(Book 699 From 1001 Books) - The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald that follows a cast of characters living in the fictional town of West Egg on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922.

The story primarily concerns the young and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his quixotic passion and obsession for the beautiful former debutante Daisy Buchanan.

Considered to be Fitzgerald's magnum opus, The Great Gatsby explores themes of decadence, idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval, and excess, creating a portrait of the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties that has been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream.

Characters: Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker, Myrtle Wilson, Meyer Wolfsheim, George Wilson.

In Spring 1922, Nick Carraway—a Yale alumnus from the Midwest and a World War I veteran—journeys to New York City to obtain employment as a bond salesman.

He rents a bungalow in the Long Island village of West Egg, next to a luxurious estate inhabited by Jay Gatsby, an enigmatic multi-millionaire who hosts dazzling evenings.

One evening, Nick dines with a distant relative, Daisy Buchanan, in the fashionable town of East Egg. Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan, formerly a Yale football star whom Nick knew during his college days.

The couple has recently relocated from Chicago to a mansion directly across the bay from Gatsby's estate. There, Nick encounters Jordan Baker, an insolent flapper and golf champion who is a childhood friend of Daisy's.

Jordan confides to Nick that Tom keeps a mistress, Myrtle Wilson, who brazenly telephones him at his home and who lives in the "valley of ashes", a sprawling refuse dump. That evening, Nick sees Gatsby standing alone on his lawn, staring at a green light across the bay. ...

عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «گتسبی بزرگ»؛ «طلا و خاکستر گتسبی بزرگ»؛ اثر: اف اسکات فیتزجرالد (فیتس جرالد)؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش ماه سپتامبر سال 2002میلادی

عنوان: گتسبی بزرگ؛ اثر: اف اسکات فیتزجرالد (فیتس جرالد)؛ مترجم: کریم امامی؛ مشخصات نشر تهران، انتشارات نیلوفر، 1379؛ در 288ص؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20م

نخستین بار با عنوان «طلا و خاکستر گتسبی بزرگ»؛ با ترجمه جناب آقای «کریم امامی»، در تهران توسط انتشارات فرانکلین در سال 1344هجری خورشیدی در 204ص منتشر شده است

مترجمین دیگر این اثر بزرگوار، خانمها و آقایان: «فهیمه رحمتی»؛ «نفیسه رنجبران»؛ «مهدی سجودی مقدم»؛ «عباس کرمی فر»؛ «فاطمه جمالی»؛ «محمدصادق سبط الشیخ»؛ «رضا رضایی»؛ «مهدی افشار»؛ و «معصومه عسگری»؛ هستند

نقل از متن: «آنگاه کلاه طلائی بر سر بگذار، اگر برمیانگیزدت، اگر توان بالا جستنت هست، به خاطرش نیز به جست و خیز درآی، تا بدانجا که فریاد برآورد: عاشق، ای عاشق بالا جهنده ی کلاه طلائی، مرا تو باید».؛ پایان نقل

انگار هر کتاب نامدار، که در اینمورد در عنوانش نیز، واژه «بزرگ» خودنمایی میکند را، بیشتر باور داریم؛ پیشتر، چندبار خوانده بودم، دوستی نگارگر، در دو واژه، همین نویسنده را ستوده بودند، آن دو واژه چشمم را گرفت، و اینبار آخر، که کتاب را برداشتم، ساعت سه صبح روز سیزدهم مهرماه سال 1392هجری خورشیدی بود، که به انتهای راه خوانشش رسیدم، و بسیار هم خوش بگذشت، اینبار مدهوش شخصیت پردازیها، و صحنه آرائیها شده بودم، سخن شخصیتها یادم میماند، تند و تند میخواندم، تا به جاهایی برسم، که نگارنده، با واژه ی «دی زی»، صحنه ی داستان را بیاراید، میدانم که باز هم خواهم خواند

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 23/05/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 06/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

The Life-Altering Magic of Classic Literature

“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.”

Rereading Gatsby rejuvenates me. Do I believe in magic? That an author and the alchemy of time, place and persistence, combine to immortalize not only the story but the telling, in its strokes of language so beautiful and true to transcend human.

F. Scott Fitzgerald's short novel floors me every time in its creation and depiction of Love and Tragedy in language so poignant, eloquent and gorgeous. I wonder, who could be so touched by the gods of mythology to compose:

“His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed like a flower and the incarnation was complete.”

This is art that inspires me and restores my belief in providence that humans can be divined, no matter that it be for a drop in time.

There was one thing I really liked about The Great Gatsby.

It was short.

