The Great Gatsby (Penguin Critical Studies Guide)

This critical analysis approached The Great Gatsby from several different angles and enhanced my reading of Fitzgerald's classic. I especially liked Parkinson's read of the interplay between the real world and the imagined world. It was also kind of fun when she added parenthetical clarifications about what the World Series is. I'm not a baseball person, but living in the U.S. my whole life, I forget that general baseball knowledge is unavoidable here and basically nonexistent elsewhere.

Eh. I read this one in high school and just didn't love it. I'm not generally a fan of novels told during the roaring 20s, I think because it's so frivolous and materialistic (or downright depressing for those without the means to be frivolous and materialistic). It seemed like the vast majority of the book was a bunch of rich white people lounging around on chairs and complaining about their lavish lives. This was a scenario when I liked the modern movie (with DiCaprio) so much better and a million times more relevant and riveting (though still a bunch of white people just 'living life' to the fullest and ignoring everyone else's problems).

A classic novel and with good reason. The language in this book is absolutely captivating and the story is equally fascinating. Nick Carraway although he is the narrator is more of an objective voice than a protagonist and this interesting point of view on the occurances creates a certain intrigue within the story. From mistresses to murder to beautiful passages, this book has everything that a reader can ask for.