at this age, I didn't finish the story with any greater insights than when I first read it.  Although I must say that I do have a better appreciation for Gatsby's love, and am probably sadder this time around than I was after the first read.
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Recommend?  Of course!  It's a classic...