El Gran Gatsby y otros relatos

by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Benjamin Briggent (Translator), Katherine Silva (Illustrator)

Often described as the “Great American Novel,” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is the quintessential story of love, ambition, and wealth in the Roaring Twenties. In the Long Island village of West Egg, the rich and mysterious Jay Gatsby pursues the now-married Daisy Buchanan, whom he last saw five years ago, before amassing his fortune. Along with the eleven short stories from Fitzgerald’s collection Tales of the Jazz Age—including “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”—this handsome Word Cloud edition makes a fine addition to anyone’s bookshelf.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, Novels, Literature, Book Club, Adult Fiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published April 10, 1925

About the author

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, widely known simply as Scott Fitzgerald, was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age, a term he popularized in his short story collection Tales of the Jazz Age. During his lifetime, he published four novels, four story collections, and 164 short stories. Although he achieved temporary popular success and fortune in the 1920s, Fitzgerald received critical acclaim only after his death and is now widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century.
Born into a middle-class family in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Fitzgerald was raised primarily in New York state. He attended Princeton University where he befriended future literary critic Edmund Wilson. Owing to a failed romantic relationship with Chicago socialite Ginevra King, he dropped out in 1917 to join the United States Army during World War I. While stationed in Alabama, he met Zelda Sayre, a Southern debutante who belonged to Montgomery's exclusive country-club set. Although she initially rejected Fitzgerald's marriage proposal due to his lack of financial prospects, Zelda agreed to marry him after he published the commercially successful This Side of Paradise (1920). The novel became a cultural sensation and cemented his reputation as one of the eminent writers of the decade.
His second novel, The Beautiful and Damned (1922), propelled him further into the cultural elite. To maintain his affluent lifestyle, he wrote numerous stories for popular magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Collier's Weekly, and Esquire. During this period, Fitzgerald frequented Europe, where he befriended modernist writers and artists of the "Lost Generation" expatriate community, including Ernest Hemingway. His third novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), received generally favorable reviews but was a commercial failure, selling fewer than 23,000 copies in its first year. Despite its lackluster debut, The Great Gatsby is now hailed by some literary critics as the "Great American Novel". Following the deterioration of his wife's mental health and her placement in a mental institute for schizophrenia, Fitzgerald completed his final novel, Tender Is the Night (1934).
Struggling financially because of the declining popularity of his works during the Great Depression, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood, where he embarked upon an unsuccessful career as a screenwriter. While living in Hollywood, he cohabited with columnist Sheilah Graham, his final companion before his death. After a long struggle with alcoholism, he attained sobriety only to die of a heart attack in 1940, at 44. His friend Edmund Wilson edited and published an unfinished fifth novel, The Last Tycoon (1941), after Fitzgerald's death. In 1993, a new edition was published as The Love of the Last Tycoon, edited by Matthew J. Bruccoli.

Reviews

[Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

🥂 Fitzgerald’s eloquent but damning condemnation of his generation as shallow, heartless, toxic, materialistic and, basically, fake. Ironically, today that generation of The Roaring Twenties is idolized and glamorized.

Gatsby is shunned by “friends” at his funeral, but Fitzgerald makes it clear that he was someone who was much more than the lightweight party crowd that belittled him and gossiped about him, yet had no problem taking advantage of his kindness and hospitality and his food and drink.

“They’re a rotten crowd,” the novel’s narrator, Nick, calls to Gatsby the last time he sees him. “You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together.”

An American tragedy, brilliantly told in 1926, and still true today regarding the poverty of human nature it lays bare.

[If you want to know how he felt when Gatsby was first released then go to The Sun Also Rises. Scott was with Hemingway at the time and Hem records Scott’s reactions. The Great Gatsby did not sell well coming out of the gate and this upset and puzzled Scott. It puzzled me for a while too. Thinking it over, I came to the conclusion that readers in the Roaring 20s recognized it as a thinly veiled attack upon the extravagances and hypocrisies of their generation. Therefore they shunned it to a certain extent.]

(In my mind I always see DiCaprio as Gatsby and likely always will though I’m sure there will be remakes.)

[Judithrosebooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reseña solamente de El Gran Gatsby, ya que el libro contiene otros relatos.

Tengo que decir que la historia no está mal aunque a veces me costaba entender quien hablaba en los diálogos.

