Great Gatsby Review

i really dont think you fully understand the book so maybe u shouldnt be commenting. Gatsby did not have only the best intentions. He knew what he was doing - he had his parties only to get Daisy to come. When he wanted to marry her he was poor, and even though she told him she'd wait for him she didnt because Tom had more money (hence the $250,000 pearl neckalace he gave her at a time (the 1920's) where the average person made $4,000 a year). Your right, she was a brat, but it was more than that. she was an amoral person and she and tom ruined lives and left others to clean up the mess. IN THE END gatsby turned out to be the best out of all of them - "worth the whole lot.." but not necessarily the best. If Gatsby turns out all right in the end, you have to re-evaluate what morality is (taking in the time period of course, where there was the mofia, bootlegging and a lot of money circualting). Sure, Gatsby was a good man - whos to say he wasnt? But the collosal vitality of his dream of being with Daisy overpowered him and it took over all his morals. Just as Fitzgerald did with Zelda, Gatsby somehow (unbeknownst to the reader) gained a lot of money to win Daisy's hand. He honestly thought she would just leave Tom. And no, "prick" is a dumb way to critique the character of Tom, he is a racist, womanizer and sexist. But REMEMBER: the morality of this society was at its lowest point that Americas ever dealed with. They didn't have any type of God being represented or any code of ethics shown. THe closest thing they had to God was Dr. Eckleburg. That is Wilson's whole point of being in this WHOLE BOOK! to point out to us that these people had no god - whehter immoral or amoral they didn't have people who honestly stopped and said "hey this is wrong". And just as everyone else is, Gatsby is lured into the society of greed and money. "THEY WERE CARELESS PEOPLE..."

Forget that, Gatsby did a little of column A and alittle of column B.<br><br>Buying a new dress and all that stuff was to cover up his illegal affairs. I mean he was always inside taking a call or in a meeting during his parties. He just wanted to seem like a natural rich person that threw tons of awesome parties. So then the parties were used to hopefully lure Daisy, but it didn't really work.<br><br>It was two birds with one stone, i mean come on, give Gatsby is alittle more credit than feeling bad about a torn dress. Sure it's not in the text, but literature is all about inferencing.

What do you mean drag yourself to read it or that it was mind-numbing? You've clearly not read a lot. I'm 16 and even I can appreciate that TGG is an incredible literary work. I'm doing my AS-level coursework on it and I can honestly say it is the first time that I will have written a piece of coursework about a book I have actually liked. Rosie knows what she's talking about (and no that does not make it a girl's book). Like G, get past the first few pages, and don't be narrow-minded about it, you might actually enjoy it.<br>The quotations you suggest aren't the greatest either. Look at the presentation of Dr.T.J.Eckleburg instead, you have to appreciate that as fine writing. As much as it pains me to say it the American Fitzgerald knew what he was doing.

Each character is not distinct personality they are all just a clone of the fact that each of them are shallow, selfish and concerned only for wealth. Daisy goes back on her word and marries Tom, does not take responsibility for her actions of killing Myrtle. Jordan supposedly lied in a golf tornement and blows hot and cold with Nick and Myrtle denies her vows of marriage and is treated like an object by all men. She's simple and tries to be something she's not. (like when she changes a million times at the house)

Well everyone here seemed to believe that I should read the book all the way through to try and get a different perspective of it. So I have. And I'm terribly sorry but I fail to see the appeal of this book. I think it's Fitzgerald's style of writing is what I have a problem with. I can appreciate that the book demonstrates a billion and one "themes" so to speak, the corruption of Commercialism, The american dream and the detrimental effect that dream can have on a person etc. However I don't believe that these aspects make it a fantastic book, they make it mildly interesting but rather dry. Also I would like to point out to most of the commenters that I am NOT an unintelligent person. The fact that all or almost all of you attempted to fill out your response by denouncing my oppinion as that of an imbecile proves that you were having difficulty finding other fault. I admit, perhaps I was a little narrow-minded (thanks for pointing that out appreciative), but that never has and never will suggest intellectual incompetence. So please stop suggesting that I'm stupid, or that I don't read enough. If 2 or more books per night, every night of the year is not reading enough, Then there is something wrong with this world.

