why the great gatsby is the greatest american novel

[oscar wild]

i was totally shocked when my yale tutor told me this

i have to say that the language does not stand out; the plot is not as good as i thought; and scholars used so much attention in studying the so called jazz age-----the book didnt sell well when it first appeared in the us

can someone tell me the significance of this book in american literature

[Sir Bartholomew]

my first thought about it was that it was perfect. perfect in the sense that it's free from excess pretense, it's readable, impressionable without the fuss, and it tells a good story.

[Coco]

I think the language is beautiful. Very poetic.

The novel shows the "evil" of the East vs. the innocence of the Midwest. It makes a powerful commentary on the nature of the country.

I don't happen to think this is THE greatest American novel. I am partial to Huck Finn myself. I don't admire Jay Gatsby in any way and disagree with Nick's calling him "Great." All that is great about Gatsby is his great hope and determination, however silly it is, loving a shallow thing like Daisy Buchanan. Still, he lives the American Dream: a common man becomes rich.

[JBI]

Dig at it, for 100 pages it carries labyrinthine dimensions. Every word, character, description, and thought is meaningful; you can write an essay on the choice of anything. I have read countless papers on colour references, vision references, and time references. The all knowing drunk owl eyes, or the guy who lives in Gatsby's house, but isn't known. All additional dimensions. The pace of the novel, the growth of Nick. The fact that the novel has two main characters who both like and hate each other, or the fact that the narrator seduces the reader into believing him, even though his reliability is questionable at best.

I don't like the book, but it is a damn well written book, I'll give them that.

For me, the best American novel is probably My Antonia.

[HotKarl]

JBI nailed it; this book it loaded. This book themeatizes America's main goal--the escape of time: frequent references to watches, the final page that talks about rowing into the current, Gatsby's attempts to recreate the past. Then there's traditional modern themes of the wasteland (the valley of ashes) and the rebirth of society (East and West Egg). Themes of class, racism, interpelation, the confusion of the sacred and the profane. Just wow. JBI already mentioned the paradox of Nick Carraway's unreliably reliable narrative. And the language is astounding. I remember a line about light creating a doorway that was just amazing. No one else in American lit uses metonymy so well. Every time I read this novel it blows my mind.

[kelby_lake]

i love the language! it just falls into my memory. no, it's not a edge-of-your-seat page-turner, but it's beautiful. It's a book that leaves a mark on you, and things aren't explained in annoying detail. I'm wary of calling anything greatest.

[Emmy Castrol]

my first thought about it was that it was perfect. perfect in the sense that it's free from excess pretense, it's readable, impressionable without the fuss, and it tells a good story.

I agree, it's perfect in its simplicity and lack of pretense. It's so complete, managing to capture a feel of the whole country at that moment in history, including all its problems and dreams. And the language is lovely, so rhythmic. Fitzgerald put so much of himself into this book he never wrote so well again.

[free]

Fitzgerald has a very well developed sense for descriptive details that he uses to deepen the situation or depiction of his characters. These details are not banal, but very subtile and corresponding to the aim he wants to complete. I like his style, more than what he writes about. It makes his books enjoyable to read, like a sweet desert (of course, if you like sweets :) ).

[Emil Miller]

The power of this novel lies in what's implied as well as in what's overtly stated. It encompases the individual's place in society and the attempt to justify one's existence within it. The amazing thing is that these colossal themes are so beautifully expressed in so few pages. I would rate it as one of the greatest novels ever to have been published.

[hellsapoppin]

The novel was initially well received by critics when it appeared in 1925. But it did not become a best seller for several years to come. I have always theorized that it took the Great Depression to alter it from a good novel, a good read, into a classic book that is now regarded by many as the USA's greatest novel of the 20th century. In truth I feel that this praise is a bit too generous. Yes, it is a good book. But the greatest of the 20th century, the greatest in USA history? Not likely. For my money and for what it's worth, Moby Dick and the writings of Sinclair Lewis are vastly superior. But that's only my opinion, not necessarily a "fact".

So why did it take the Great Depression to make it into a best seller? I suppose it is because it casts wealthy elites in a bad light. This was done in several movies during the 1930s. Watch movies such as "Come and Get It", "The Devil and Daniel Webster", "My Man Godfrey", "Robin Hood", and so many others that portray the poor and the many injustices they suffer at the wicked hands of the elites. Indeed, it was the greed and rapacity of the elites that caused the Great Depression and the terrible widespread poverty that impoverished so many people. Small wonder why the wealthy were made to look bad while the poor were made to look good.

In the novel Gatsby arose from a humble origin and ultimately achieved what we Yanks call "The American Dream" in which he lived like an elitist. But he achieved this through a life of crime - one that is not fully discussed in the narrative. While he had been a war hero, he did not prosper at the end of the war. It took a long association with an underworld figure for him to come into some really big money. Once he had the resources, he conducted many lavish parties in the hopes of impressing other elites among him. But it was all artifice as he long ago lost the girl of his dreams, continually lied about his background, and never made any real friends. In fact when he dies nobody comes to his funeral except for his dad and a few servants. His dream girl kills another woman but she and her husband drive off with impunity. No one is held accountable for the loss of an innocent life. Such is the corruption of the elites and of a society that tolerates their excesses. This is what made America turn to Progressive politics in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. The book so accurately portrayed these excesses, these evils, that Americans took to it as a way of affirming what they knew about elites and elitism. This is why it became a best seller after that time (or so I believe).

Best seller, yes. Best book ever? Sorry, I am not convinced. But please feel free to disagree.