Es una historia que nos muestra las fiestas de los maravillosos años 20 y de lo poco que se puede llegar a conocer a una persona.

Nick se pasa toda la novela intentando conocer a Gatsby, el cuál parece tener un pasado con su prima Dasy... todo son fiestas hasta que alguien muere.

Es un relato que os recomiendo, se lee rápido y no se hace pesado.

[Nyome Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book! I love the sarcasm in the writing and the way that the protagonist just kind of floats around between the different "worlds" not really belonging anywhere .... just observing life from different perspectives and striving to fit, but just never quite getting there.

In the end everybody tries so hard.. but never really gets what they were looking for.

And Gatsby himself... What an interesting character for Fitzgerald to create... I can't decide if his notion of Daisy is incredibly romantic, or pathetic... (probably depends on if I am in a cynical mood or not).

I'm a sucker for a tragic ending (as long as it's meaningful and not just because it's unpredictable) and this book definitely has that.

Another book that I will read again and probably love even more the 2nd time. There is so much detail in the writing that I can just imagine how many hidden details will present themselves when I read it again!

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

[Kristie Robillard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes I just don't understand why certain books/writers become famous and are considered "must reads". While I definitely enjoyed this work to "Tender is the Night", I just can't get behind it. I feel like there's almost something... But it just never quite gets there for me. The only emotion I had was at the end, but throughout I really couldn't care less about these boring, empty characters. Not only that, but I find Fitzgerald's writing style very choppy and hard to read. I was almost never clear on who was talking and who the narrator was referring to throughout. Disappointing, because I was expecting more mystery and depth to both the characters and the story.

[Wendy Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a classic novel which is one of the first I’ve read I’d say it was a sophisticated novel. It is about Daisy and how she emerged herself in the company of socially respected gentlemen during the ‘roaring 20’s’, (a century ago) and the aristocrat society of the 20’s, with insights into the values, life and high society of the jazz era.
I enjoyed it but as it’s not my normal genre I found it hard to follow what was happening but unsure if that was the narrator or because it was quite long winded and had a complex storyline at the beginning. Once I’d got to grips of the characters I began to enjoy it.

Beautifully written and great description.

[Luisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Gatsby:
Although at some points a choppy and confusing writing style, the wonderfulness of the story and criticism of wealth and of the "Age of Jazz", is worthy of a 4 or 4,5 stars rating for this book.
People complain that they couldn't identify with the characters, but then again, who now can when the times have changed so much? What I found truly amazing was the criticism to society and to the carelessness of the rich and affluent, and even to the newly rich, striving so hard to become a part of those acclaimed old names. It rings true to this day in that respect, and I found it brilliant to say the least. It was tragic and compelling, and I saw the different sides to the story, so to speak. I later found out that the story is somewhat of a parallel to Fitzgerald's own story, which I now can see why the character who was always seeming as an outsider, would pick a side and stick to it.

The Diamond as Big as the Ritz:
This one is a shorter, quicker story, which is even more of an astounding criticism to wealth, and how these wealthy seem to believe they are above it all, looking down at others and their misery with disregard.

I have officially become a fan of Fitzgerald, and although highly political his stories are charming, and paint a picture of days gone by. I'll be on the lookout for more of his books in the future. The only reason that I didn't give it the full five stars, was that at times I had to go back and re-read to make sure I knew who was speaking and what they meant, as it is choppy to a certain extent. I'll grant the dissenters that much anyway ;)

[Pao Galindo · Rating 2 out of 5]

《En mis años más jóvenes y vulnerables, mi padre me dio algunos consejos que he estado dando vueltas en mi mente desde entonces:
"Siempre que tengas ganas de criticar a alguien", me dijo, "recuerda que todas las personas en este mundo no han tenido las ventajas que tú has tenido".》

Esta novela se desarrolla en 1922, aunque fué escrita en 1925, en mi edición cuenta con 159 páginas divididas en 10 capítulos.

Aquí el narrador será Nick Carraw y la historia se desarrollara en West Egg, Long Island, inspirada en visitas de Fitzgerald a la costa norte de Long Island y su experiencia de asistir a fiestas en mansiones, abarca muchos que se convierten en una crítica al sueño americano.

Nuestro narrador por cuestiones de trabajo se muda a vivir frente a Jay Gatsby, un misterioso millonario que organiza fiestas extravagantes, pero no participa en ellas. un día es invitado al fin a una fiesta en su casa y ahi se entera de que Gatsby y Daisy (su prima ) habían tenido un encuentro romántico en 1917 y que él está profundamente enamorado de ella.