Gatsy's whole money-making process is based on the idea that the ends justify the means, so whatever your personal opinion on that concept is will affect how you see Gatsby. It is made clear in the book that he made his money by illegal means. Personally, I do not believe he himself, his person, was corrupt, but I do think his methods were. Unfortunately, there was no way for a person of his birth to rise to the top of the social order except by corrupt means at the time. In his heart, I think, he was a pure, loving, and loyal person. But truly, he was too naive for his station in life--a fact shown by his sincere belief that Daisy would wait for him. Oh, and just for the record, I truly believe that, in their own, shallow way, Daisy and Tom loved each other. They loved each other as much as they loved anything else. Perhaps it wasn't much, but it was all they were capable of. Gatsby's love for Daisy was more intense and pure because he wasn't afflicted with the materialistic crippling inflicted naturally upon those born members of the higher social classes. They were crippled at birth and while they are not to be excused because of it, they should be pitied. They've loved each other as much and as well as they could. End tangent. *smiles*

As a HUGE McCaffery fan (who has an open invitation to visit her home at any time) I wish to point out that liking sci fi/fantasy does NOT preclude one from enjoying this book. I enjoyed it also, though it is not my very favorite. It's just silly to use the fact that McCaffery is your favorite author as grounds for disliking The Great Gatsby. Oh, but I don't think you're stupid or uneducated. I just think you're undermotivated. Personally, I find it utterly ridiculous that one who reads as much as you claim to couldn't read an exceptionally short novel and write a paper on it. Instead you watch the movie. That's exceptionally lazy for one who can apparently read very quickly and easily. Oh, and several of your quotes are not in the book, as others have said. Recheck your source.<br><br>Oh, and just as a side tangent, if you read two or more books per night and they aren't Dr. Seuss (or something of similar length), you spend too much time in a fantasy world and need to get a life in reality. You will never live on Pern. Sorry. Stop deluding yourself and face life. Perhaps that's why you didn't enjoy this book--it portrays real life in all its ugliness, unlike the soaring dragons and thrilling adventures of fantasy. Sorry, but F'lar didn't really save the world. While Gatsby and the others didn't actually exist either, the situations and themes within are true and real.

Cool, but 2 books a night? Really? what do you do during the day.<br>After drawing all day, I can barely read 50 pages without my eyes pouncing my brains. But anyway, the 'Great Gtasby' should be read simply put, becuase (did I mispell that I can barely tell) you will be a better person after you've suffered through it. Just like schollyard bullying. Anyways 'Gatsby' wont kill you. Actually it is the type of book that at first seems cumbersome, but after some digesting (pause) it is quite magnificent.

Hey! Just wanted to let you know that I like your view of the book! I agree completely on the hating and boring. It bored me and I also hated it and didn't even bother to finish reading it! Thanks!

The ability to read The Great Gatsby is not something that everyone possesses. It takes an intellectual mind and someone who is able to fully understand Daisy, Gatsby, Nick and the others actions to appreciate the book. <br>It is obvious by reading some of the comments here that not everyone is at that level yet, or will ever be. I have read this book multiple times and will read it many times to come. You would think that someone in "Advanced English" could comprehend it but we can all tell that advanced must be another way of saying assisted in that school.<br>

Jay so loved Daisy he devoted his life to the furthering of himself and his financial base, so he could impress her enough to have her again. Few people have had a love so deep. Be it for a false person or not. That is one of the reasons Gatsby is great.

I am interested to know where your information came from, I also just read this book for year 11 at school and your information seems to come from some other resource, certainly not this book. I dont think it mentions in the book where daisy and jay meet, and certainly not to the detail you explained. I would like to know if this comment is reliable and I will check back in a few days, but i do belive you must be bull****ting, or just delusional, or maybe read another copy of the great gatsby, because I have no idea what you are talking about. Please help, I am confused.

duh it all symbolized the plot and what happens in the book<br>

OH come now. no matrix applications to this book please =P (refering 2 comment on 15/4/2003)

All offence dont you think that you are a complete whacko for anylysing the cars??!!! they're CARS for christ sake!!!! Do you really think that F. Scott Fitzgerald really wrote about the cars to tell the story?<br>Its the american dream??!?!? <br>They Sleep around, they cheat, they lie, they bash women, they lie and kill each other!!! AND then go off and find out how the CARS tell them about the time they're stuck in. Sweet Jesus!!!! <br><br>You silly yank I hope your life ends out in your 'American Dream' you over-<br>analytical Weirdo. <br><br>

I think that Gatsby's parties had one purpose/motivation: to flaunt his opulent wealth enough to attract Daisy (who obviously didn't come because she had enough money to not be remotely concerned) and, should Daisy happen to come, to even further show the extent of his wealth!

