My personal review of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald comes out to be about 50% like, and 50 % dislike. From an analytical stand point; I enjoyed this book due to its higher level of complexity in writing style. The way Fitzgerald strings along phrases into the most complex order and then wants the reader to unravel them into their multiple meanings is interesting. He pulls in outside information in order to draw connections that most would not see. For me, I enjoy deeply dissecting the writing and discovering meaning that are not apparent on a surface level reading. In that regard, Fitzgerald satisfies my reading wishes, but reading this book for mere entertainment purposes would not be high on my list of to-dos. While drama, relationships, money, and power can be fascinating topics to capture an audience, I do not enjoy the pathetic actions of many of the characters in this book. I see Daisy as some one that is unable to fight for her true love, Gatsby is unable to realize that Daisy is not worth it, Tom a man that thinks he is above remaining faithful to his wife, and Nick is the lonely bystander that takes it all in. By studying this book at a deeper level I can see some of what Fitzgerald tries to accomplish with his purpose of explaining the “American Dream”, but that barely increases my liking of this book.
Jill you cease to amaze me with your skill of being able to make any explanation sound so sophisticated. I completely agree with you when you stated how you only half-liked the book. The high level of writing did throw me off at times throughout the novel, which led me to becoming painfully confused several times. I did enjoy the mysterious aspect to his writing as you included, this was one of the few things that did intrigue me. Usually I am a sucker for novels that include romance and action, but I do agree with your statement that several of the characters behaviors did not appeal to me at all. Good job!
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