Y para no spoilear la historia, leeremos como Gatsby realiza estas fiestas con el objetivo de volver a llamar la atención de Daisy y así recuperar lo que tenían.

Personalmente yo no conecté con la historia, ni con su estilo de escritura, aunque su frase inicial es una de mis favoritas en la literatura.
La novela me pareció larga (a pesar de tener pocas páginas) y me parecio lenta aunque el final me agradó .

[ʟ ɪ ʙ ɴ ɪ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lo siento, pero no, es tan plano, tan sinsentido que no sé a dónde se fueron esas horas de mi vida. Hay un par de frases acertadas a etapas de la vida pero ciertamente no es lo mejor, la narrativa es confusa, no hay clímax a mi parecer y aunque muestra claramente lo egoísta y ridículo de la vida social y la idealización del ser amado, no deja una marca.

O en mí no lo hizo.

[Bonnieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful re-read; felt like I had never read it before…when, in fact I have twice read it in my life. Does this mean I need to go back and read MANY of the books I read as a young adult?

[Lia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the short stories! Wasn't a fan of the Great Gatsby. It was a nice read but nothing spectacular in my opinion. Overall a swell way to escape into that era for a few hours.

[Steve Goodyear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fitzgerald makes beautiful sentences which drew me in and were a pleasure to read. He also told an interesting story with very interesting characters, none of which were predictable. I really enjoyed this book.

[Triciad25 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the variety and uniqueness of this book and it’s many stories. This was so different (for me) due to its age and the time period. Full of wisdom and wit!
It’s not a quick read, instead a book meant to be savored!

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even more appreciation now.

[Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης · Rating 3 out of 5]

As part of a greater project to read literary classics that had escaped my attention, I tackled The Great Gatsby, in part wanting to have read the original before watching the 2013 movie. I must say... I was a bit underwhelmed.

There is of course, no denying the linguistic quality and richness of the prose, painting a very vivid picture of the roaring '20s, but the thing is... not much happens for about a half of the book. There's descriptions, upon descriptions of a cast of characters, the not very intriguing mystery surrounding Gatsby and generally, the narrator's (Carraway) thoughts on the things he sees.

It's a lot of exposition and one might be forgiven for quitting halfway through. The thing is, there are two key elements to keep in mind, at all times, when reading this book and those two elements are not readily available to everyone. As a result of my other researches, I sort of remembered one of these elements at the crucial halfway point: this is 1922. It's 4 years after "the war to end all wars", its massive repercussions and innumerable victims. It's the time before the Great Depression, with it a decade away and nowhere in sight. Although the Prohibition was in effect, it is still quite ineffectual and the time is even before the alcohol gang wars that really took off in the mid-'20s. Effectively, it's the early "crazy" or "golden" '20s, when anything was thought possible, people were in an almost giddy state, the rich more so. It is exactly that lavish and painfully naive time that Fitzgerald depicts.

The second element, which is helpfully provided in this edition's afterword (and also somewhat evident towards the end), is the fact that Fitzgerald was critical of the lavish lifestyle and careless behavior exhibited by the narrator's (and, one could rightly assume, Fitzgerald's) friends and the mysterious Gatsby. The writer builds up this blazing, blindingly bright world, only to have it come crashing down as a result of human weakness, selfishness and downright stupidity.

In essence, it is a book firmly entrenched in its own era, while in the present time it seems quite strange, absurd even. If there is a point, I think this is it: it was an absurd time, even if people could not see it. While digesting all this, as an afterthought, I found that Gatsby's world and more so the Buchanans' world is reminiscent of Prospero and his noble friends from Poe's Masque of Red Death. Both worlds have walled off the commoners of their time, only to have Death visit them inside their gilded tower. Contrary to Poe, however, who perceived his world more darkly, ever in the shadow of tuberculosis and other 19th century illnesses, in The Great Gatsby the rich are not ultimately punished - much like in real life.

A second afterthought (a bit stretched, mind you) is that Gatsby's initial strategy, in order to meet Daisy again, somehow brings to mind the ploy used in the Sherlock Holmes story, "The Red Headed League". I do not think Fitzgerald even considered the similarity to Conan Doyle's approach, but it is interesting that he would use what is essentially a statistical stratagem (although Gatsby's fails).

