The Great Gatsby

Read and reviewed: Jul 19, 2021

Our Home book club with Cory and me, following the theme: ““Banned book in the US””. I actually don't know why it was banned. I read the first few pages yesterday evening and the writing style surprises me. Intrigues me. Who is this mysterious Gatsby living in his mansion? What sort of adventure will they be drawn into?

Update: So, I just finished the book and I had to immediately turn on my computer and write down my thoughts. It is the story of a man absolutely lost in love, who couldn't marry his love at the time because he was too poor, and purposely and methodically built a successful life to one day go back in time and ask her to marry him. It is also the story of what jealousy can do to a man and how far people can go to protect their family and their name. It is finally about the solitude of a man who was always surrounded, but never truly loved.

It's interesting to think that Nick, the narrator, was the last friend to stand before him, even if in the end, he never liked Gatsby. Where did this honesty and absence of judgment learned from his father lead him?

It is not easy for me to give a rating to this book. It is considered such a classic, studied at school, and beloved by so many people. At first, I thought it was simply a story focused on isolated life of the upper society in Long Island, then it became about love and betrayal, and the strength of a dream to carry a man, but in the end it became a thriller and the gloomy portrayal of the decisions people make to protect their mistakes and their names, even and especially at the expense of others. It's about what connections really are in extreme circumstances, and what people do to survive. Also, how people move on. And how they were all from the West, installed temporarily in the East, and how they never fully fitted in.

One can never recreate one's past.

Did I enjoy reading this story? Fairly so, but the chapters were very unequal, the ones happening outside of Egg Island usually not well written. Did I think Gastly is a memorable character? Fairly so. Do I think it's a successful way to portray a man lost in love, lost in the reality of what is really happening? I would say so. Did Daisy really understand that Gatsby made money out of selling alcohol illegally and making fake stocks? Yes, but she still drove back to Egg Island with him, because Tom ordered them to. So I guess, the fake stocks was what Gatsby was about to suggest, when he talked to Nick, who immediately dismissed the idea of taking more work. Interesting. Quick illegal money meant he could court Daisy quicker and win her back faster. His mansion was gigantic and he said he bought it with 3-year work of money. Only.

I keep writing my thoughts and pondering about this book. I guess it touched on many topics. It was quite a short book to have executed all of that. The hit and run was so badly written, though. Still an interesting idea, well written at times.

Update after talking about the book over with P: So, in the end, it's a summer book and not a monument of American's literature. It's about a man's drive for money to regain a woman's love, and his tragic end in solitude. But for real: it's about a boy who falls in love with a rich woman and then becomes completely obssessed with her, to the point of becoming a criminal to be part of the upper society, but mostly, he is a creep who buys a mansion facing Daisy's house, who throws parties in hope of her showing up, and who never dare sending her a letter or calling her to invite her for tea. Instead, he is a creep and follows her every move. Also, Fitzgerald! Ah, Fitzgerald! He is not a good writer. He knows how to write about the upper class and the parties because he was part of them, but the rest? O.M.G. The mistress and the garageman and the photograph and the thriller and this cheesy murder at the pool are just too much! It's just a summer read, really. And it could have been a short story. It drags on and on and on. Gatsby is a creep and Fitzgerald doesn't know how to write about things he never lives for himself. Also, Daisy never loved him and I'm not surprised she was so creeped out and shaken when she learned who Gatsby really was.

TL;DR: I just finished the book. To me, The Great Gatsby is about the story of a man who methodically built a successful life to be able to marry the woman he once loved. It's also the story of what jealousy can do and how far people can go to protect their family and their name. Finally, it's about the solitude of a man who was always surrounded, but never loved.

To go into the nitty-gritty, it's about a creep who got obsessed about a woman, followed her every move, bought a house facing her house, threw parties in hope of her showing up, and who never got the courage to call her or send her a letter, even if they knew each other before. It's about a criminal who got wealthy by selling alcohol illegally and making fake stocks. It's about a man who clinged to a false dream all his life and died alone.

The thing is, Fitzgerald is fairly good at writing about what he experienced, namely the life of the upper society, but is terrible at writing about anything else. The mistress, the garage man, the hit-and-run accident, and the murder in the pool were all SO cheesy and badly written and just fell like a cheap thriller novel. His pacing is also quite awful. I understand some people could be fascinated by Gatsby, but I don't understand why it is considered a masterpiece. There are many books about this topic and this era that are better constructed and written. Well, now at least I know what this book is about.