I completely agree because I felt the same way. I think that Fitzgerald's style is kind of selfish in that he doesn't write for the pleasure of his audiences, but instead every detail in his book have to be gathered and analyzed very carefully to fully understand the plot. He forces the reader to do some hard thinking in order to keep up with the plotline, thus its complicatedness.

duh, obviously you did'nt read it entirely, if you stop after ten pages, do you really expect it to be good ??? <br>i am going into 10 grade and i read this book because it was a classic. i don't agree with the fact that it isn't interesting. however, it all depends on what you feel like reading, if all you want to read is star wars, this book is not for you . but you are entitled to your opinion.

In that time, the world, mainly the USA was filled with dreams. thus the american dream theme during the book. however, fitzgerald takes a stab at the situation by basically denouncing the american dream as it corrupts everyone: daisy, gatsby, jordan, tom, and to an extent, nick. this was probably the greatest american novel since uncle tom's cabin.

When I read the comments of people who found the book "too boring" to even finish, I truly begin to wonder on what kind of literacy level they consider themselves to be. As far as the classics go, this is one of the easiest novels to read: it is short in length and in my opinion, full of questions and curious situations that make it unable to be put down until the very last word. Maybe those who found it boring and hard to read should stick to simple children stories and not attempt to read fine literary classics such as TGG when they are obviously too far above their comprehension.

I think the problem with asigning this book to high school students is that many of the themes that deal with the human condition are foreign to them. Themes of corruption, time and capitalism are easier to understand. <br><br>The soul of the story revolves around a nobody that has spent his life struggling to make something of himself to somehow re enter Daisy's life--to be what Tom was. The memory of Daisy has haunted him and she has been placed on a pedestal in his mind and he is somehow trying to "relive the past". This is something that is impossible, but not to Gatsby. Because he has made so much money, he thinks that he can have whatever he wants. He throws parties in his huge masion to show his wealth and hopefully have her "wander into one of his parties".<br><br>Of course Gatsby can never fully grasp the relationship that has been built between Tom and Daisy. Gatsby still believes that she can be in love with him. This is self-deception on his part. And the dream he has comes undone by reality.<br><br>Most of the students that read this in grades 10-12 will more fully appreciate it in their 20's, when some of Gatsby/Daisy/Nick's experiences will mean something personally. In the mean time, study the book. Learn whatever you can about one of the greatest works of fiction ever written and be patient.

I totally agree with you on this. You wrote this really well and pulled out specific points from the book, KUDOS for you~! :)

well that was a little harsh you snake...you don't go around tossin people's opinions like that you fag!!!! infact i thought it was great how he took it from that point of view

L, I've read your comments (having just stumbled across this site), and to be honest, I couldn't disagree more.<br><br>I first read TGG in college, on my own (I've never had to read it for an English class), and it took me a whopping two hours. I was blown away. In the subsequent fifteen or so years, I have read the book an average of once a year, and every time I read the book, I come away with a new perspective on it.<br><br>One thing to keep in mind, though, is that sometimes the historical context of TGG gets lost as we move farther and farther away, in time, from the 1920s. I've had an interest in the Roaring Twenties since I was young, though, and perhaps that's why I can read the novel over and over again. If you read the novel from a 21st-century perspective without sufficient knowledge of the historical context to which to attach it, it's easy to see why TGG bored you, but I recommend you reread the book if you happen to be in a class studying the Roaring Twenties; it gives you a perspective most history texts don't.

Nick never thought Gatsby was all that great. "Gatsby who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn."-pg 6. He does state that Gatsby turns out alright in the end but everything that preyed on Gatsby was what the real trouble was.

oook "hillary LeSwank" For starters, I'm not a yank, I'm an aussie. Secondly of course Gatsby didn't write about the cars specifically to portray this that or the other thing. But in writing about hte time things such as that come up without them being specifically intended. If you can't find anything to annalyse in the book, then perhaps you're not much of an english student? That's not meant to be offensive or anything, it's just a fact that you need to be able to analyse techniques if you want to do well in english. Your oppinions are not the only ones in existance and you shouldn't try to force you're own ideals on other people, neither should I or anyone else. So get down of your high horse and realise you're not the best thing since sliced bread.

First, I think hillary needs to relax. If the opinions of other people get you that worked up you will probably die young and slow. Secondly I thought it may be interesting to mention Fitzgerald is quoted as saying,<br>"the book contains no important woman character and women control the fiction market at present". As we know the women direct the entire book.