At the end of the day, however, with all the interesting background and theories , in the present day and age, the book is not very compelling, but provides food for thought.

[Cristina Luciani · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE GREAT GATSBY

Dire che è un capolavoro temo sia scontato. Ma ciò che mi ha colpito è quanto sia moderno, anche se ci sono cent’anni a separarmi da questo libro. Fitzgerald ha la capacità di condensare verità dolorosissime in frasi brevi e acuminate come pugnali. Alcuni passaggi sono lampi di incredibile chiarezza sulla vita, sull’amore, sull’animo umano. In questo senso, è eterno.

MY LAST FLAPPERS

Ho adorato ALLA FOLLIA The camel’s back: umoristico, leggero, e incredibilmente tratto da una storia vera.
May Day l’ho apprezzato da scrittrice: sono intrigata dalle storie che cercano di intrecciare più storie parallele in questo modo, ma alla fine penso sia un esperimento fallito (e lo pensava anche Fitzgerald).
The Jelly Bean e Porcelain and Pink mi hanno lasciata indifferente.


FANTASIES

Di gran lunga la raccolta migliore del libro. Davvero, l’unico che proprio non mi è piaciuto è Tarquin of Cheapside.
A diamond as big as the Ritz è allo stesso tempo una favola che ammonisce contro il lusso sfrenato, il grido moralistico di un’America che rigetta il consumismo e un racconto di formazione. Fantasmagorico, allucinante e violento — bello, bello, bello.
The curious case of Benjamin Button è molto meno romantico e molto, molto più tragico del film.
O Russett Witch è un grido d’angoscia verso le occasioni perdute e per una come me è stata una lettura terrificante.


UNCLASSIFIED MASTERPIECES

The lees of happiness è così triste. Un breve racconto di come la felicità possa esserti sottratta di colpo, in qualsiasi momento, e che la vita se ne va in un soffio.
Mr Icky è un bizzarro omaggio, di nuovo, a quella parte di America che non si lascia irretire dal progresso e che per questo, però, è destinata a scomparire.
Jemina, the mountain girl è… strano. Non strano e bello, strano e basta, come un ghiribizzo della mente.

[Jordan Maitlen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Gatsby (1925)

So I remember reading this willingly, in my own spare time, when was teenager. I never had to read it for school so I wondered why it was so popular and I guess morbid curiosity and what convinced me to pick it up? I honestly can’t remember.

Anyway, fast-forward to present day in June 2024, I’m closer to Nick Carraway’s age and have finally decided to reread the book. Mostly because I bought the golden, leather-bound Word Cloud Classics version recently which comes with a bunch of other Fitzgerald stories. It has definitely been long enough that I had forgotten much of the last act of the book, and not being a very attentive reader as a kid, I most definitely probably didn’t “get it” when I finished it all of those years ago.

Well we’re a bookworm now and I have to say this book is very, very good. Younger me had no idea how cynical this book is of the American dream, the elite and power. He also had no idea how relatable of a book it still is all of these years later.

I won’t call Nick Carraway one of literature’s best characters or anything, but he is the most normal, likable being on the book. What we have here is a glimpse, through his eyes, of the Elite in New York at the time. He (we) spend some time with the rich folk of the era over the span of a few months and it’s not at all what he was expecting, nor what I was expecting either. Nick’s the only one I could relate to here, and I don’t blame him for any of the choices he makes in the book. I probably would have done everything exactly the same had I been in his position.

I personally thought the book was a very smooth read. It’s very short, nothing ever felt over-narrated or exposition-y, the narration is easy to follow and keep up with, and the tone is fairly… standard, but also kind of fun to read. Reading a book from this era is so fun for me. Feels like opening a time capsule. It always fascinates me to read how people of that time narrated, and how they created worlds and characters. I won’t say everyone was an amazing writer of the time, but I can see why stuff like this stands the test of time so well.

I was having so much fun reading this that the last few chapters felt like a hammer to the face, where I really realized just how everyone is. How cruel Daisy and Tom are as human beings, how mischievous Miss Jordan is, how foolish/blind Gatsby himself is, and how self-assured and self-aware Nick is. Like I enjoyed the drama of it all well enough, and being transported to this period of time was entertaining, but the ending chapter(s) really elevated the entire book for me, and that’s probably why so many still love and talk about it to this day.

