Mimslob > Recent Status Updates

I didn't expect the first chapter to be that philosophical at all. But I can see that it will tone down as the story goes on and as the characters grow. Also, it's kind of interesting that we still don't know the protagonist’s sex. I understand that they’re a god or whatever, but I think it will eventually become inevitable to mention it as they continue to grow.

I didn't expect everything to go down so fast. Although Gatsby tried so hard to become successful and accumulate all this wealth, it seems like he still never reached the same level as Daisy. Not because of the amount of money he has, but because of the “purity” of the wealth he has gained. No matter how you look at it, it just seems like Gatsby's dream will never come true.

The book places a lot of emphasis on the somewhat disappointing feeling Gatsby experiences when he finally meets Daisy. On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to be Daisy in this situation either; there’s no way anyone could live up to the expectations of someone who sought them out with such passion. But I think Daisy probably doesn’t care and is happy to receive this much affection and attention.

The relationship between Nick and Baker is surprisingly intriguing. They seemed mismatched and didn't have any chemistry when they first met, but then the author found the right angle and described their evolving relationship in a few paragraphs, making everything make sense. Suddenly, it feels believable for them to become something. And I think that is, undoubtedly, good writing.

I didn't expect the subtextual homoeroticism at the end of Chapter 2 at all. I think it would be really important to keep this little detail in mind as we go on with the book, since it may suggest different meanings in the relationship between Nick and Gatsby once they get to know each other better. And I'm pretty sure that’s intentional, because the way the author put it in there feels too overt to ignore.

In the first chapter, we observe all the characters through Nick's eyes, which seems fitting since he describes himself as “inclined to reserve all judgments” on the first page of the book. I really like how he contrasts people from the East and the West in terms of how they spend their evenings; it’s a subtle but distinct way of showing how privileged their lives are.

I kind of feel angry at Stoner in this chapter. Yes, Edith was a very horrible person, and she played a big part in why Grace turned out the way she did. But Stoner is her father too, which means he shares equal responsibility for his child. He could have tried harder to fight for Grace instead of watching her from afar with detached, sad resignation, telling himself there was nothing he could do.

Words can't describe how much I hate Lomax for this. This is just so devastating. For once, I want Stoner to have happiness without it being interrupted by whatever comes along, so it doesn't all fall apart in the end. I know he was happy, but it would be really great if both he and Katherine could find a way out of this without it being so heartbreaking.

This part with Lomax and Walker is so entertaining. It might be the first time we see Stoner confront something with this much courage and Unwavering determination, which I love him for. And that speech of Finch, oh, that’s just so satisfying, it makes me like his character so much more. But, sadly, in the end, poor Stoner still got done wrong regardless.

It's unbelievable to see how much Edith has changed—she feels like a completely different person from when we first met her. All of the good parts of her are gone, and she has now become a very unlikable character almost instantly. While reading, I was trying to understand how her character has changed, but she just keeps getting worse to the point that I can't help but dislike her.

Chapter 7 is packed with great moments. The death of Stoner’s father was so sad, and what makes it more heartbreaking is seeing his mother affected by it. And the death of Edith’s father was so shocking, coming out of nowhere. I find it somewhat mind-boggling that Edith seems to be calm when it happens. And the last part with their daughter makes me want to know more about what’s going to happen next.

It's so heartbreaking to see how Stoner never gets the love he wants from Edith. They both know they're making a mistake and don't know how to deal with it, so they just go on living with it until they get used to the pain and hope it will subside. And then the child came along, and I'm so afraid that the kid is going to bear the trauma caused by her parents.

The whole interaction of Stoner with Edith and her family is really strange. I guess her parents didn't like Stoner, but they also didn't want to keep their daughter. I don't know why — maybe they were afraid that no one else would propose to their daughter as Stoner did. But what really confused me was Edith's behavior. I don't really know what was on her mind, nor whether she wanted to marry Stoner or not.