The obsession with wealth never ceases. Would people die of soul-crushing existential despair if rich people were portrayed as... happy? Novels/movies/TV shows- they all exploit our want for wealth by showing it, with plenty of glitzy excess. And they exploit the fear we feel because we don't have wealth, by portraying the rich as incredibly miserable. There exists a limbo, a capitalist ambiguity.

I can definitely see why The Great Gatsby is it's a classic- it captures a place and a time (the rich, NY, 1920s), a movement (excess, jazz), and ties it into the American Dream (money, ambition, class). And it's in these descriptions of the era that Fitzgerald really shines- the first half of the novel is full of deft descriptions that evoke so concisely that era you can practically touch the cars and the pearls and furs and the smoke. And this era is driven by the undercurrent of change- the emergence of modern man and woman and the new society.

I guess I never bought into the plot developments, which were sort of classic melodrama, which was very jarring in comparison to what was at first spot-on cynical social commentary by the narrator, Nick. The (born)-'poor' all die tragically; the rich are all asses; it all falls into an almost blase territory for me.

I will say I admired the character of the titular Jay Gatsby. He wanted something, and he knew how to fake it until he made it. And he was a success too, except for his fatal flaw of love (ain't it always) that was the driving factor to become rich in the first place. (But I didn't appreciate that oh-so-old device of the woman unfaithful in love for money.)

Nick and Jordan's relationship is very interesting though, the tenuous trying-to-suss-out the power give and take between the new modern man and the new modern woman. I wish that part had been elaborated upon. ( )

A period piece that points out the highs and the lows of the Roaring 20s. The language is lyrical, and symbolism is woven throughout the story, but the characters are generally despicable. I prefer Death of a Salesman over Gatsby for a depressing take on the American Dream. One of the best ending lines in literature, though! ( )

o to dance the charleston & bootleg whiskey. ( )

I felt as though I was living in the 1920's while reading this book. Fitzgerald uses subtle descriptive clues that simply transported me there without the need of verbose descriptions. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but I felt the dialog seemed to be written as though the story was meant for the screen or the stage. This could be a bias of me associating the 1920's with old black and white movies made in the 40's and 50's though. It didn't detract from the story at all though. In fact, it made it more interesting for me. ( )

I read this back in high school, but I don’t remember it having the impact on me that it had on me now.This has to be one of the best books I’ve ever read.Gatsby is America. He comes from poor stock, people to whom he is only loosely connected. Gatsby is a self-made man, but don’t look too closely at how he made his fortune. Gatsby is fascinated by the beautiful, the rich, the flashy, and his goal in life becomes to be part of that world. At his core, Gatsby is deeply lonely and has no one with whom he can share his vision and his dreams. All around him disappoint him in the end. ( )