But it is also just a genuinely good story, with fully-realized themes and a gutsy ending for a book that came out 100 years ago next year (holy crap how is that possible).

I found Gatsby to be a very fascinating character. Mysterious, but also socially awkward. Disturbed to an extent, but also a fellow who seemingly has his head of straight and knows what he wants. It’s the way he gets these things that’s questionable, but it doesn’t paint him in a bad light. I truly loved his relationship with Nick. They’re the only two characters I felt for.

Miss Jordan was a character I didn’t expect to turn out the way she did. I laughed out loud at much of her dialogue, but the last act of the book painted her in a different, not-so-humorous light. No spoilers of course, but I do get Nick’s attraction to her AS WELL AS his eventual feelings that come out toward the end.

I don’t have any more to add that hasn’t already been said. It’s a classic for a reason, and while it’s one I’m glad to have read and revisited all of these years later, I can say for certain that I do just really love the book. I’ll most definitely revisit it again some time down this time line we call life. It’s still relevant, easy reading, one that’s fun to read and isn’t bogged down by too many words. It’s kind of perfect in that sense… I had a great time and I thought it was the perfect length!

Excellent story, an easy 10/10 for me.

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AND OTHER STORIES

Gonna leave some short reviews for each of these. I must say that I LOVE Fitzgerald’s writing style and would not mind reading the rest of his novels and short stories at some point. There are many instances of racism and blatant misogyny, but that often doesn’t affect the stories too much if at all. Arrogant or not, Fitzgerald was a fantastic narrator and storyteller.

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The Jelly-Bean - This wasn’t too bad. Really well paced and surprisingly entertaining.

The Camel’s Back - Had a lot of fun with this one. Very humorous, and the ending was pretty satisfying as well.

May Day - Easily one of the best in the whole book. I was constantly wondering where things were going. Was not expecting such a freakin’ downer ending though. As was the times for many though.

Porcelain and Pink - It was ight.

The Diamond as Big as the Ritz - A very dark, brooding and even tense tale criticizing wealth and how little happiness it brings us in the end. I don’t love the way he wrote some of the characters, but I still liked the protagonist and the writing.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Some of the saddest shit I’ve read. I didn’t like all of the writing choices, but it’s an effective look at how people are discriminated for literally aging. Great story, makes me want to rewatch the movie.

Tarquin of Cheapside - Didn’t care for it.

“O Russet Witch!” - As absurd as advertised. Not a bad story!

The Lees of Happiness - One of the best stories in here, maybe my favorite of the whole collection. It’s very empathetic without feeling overdramatic or unfair. It’s a great story that takes pity on its characters but isn’t bitter toward them. A great tale of how good people are unfairly dealt a really bad hand in life.

Mr. Icky - Meh!

Jemina, the Mountain Girl - It was ight.

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Overall, really loved reading through this. The short stories weren’t perfect, and a lot of the content is very of the time (for better and for worse), but I cannot deny how much fun I had for a majority of these. And The Great Gatsby is still one of the best books I’ve ever read.

[Jake Morey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a whole lot to say here, I’m not particularly one for deep literary analysis, however I will say that while I enjoyed the titular story of this book, I was rather disappointed with majority of the ensuing short stories.

It was surprising to me that nigh every story here is about love or a relationship or what have you. I grew tired of that quite quickly. I wasn’t a fan of the stage-play scripts either.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a highlight, however I would have enjoyed more detail on how exactly he was born and how he died.

The Lees of Happiness was by far my favourite story of the bunch. Not sure why, but I feel it was simply really entertaining to read.

Here are my ratings for each story in this book:

The Great Gatsby - 4/5
The Jelly-Bean - 3/5
The Camel’s Back - 3.5/5
May Day - 1.5/5
Porcelain and Pink - 2/5
The Diamond as Big as the Ritz - 3.5/5
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 4/5
Tarquin of Cheapside - 2/5
“O Russet Witch! - 1.5/5
The Lees of Happiness - 4.5/5
Mr. Icky - 0.5/5
Jemina, the Mountain Girl - 1.5/5

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

F. Scott Fitzgerald's writing is beautiful and lyrical. It is smooth and descriptive and complex. It is easy to see why he is one of the most celebrated authors in literature. However, my problems lies not with his writing but with his story.

