75 Books...More or Less! discussion

1-1-11 we will begin our group read of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. We welcome any one interested in reading along to join us while we discuss this great novel! Please be considerate and post using ***SPOILER*** with page numbers.

I just wanted to check in and see if people are still reading this? I know we had a half dozen people who wanted to and I do see some people logging it as finished already.

Do we want to discuss the book at the end of the month? I have a schedule for splitting the book into 4 weekly sections but I don't think many people were interested in reading it in that format. Let me know what you think and I can make changes if needed.

Thanks!

Hi Andrea,
I am about to finish Jane Eyre, and will start this one hopefully tomorrow, I am ok with both discussion at the end of the month or 4 weekly sections. (I think when it is like that everyone would be in the same page when they are discussing which might be better but as I never tried this I can never be sure)

No one was saying anything so i stopped my re-read- sorry

I did read this. Personally, I think reading discussing at the end of the month might be better, to give everyone the opportunity to finish at their own pace before we start discussing, but that's just me.

I also read it and forgot to post about it. Sorry Andrea!!!

Oh no! I don't want anyone to be sorry :) It's not a big deal at all I'm just not sure if group reads are for this group. I don't want to put a lot of time and energy into the group reads if no one is interested. I think discussing it at the end of the month will be fine!

So in re-reading this, I 've noticed how similar is character study it is to Wuthering Heights in that, I dislike essentially all the characters with the exception of the narrator - who I just feel so sorry for.

I can't help but fall in love though with Fitzgerald's language. His tempo and vivd descriptions of the environment are just like music to me. The first scene where we meet Daisy, floating with Ms. Baker on a couch - watching Gatsby by the water with his arms lifted up towards the water - I just love it...

I'm almost half way through and it's been long enough since I've read it that I'm fuzzy on the details so it's been fun to relive everything.

Can't wait to finish!

I got way behind with this one, I'm really hoping to finish it this week!

Andrea wrote: "I got way behind with this one, I'm really hoping to finish it this week!"

You can do it!

I think the group read is a great idea. I just finished TGG yesterday. I got a late start this year but I think I’m going to try and squeeze one more in before Tue.

First of all is it really the end of the month? HOLY SMOKES!

I got a chunk read last night and I'm pretty sure I will still be able to get it read before the end of the month!

I am so behind! I kept thinking I had plenty of time and the month end just crept up on me. I really don't think I'll finish. Whoops!

Thank you for choosing this one for the group read, i finished it today and it was very good. i really enjoyed it. i feltconfused in many parts but i really like how the story was weavered and the twist, i felt sad for gatsby and although he seemed mysterious i felt sympathy for him all through the book. the narration was very descriptive and effective. i am thankful to the group ( & Andrea) i wouldn't probably read it for a long time if it wasn't the group read.

I finished too!

Tugne, I'm so glad the you enjoyed he book! I like reading with other people because it almost always gets me to read something that I wouldn't have picked on my own or at least not at that time. I've read this book twice and there are some confusing parts!

I always wonder why certain books are included in high school curricula. I read this, I want to say sophomore year of high school, and didn't enjoy it at all. There was nothing in it that I could relate to. Now, twelve years later, it's still not really my style of book, but at least I could appreciate it.

Charleen, I read it for Summer reading going into my freshman year of high school and I loved it. Reading it again more than 18 years later (gulp) made me wonder how much of it I reallt understood. I'm thinking that I may have just liked the glamour and missed most of the themes.

I have to say, that out of the first few books that were on this list, THIS is the only one I even remotely liked. It was SO very sad for me though. You just feel so bad for some of the people, including Gatsby.
Glad I finally read this. :-)

I think that is a great point Dawn Michelle. When I discuss Gatsby with people it's not often that people describe that they are a sad lot of people. All of them are pretty messed up and deem so unstable and lost.

Don, I think of the people I know it is pretty much split 50/50. People either like this book and find everything from the time period to the characters great or you just think it's so-so. I'm not of the mind set that I have to force myself to like a book that has earned fame for being great. I think sometimes people feel pressured to find the beauty of a classic and sometimes it just doesn't speak to you in that way and it's okay.

I am trying to read more classics, simply because in school I didn't really enjoy any of them (crazy how being forced to read and try to understand heavy literature, along with doing work for six other classes, leads to a lack of appreciation). I am not really aiming for any of these to become a new favorite, I'd just like to give them a chance and see if I can enjoy the stories, without having critical analysis shoved down my throat (not to mention my "entire future" riding on how well I can sound like I know what I'm talking about).

No, I'm not bitter, why do you ask?

I've always been a reader but rereading the classics as an adult does not compare to the meaning I got out of it as a young adult.

I am a little late here, but since I did read (and finish) the book for this discussion, I feel I should post my two cents!

I didn't like this book. I didn't connect with any of the characters. I found the narrator whiny and the self indulgence of the rest of the characters was annoying. I will give Fitzgerald credit with beautifully writing a really crappy story. The language and imagery were wonderful, but that's all the novel has going for it in my opinion.

Personally, I just don't like stories that don't have happy endings. They depress me.

Tiffani, I can appreciate your comments and I know you are not alone in your thoughts!

I thought this was a good discussion question for the Great Gatsby!

Discuss Gatsby’s character as Nick perceives him throughout the novel. What makes Gatsby “great”?

I am not sure. There really isn't anything that makes him great. Maybe the ability to reinvent himself. I dunno. And I think that Nick has a love/hate relationship with Gatsby. Completely. I think there are times he just doesn't even remotely know what to do with him.