For a very long time I have been longing to read the book The Great Gatsby, especially when the movie starring Leonardo di Caprio was released. So as part of my English class I have chosen to do my book review on The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald.
I chose to read this book because it is a classic and I love the era of luxurious parties and the gossiping of society. I expected for this book to be overwhelming because it is a classic, but also because the ratings of the movie review was excellent, and many people have come to the conclusion that the book is always better than the movie. I was expecting a lot of drama and conspiracies that would leave me gripping to read on and this is exactly what happened.
F. Scott has a clear understanding of the lives and corruption of society in this era. This book has a theme of unrequited love that effects many of the characters and the greed and wealth of society also. He created a vivid story about the loneliness behind wealthy curtains . It is about the unfulfilled lives of those who are lonely. This is a beautiful book that contains endless images of the wealth in America .
This book is narrated by Nick Carraway who rents a house next door to the mansion of an eccentric millionaire Jay Gatsby. Gatsby throws a party at his mansion and all the young fashionable world come to marvel and dine at his extravagance. The guests gossip about how neither of them know how he became wealthy and if he was spy in the past. They talk about his murky past and how no one really knows who Gatsby really is.
Despite his wealth, Gatsby is dissatisfied and lonely; and Nick finds out why. Long ago, Gatsby fell in love with a young girl, Daisy, they could not marry because Gatsby was not wealthy. Although she has always loved Gatsby, she is now married to Tom Buchanan. Gatsby asks Nick to help him meet Daisy once more, and Nick finally agrees, arranging tea for Daisy at his house. Gatsby is hoping that they will "accidentally " bump into each other at Nicks house. The two ex-lovers meet. Gatsby insists they take a tour of his mansion to impress his ex lover. Soon, Tom begins to suspect and challenges the two of them, also revealing something that the reader had already begun to suspect: that Gatsby's fortune was made through illegal gambling. Gatsby and Daisy drive back to New York. In the wake of the emotional conflict, Daisy hits and kills a woman. But who exactly is the woman? Will it really be suspected as an "accident"? and who will take the blame is the question?
A character I found interesting was Daisy. In my opinion she was a very peculiar character. Firstly she hears the gossip about her husbands affair and yet does not question this? After the accident she leaves town with Tom but does not inform Gatsby of this even though they were having a very close relationship, maybe even closer than her relationship with Tom, before the accident. Also after the tragic scene that concludes the novel she does not show her love or even appreciation of friendship to Gatsby. This I found very peculiar and rude. I found this very sad because Gatsby built up his wealth just to impress Daisy.
The world of The Great Gatsby is beautiful if you were to look at it from the glance of image and perspective. There is a lot of lavish parties with jazz music, women in long party dresses, tea, a lot of alcohol, gems, dollar notes , fireworks and the enjoyment of society and the fulfilment of life. There is no mention of the poor in society, they are on another planet. I would definitely love to live in that era. But there is also a lot of corruption, scandals, gossip, unfulfilled lives and unhappiness ."The Green Light" in the distance that Gatsby so fondly looks at is the metaphor for his American dream of the love of Daisy and hopefully happiness, but will he grip that light is the question.
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