SPOILERS

The Great Gatsby is famous for portraying the feel and atmosphere of the 20's so accurately. But other than that portrayal, the book lacks... plot. I mean essentially, the old money live and the new money/ no money people all die because of one hit and run. But that only occurs in about ten pages of the book. The rest of the story revolves around scrutinizing and interacting with Gatsby. The plot was just short and lacking. So the book was just ok for me.

[Alex.Mercer · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘The Great Gatsby’ itself is phenomenal there is no disputing. Creating a tale of lost love and longing amidst the colourful backdrop of 1920s America is most definitely the highlight of this edition. Where Fitzgerald loses me is in the short stories… almost all of which take place on the Midwest in the early 20th century with many of the characters reading as almost the same person, and that person isn’t necessarily the most likeable or interesting. Of course there are exceptions and I found three or four of the stories to be quite enjoyable such as ‘Love in the Night’ and ‘Absolution’ but overall I was very disappointed with many of the stories from a lack of diversity making me incapable of being able to identify and grasp each individual story.

[Miozotis Diaz-Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I want to say I didn’t know much of what was going on until I watched The Great Gatsby on Netflix. The movie explained so much that I failed to grasp while reading the book. Maybe it was just me, but I just couldn’t understand most of it because of the way it was written. It’s such a great story though.

Second, The Diamond as big as the Ritz reminds me of the movie Saltburn which I have yet to watch.

And lastly, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is such a unique story that I was hoping would give readers a conclusion or explanation of Benjamin’s condition. I’m curious just like his case.

[Luis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s okay, I’m mostly disappointed. Idk why this is considered one of the greats, or why it was heavily pushed to read in highschool. It’s certainly readable, but nothing really gripped me, just nonstop prose. No likable characters. No quotables. Things escalate and we don’t sit with it much, just kinda move on. I found the last chapter enjoyable but part of me wonders if it was just cause my time with this was coming to a close.

This carried on with the other short stories. There are some genuine cool concepts in there but they’re never fully realized and still plagued with the same problems that the main story has

[Evalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My third reading of The Great Gatsby and each time I enjoy it more. Fitzgerald's writing is incandescent giving it the appearance of being crafted effortlessly. His characters are memorable and their lives Illustrate the era of the 1920's perfectly. A beautiful example of his writing on the last page describes the island where Gatsby's house is and of the island as it was "...a fresh, green breast of the new world" and "the transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent..." Beautiful writing!

[Kendall]

I'm not the first to note that The Great Gatsby comes closest to being the great American novel. F. Scott Fitzgerald's mix of how shady dealings in support of a laudable idealism, an innocence in pursuit of a flawed goal, and a tragic end could be an allegory of the country--almost. It supports multiple re-readings. They're always rewarded with new insights.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book again, for at least the 10th time. Why I love reading such a sad story, I don't know. I love Mr. Carraway, the hot summer days and the light on the water and the green light across the bay. It is hard to take the entitled people and the general sadness that looms in their lives. Money really doesn't buy happiness. Fitzgerald's writing is exquisite and I love reading his words and phrases and how his stories develop.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a perfect example of one of those Summer adventures that feels like a dream by the Holidays. I really enjoyed that the book was narrated by the main character as he was witnessing events unfold before him during a Summer living and working away from his home town in the area of New York City.

[Claire Wicks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mean, it’s fine. The writing and rhetoric is good, but there are much better works of literature out there which have more complex and beautiful rhetoric. I recommend Toni Morrison or Kate Chopin.

I see why people love this story, it’s very unique. I think it’s a little overrated and boring, and definitely problematic.

[Reader V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt weird reading this book for entertainment rather than a school project but I did enjoy it, there were actually some things I realized in the book that I didn’t put together last time I saw the movie (which was eternity ago). There was so much symbolism and metaphors that I just read by since but I love Leo and the whole idea of Gatsby and the glitz of the 1920’s so I enjoyed the book.

[Patricia Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic reads are somewhat hard to read and relate at times. I loved The Great Gatsby. But with the 10 short stories, I did not like a couple of them, hence the 4 stars.

All in all it was a good read that brought me back to the past.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book as it was a school-required reading and thought that since I never read it in school, I'd give it a shot. It was an interesting listen but still not sure what all the hype is about it. It does allow you a look into history.

[Marj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young man who was raised poor, becomes very wealthy after WWI. He lies about his family heritage, changes his name and buys a mansion house. He throws fabulous parties and tries to win back the girl he fell in love with before the war, even though she was married. Good story.