This was a bookclub read that I've not read for many many years. It was of course assigned reading in both high school and college. I remember pouring over all the various aspects of this book and picking it a part like disecting a frog.

Now that I'm older....much older. This reading broght a whole new light on this book for me. And I'm sorry to say....I think this book is HIGHLY overrated.

This book was never a sucess (either critically or via sales) when it was released and I think that it actually is far from "The Great American Novel". I think this is a case where years of "reading into" this book has made it seem more than it is.

I HATED the book discussion (and kept silent through most of it) while I listened to a few pretencious people spout verbatium the various things I learned when "studying" the book. Trying to sound knowledgable on what Fitzgerald meant by this or that or the other thing.

The bottom line....Fitzgerald is dead and I've not found credible sources from HIM as to what he meant. So I'm left with analyzing this book with my own intellect and now that I'm old enough "to think for myself" and not concerned about the grade I will receive I find this book "coming up short".

While choosing what to read next from the community library, my attention was drawn to a skinny spine marked with the title The Great Gatsby poking out from between the other books.

I have seen this on many reader’s favorites shelves which piqued my curiosity about how good it might be and if I would like it too. The way this classic beckoned me from the bookshelf was enough signal that it was my time to read it.

For as short as it was, the narration flowed seamlessly. The characters were developed enough to make them believable and just like with most people, I found them hard to like. There is a movie adaptation, but a film cannot reflect the beautiful writing of the book.

In summary, it is a story about how money does not insulate people from their own defects and that our personal happiness does not come from other people; that our ideas of those people who we think will make us happy are nothing more than mental constructs absent of the truth that they are just as flawed as everyone else. It is yet another classic containing the theme of how living an unauthentic life is a tragic waste of time. Is this the secret ingredient that makes a book timeless? Is “keeping it real” one of the most profound lessons in all of literature?

This third reading of Gatsby has been by far my favorite. It seems I’m destined to read it every eight years. In 11th grade the plot went almost entirely over my head, even as I remember being magnetized by the beautiful sentences and jazzy attitude. Then again, in anticipation of the Leonardo DiCaprio film—can't believe that was EIGHT years ago—I was rushing through to finish before opening night. Not a good idea. The Great Gatsby is not a novel to rush through.

Fitzgerald designed the novel to read like a poem, full of rich symbolism and carefully constructed sentences that convey whole chapters of atmosphere. This time I read it more like that, slowly, lingeringly, with a highlighter in hand. I think that's necessary, to be honest. There is a surface story that’s an engaging tale of passion, confronting one's past, and a whole lot of pizazz, but there is also a symbolic story that reaches far beyond. Everything is a symbol. Gatsby's romantic obsession with Daisy is not about her at all, but the fantasy of her, of raising himself out of the low class and being a part of high class. Gatsby's outlandish parties are an overcompensation for his own self doubt, while also a lure for Daisy. Their symbolic weight is most powerful when the parties cease and all the characters are left to deal with grim reality in their own way.

Of course there are many avenues of interpretation, none of which may be as the author intended. Gatsby was a commercial and critical flop for Fitzgerald. It was his third novel and performed even worse than his previous two, which were only moderate successes. He died with the assumption that he would be a forgotten man. The critics were tepid in their reviews and even the most favorable misinterpreted his novel, Fitzgerald wrote.

What he may not have realized, however, is that the difficulty to understand exactly why the novel is a masterpiece may have been a reason for its eventual canonization. To further enhance my experience, I read Gatsby along with Lois Tyson's Critical Theory Today: A User-friendly Guide which is a textbook for understanding literary theory. I don't think I've ever read an actual textbook cover-to-cover, but this one makes it easy. Each chapter Tyson introduces a method of literary theory (Psychoanalytic Criticism, Marxist Criticism, Structuralist, Queer, etc) and then provides a lengthy analysis of Gatsby from that theory. Outside of Shakespeare, few literary texts could weather such an affront of ideology and remain a masterpiece, but Gatsby does.

If you’re new to Gatsby or just have a hankering to dust it off again, expect to be enlightened. Treasure hunt as you go along, ponder each sentence—especially the ones which seem inconsequential—and afterward, maybe even read a sampling of the endless literary theory that’s been written. I don’t like books which require “analysis” to understand why they’re brilliant, but in this case that’s not an issue. The novel is wonderful from a purely entertainment perspective, and only becomes more powerful through close, critical reading. And who knows—as much as has been written about it, maybe Fitzgerald’s “true” interpretation is still out there, just waiting for a savvy reader to find.

This book becomes far better when you take all of Gatsby's mystery and just think of him as Batman. The whole book falls into place!

