The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald is July 2011 BOM

[neilgee]

Let me see what I remember about this novel, Scott Fitzgerald was a precocious author as these things go, writing his "classic" novel at the age of 28 (if memory serves, but I'm dredging these things up from over twenty years ago) though it was not his first successful novel, that would have been This side of Paradise again if memory serves.

To be honest I'm not even going to bother reading it unless somebody else does so first, and maybe not even then, so it's over to you lot :o

[Star_Anise]

I read this not very long ago at all, so I may just poke my head into the discussion, as I felt I didn't really 'get it' very much!

[margaine]

if I recall, it's not a particularly long book. as much as I prefer new reads to re-reads, I just might have to give it a go. it has been 13 years or so!

[intellectualammo]

his first successful novel, that would have been This side of Paradise again if memory serves.

Yes, correct. I remember liking this work of his. Amory, the romantic egotist. My copy I had, on the back cover of it, said something about it being used as a manual for Flappers.


To be honest I'm not even going to bother reading it unless somebody else does so first, and maybe not even then, so it's over to you lot :o

I'm not going to read it again.

Last time I took a look atFitzgerald, was in this work that is... quite sobering:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ca2rT3R4L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[thelastmelon]

The fact that most of you (with an exception or two) don't feel like reading The Great Gatsby, makes me feel like giving the book a shot. Plus, I've never read it before! So who knows? Maybe I'll join you this month.

[neilgee]

Well this is most encouraging: maybe I should be a little negative more often!

As i remember it this was a book partly about social class in America between the wars [?], or at least that's a strand of it. Gatsby is looked down upon by men like Daisy's husband (his name escapes me just now) because he is noveau rich, he made his money quickly selling hooch during prohibition, whereas daisy's husband is from a long standing family of rich forbears. I got the feeling that Daisy's husband never took Gatsby seriously as a rival for this reason, which could have been his downfall, but whether it was or not I don't want to say and then that way this post won't be a spoiler.

Fitzgerald's doesn't seem to have had a high opinion of women, Daisy is an awful, shallow character and there are several really bad female characters in Fitzgerald's overall work. If he were writing today he would get taken to task by the feminists (quite rightly, I think).

However, I will see if my library has a copy and tell you if my impressions of the novel have changed. I just didn't fancy reading it alone but since you are all so keen then I don't mind joining in :good:

[thelastmelon]

Is anyone reading the book this month? I got my copy today and will start reading as soon as I'm done with my current read.

[margaine]

Is anyone reading the book this month? I got my copy today and will start reading as soon as I'm done with my current read.

I don't think I am going to get to it :( I feel bad, but at least I don't have to feel too guilty since I didn't vote . . .

[Winifred]

If Gizmo has a copy, maybe I can join in after awhile, but I'm so far behind!!! Must warn you, though, I'm one of the few Southerners not enamored of Fitzgerald...

[jeremy]

I just started it! I'm about three chapters in - I haven't read it before, but it seems like an interesting story so far.

[neilgee]

I think we'd better leave the book of the month for August and just count it as a catching up month if everybody is okay with that?

[thelastmelon]

I just started it! I'm about three chapters in - I haven't read it before, but it seems like an interesting story so far.

I'm more than halfway in now and it's pretty interesting. How do you like it so far, Jeremy? Gotten any further?

[Winifred]

I think we'd better leave the book of the month for August and just count it as a catching up month if everybody is okay with that?

Whew! Great idea, in my opinion! It's almost to hot to do anything in August down here, anyway!

[jeremy]

I'm more than halfway in now and it's pretty interesting. How do you like it so far, Jeremy? Gotten any further?

I'm just about halfway in. It's really my first Fitzgerald read and I have to say I really like the style. Jay Gatsby's character is probably what stands out most.

Also, I made mental notes of whenever he suddenly disappears, at an almost implausible manner, and I'm waiting to see if that amounts to anything in terms of further character development.

So far, all the characters are likable. What do you think?

[thelastmelon]

I finished The Great Gatsby yesterday, and during the first half of the book I also found all characters likeable. That changed somewhat after Gatsby and Daisy met. Then all the characters and their stories started to bug me a bit. I've never liked when people (in fiction or real life) hide things from each other than could hurt the other person or have affairs. So even though the characters and parts of the story bugged me a bit, I still like the way the story was written and told.

[Harry]

I've always felt that people read Gatsby because of its reputation. I think it's subtle painting of the portrait of an era can often get lost in its literary stature.

[neilgee]

Jeremy and Lastmelon I don't think Tom was meant to be likeable even in the beginning, right from the off Fitzgerald presents him as physically powerful and a bully who intimidates others with both his wealth and his strength.

Harry, I agree that the novel gives me a feeling, like an atmoshere that comes from Fitzgerald's ability to conjour up an era in words.

[jeremy]

Jeremy and Lastmelon I don't think Tom was meant to be likeable even in the beginning, right from the off Fitzgerald presents him as physically powerful and a bully who intimidates others with both his wealth and his strength.

Harry, I agree that the novel gives me a feeling, like an atmoshere that comes from Fitzgerald's ability to conjour up an era in words.

Yes, Tom felt a bit less likable than the rest of the characters at the beginning. But it wasn't so much that I thought he was antagonistic. Just on general, no character really bothered me, as some characters in other works sometimes do.

It's interesting though, because as the novel went on I became somewhat more annoyed with the characters. The most noticeable being Gatsby.