It's not so much Gatsby that is corrupt but his dream. It was corrupted because Gatsby had imagined that Daisy was perfect and in reality she was far from it. Daisy was unworthy of Gatsby because she was materialistic, which was acceptible for those of her social class and of the time. She gave up love for social class.

I liked Gatsby even if he was corrupt and all that jazz. It was so sad when no one came to his funeral. Good old Owl Eyes! Poor James. <br><br>Those are my intelligent, carefully thought-out comments. ;)

Gatsby goes to great lengths to decieve Daisy about who he really is. Mind you, has also decieved himself a great deal, but I'll digress from that argument in order to make a quick point.<br> What Gatsby does is borderline stalking. He doggedly follows Daisy to Chicago, after watching the Chicago newspapers for word of her. While his intentions toward her are honest, his methods are clearly not. This makes an interesting comparison to the modern issue of stalking: what is 'love' and what is 'harrassment', and where does one draw the line? Where does one cross it? Has Gatsby crossed it?<br> Maybe this is where his intentions clearly come into play.

In my honest opinion, this book is garbage. I was reading "The Road to West Egg" packet, and I must agree with some of the negative critical comments that the author of TRTWE cited. My English teacher keeps telling me about all the symbolism in the book, when really, the only symbolism that makes sense to me is the fact that Gatsby IS Fitzgerald. They are both self-made millionaires, they both fell for a woman that left them because they were poor, they both made money to win a woman, and the both continue to obsess over this women, for better or worse.<br><br>I'd go on, but I have to finish more garbage work for my English class about the symbolism in this book. What a pile!

shoot i havent read it....im GOING to soon for my ap english class...But im doing a 6-page research paper on francis scott key fitzgerald and from what i have read...I feel that i am really going to LOVE IT!

Do you speak english?!

Be careful when you say 'victimless crime'. I agree with you wholly, but perhaps you could note that alcoholism and general drunkeness created just as many victims in Gatsby's time as in our own. Thank you!

You ignorant sap. Before you even begin to say anything about this masterpiece, read it and understand it. You do not deserve to comment on it considering your sad mental state. Next time you feel like saying something, don't.

You ignorant sap. Before you even begin to say anything about this masterpiece, read it and understand it. You do not deserve to comment on it considering your sad mental state. Next time you feel like saying something, don't.

'The Great Gatsby' is a tale of the American Dream "corrupted due to the desire for materialism", as we have established. What i don't feel has been mentioned to the extent it should have been, however, is the significance of the epilogue. Surely, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" is a perfect motto for life for modern man, just as it was relevant to the society of 'the roaring twenties.'<br> Gatsby, as a person, was not corrupt it was the society that he chose to include himself in, and which he embraced, that eventually corrupted him. The character of Jay is not a weak one for creating a false appearance for long enough to draw the whole of East Egg to your party every week has strength in itself! Within the novel " 'There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.' " and i believe Jay Gatsby is Fitzgerald's attempt at enveloping all these factors into one wholesome character. Pursued by the past that he is so keen to hide, pursuing Daisy Buchannan, the one love of his life, constantly busy with his false hopes and dreams and tired of his relentless struggle to acheive what he cannot admit is unacheivable. <br> 'The Great Gatsby' is a reticent and accurate portrayal of American 20's society, this is what brings about the negative criticism in my opinion. If nothing else, is not the way the novel brings across Fitzgerald's vivid opinions its greatest strength altogether. <br>Charli<br> xxx<br>

hey! i have never replied to one of these things before, but i thought what u stated was said perfectly. and ****ing hilarious.... the best part was when u went from 'oh gatsby is great' to.... 'tom on the other hand was a prick', but i guess i wrote this just to say that i agree with what u say and i also think gatsby had good intentions!

you are stupid. I had to read this book in 2 nights and you had all winter break. grow up and stop whining

Firstly let me say that for students of English I find the Spelling and grammar of some of the responses I have read thus far atrocious. As for the book well I don't see why it is rated so highly by both American and British societies because I have read far better books coming out of both societies .My only explanation for this is that it has immortalised the decadence that is prevalent in these ,especially the American ,societies. one can surmise then that it is this ability to see one's reflection in Fitzgerald's musings is what makes readers linger to take stock of what they are seeing /reading. This self identification then lends itself to kudos for TGG because no one wants to rate his or her reflection negatively. By the way I write from a Caribbean island where American decadence is stifling the lifeblood of my people so I wish TGG it were not so popularised tht is is a study text for one of my courses. Maybe someone would wake up and smell the coffee and realise that such an existence is not to be emulated but shunned.