Atención, encontré un clásico que me gustó. Alerten a las autoridades.

once upon a time, i had a very long, very passionate review of this book uploaded, with very long, very passionate pages of comments, and generally it was one of my favorite reviews (and of one of my favorite books) with one of my favorite ensuing discussions.

today i realized goodreads deleted it!

The Great Gatsby is your neighbor you're best friends with until you find out he's a drug dealer. It charms you with some of the most elegant English prose ever published, making it difficult to discuss the novel without the urge to stammer awestruck about its beauty. It would be evidence enough to argue that F. Scott Fitzgerald was superhuman, if it wasn't for the fact that we know he also wrote This Side of Paradise.

But despite its magic, the rhetoric is just that, and it is a cruel facade. Behind the stunning glitter lies a story with all the discontent and intensity of the early Metallica albums. At its heart, The Great Gatsby throws the very nature of our desires into a harsh, shocking light. There may never be a character who so epitomizes tragically misplaced devotion as Jay Gatsby, and Daisy, his devotee, plays her part with perfect, innocent malevolence. Gatsby's competition, Tom Buchanan, stands aside watching, taunting and provoking with piercing vocal jabs and the constant boast of his enviable physique. The three jostle for position in an epic love triangle that lays waste to countless innocent victims, as well as both Eggs of Long Island. Every jab, hook, and uppercut is relayed by the instantly likable narrator Nick Carraway, seemingly the only voice of reason amongst all the chaos. But when those boats are finally borne back ceaselessly by the current, no one is left afloat. It is an ethical massacre, and Fitzgerald spares no lives; there is perhaps not a single character of any significance worthy even of a Sportsmanship Award from the Boys and Girls Club.

In a word, The Great Gatsby is about deception; Fitzgerald tints our glasses rosy with gorgeous prose and a narrator you want so much to trust, but leaves the lenses just translucent enough for us to see that Gatsby is getting the same treatment. And if Gatsby represents the truth of the American Dream, it means trouble for us all. Consider it the most pleasant insult you'll ever receive.

Re-read update August 2020

My history with Gatsby

First read in high school: 1 star
Rethinking my rating a few years ago after watching movie and discussing book with my wife (see original review below) : 3 stars
Re-read rating in 2020: 5 stars

Interesting anecdote to accompany my re-read. I did it on audio this time, headed out to listen to it (double time) on a walk yesterday, and 8.6 miles later I had listened to the whole thing straight through!

So glad I gave this one another shot. It's pretty good - definitely worthy of 5 stars. If you remember it poorly because of a required reading experience, I think it is worth revisiting.

Here is my original review from January 8th, 2013:

When I first reviewed this on Goodreads, I gave it 1 star. I just did not remember enjoying it as required reading in High School.

Then I went through a phase a couple of years ago where I read a lot of Hemingway and about Hemingway (The Paris Wife), and with Hemingway you get a lot of Fitzgerald.

Shortly after that, the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio came out and my wife's book club read the book. We ended up discussing the book for hours and watched the movie. After that I had to change my rating.

I only brought it up to 3 because it is still not one of my favorites, but I get it more now (update August 2020 - now 5 stars!). There is a whole lot of interesting content packed into an under 200 page book (how they made a 2 1/2 hour movie, I'll never know - but they kept it pretty close to the source material). I also think this book is very representative of the time period and the type of writing you were seeing in the "Jazz Age". Because of this, it is an important piece of literature.

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past": I think this must be favorite quote of all the readers who know how to appreciate this remarkable classic.

Fighting against the obstacles that life has thrown at you as the past’s misdemeanors being you down! That’s why I chose this book as my flashback Saturday read! Each time I reread it, I find something different to enchant me!

Mostly I enjoyed Gatsby and narrator Nick’s complex relationship than the doomed to fail love story between Daisy and Gatsby.

The characterization of the book is remarkable and the message is clear, choosing wealth over the happiness not always makes you the winner. The financial security comes with its own burden!

Gatsby is fictional character represents the American Dream after WW 1 before the Great Depression changed the entire economic balance. According to the hedonist, arrogant Gatsby who controls the wealth also controls the power. At some parts the power defeats the person’s individualism.

Most of the people like Gatsby don’t hesitate to turn to crime for preserving their financial strength. Tom and Daisy are another exemplary couple who are so vicious to protect their own power over people, acting mean, never thinking over the consequences.

Overall: poetic writing style, deeply layered, well- constructed characterization and remarkable conclusion. That’s why it’s always pleasure for me to read this book over and over again.

Here are my other favorite quotes of the book:

“Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away. “

“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”

“Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!”