Ed’s Comments (group member since Feb 20, 2013)

Ed’s comments from the Scribner Books group.

When’s the last time you read The Great Gatsby?
I read it last summer in anticipation of the movie.

-Discuss the first time you read The Great Gatsby.
I read it in the early 90s (1990s, I'm not THAT old), when I first discovered my love for all things Fitzgerald. I kept trying to replace his references to goofy politicians with our goofy politicians and high end autos with our modern day Bentley, and the like. But the spirit of the characters, the madness that drove Gatsby, those are eternal human traits.

-Who’s your favorite character and why?
Gatsby, because I have seen something similar to "poor boys can't marry rich girls" vapidity but not related to wealth.

-Based on who was cast in the movie, which actor/actress best depicts a character in the book?
Tobey Maguire is the perfect cast for Nick Carraway. He is very believable as the meek bond salesman who watches all of the powerful forces sweep around East and West Egg.

-What were some favorite lines/quotes from the book that you hope to hear in the movie?

Well I love the shirt scene when Gatsby throws them around the room and Daisy bursts into tears because she realizes that if she had just stayed true to her heart it would have worked out. Gatsby did make it big after all.

-What, in your opinion, makes The Great Gatsby a classic novel?
It's his greatest novel with the broadest appeal. Everyone has mistakes they made when they were younger. We all want to re-live somthing in the past and make it better.

Fitzgerald's greatest novel though is "Tender is the Night". It would be a great movie too. It has a duel, a murder, several crazy people, a drunk, and a poser. And it is set in the wealthiest parts of the Mediteranean. It would be a beautiful film.