Rating: Summary: The Great Gatsby Review: The Great Gatsby is a story about the rich in New York in the 1920's, told through Nick Carraway's eyes. The main character is Jay Gatsby, an idealistic and materialistic character. Gatsby acquires his wealth to gain his lost love, Daisy. The Great Gatsby is a story that questions, "What really brings happiness?" This story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a critically acclaimed novel and is a must read for anyone over the age of 13.
Rating: Summary: The Great Gatsby Really is Great Review: The Great Gatsby criticizes most of the major social trends that occurred during the 1920's. Jay Gatsby is a "slf-made" man who gained his wealth by bootlegging, however he is very materialistic. The Great Gatsby shows that material possessions will never equal the love two people can share.
Rating: Summary: A wrong turn of the American Dream Review: On the surface, this is a simple novel, not unlike many Romances-with-beauty-and-money. But the magic of the book resides in the depth of the context in which the story unfolds: the restless prosecution of money which characterizes Americans (in general), and which in this case would also buy love. It is a Romantic story in the strict sense of the concept.The novel evolves with agility, elegance, and freshness. Jay Gatsby is a new millionaire who desperately tries to recover his beloved girlfriend of old, now married to a bully and also millionaire man. The narrator is a neighbor of Gatsby, Nick, who is witness to Gatsby's efforts to reconquer Daisy Buchanan. Eventually the lovers reunite, but of course happiness lasts little, and the events unfold, as another reviewer has aptly put it, like a Greek tragedy. Social conventions impose themselves, and finally Realism triumphs over Romanticism. It all happens in the Twenties, when American society rapidly evolved towards the hedonism and materialism that characterizes much of it today. It is undeniably a great novel and it will last not just because it reflects neatly the American character, but because in the end it speaks to any manifestation of human nature. Say: back when you were a young person, and your loved one turned you down, didn't you dream of becoming rich and successful and THEN getting the girl (or boy)? How did it turn out?
Rating: Summary: The Great American Novel Review: Dreams are dangerous They make you see green lights on distant docks that fade in the fog of reality They make you believe that -Old Sport, of course you can change the past. They keep you asleep through the dangerous night when you should be alert and while they may make you better than all of the rest of that dreamless crowd, they will leave you alone in a cold pool on a chilly morning to face the consequences to stare at the man with the gun unblinking and take your punishment for having dreamed too much too long old sport.
Rating: Summary: A truly wonderful book Review: I have read this novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald at least 2 times now and want to read it again,it is so intriguing,and so exceptionally good that it is one of those rare novels where you just can't get enough of it. The story of the very mysterious and wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for Daisy Buchanan, a man who would risk everything to give first love a second chance. What a true american classic that I hope will live on forever. I love this book, it is one of my favorites. " So we beat on, boats against the current, born back ceasessly into the past."
Rating: Summary: Money is everything! Review: The Great Gatsby is the story told from the view of Nick Carraway, who just moved from Minnesota to New York to learn about the business. His next door neighbor is a man named Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is a mysterious man whom Nick meets at the party, which was held at Gatsbyfs residence. Nick learns that Gatsby has a lover, Daisy, who was married to Tom, and Gatsby asks Nick to help him. Nick holds a reunion at his house and Daisy sees Gatsby there, beginning their relationship. The story is set in New York and its during the 1920s. The title character, Gatsby is a wealthy man who earns his money through some criminal activities, and he does it only to make Daisy falls in love with him. He does anything to make Daisy his. The major problem in this novel is when Tom finds out the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby. Even though Tom is cheating on his wife, he becomes outraged on Daisy and Gatsby, and it leads to the end of the novel, tragedy. I recommend this book to those who like money, romance, and who wants to see the life style of the rich! People who like the classic genre would enjoy reading this book.
Rating: Summary: A great buy! Review: This book is mainly about three characters, Gatsby, Daisy, and her husband Tom. Gatsby is introduced to us as a mysterious figure, throwing lavish parties attended by people he barely knows. Rumors about him swirl. This is very effective, it gives him an air of mystery that we find he really doesn't deserve. Once we begin to meet him more intimately he seems fairly mundane. We find later that he has been in love with Daisy since his youth and amassed this great fortune merely to please her. Daisy and Tom also live in the world of the lazy rich. They are unhappy, unreasoningly unhappy. They seem to want nothing, and are unsatisfied by everything. Daisy is lazy and pampered. She is beautiful, but boring, in the way that conceited people can be exceptionally boring. Tom is common, prone to angry outbursts which are really unbecoming to people who are trying their best to be as apathetic as possible. The tragedy in this book, at least in my opinion, lies in the uselessness and waste of life, the use of money or status or youth to create happiness. They all seem to know the truth, that it all fades or is wasted, but still strive for a tangible joy. THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez is a another cool book that I purchased through Amazon -- and would also recommend.
Rating: Summary: Overall an excellent, accessible read. Review: I was pleasantly surprised at this novel. I had been meaning to read it for many years, and everything I had heard about it left me thinking that it was the great American novel and that Gatsby was a Svengali. I was surprised at how sympathetic (and rather pathetic) Gatsby turns out to be, I was also pleasantly surprised at the accessibility of the story itself. The writing however is a complete delight, the first person observations work well and the style is completely captivating and believable. None of the characters are completely sympathetic but nor are they outrageous. Overall an excellent, accessible read. Don't be put off by its 'classic' reputation.
Rating: Summary: Best American novel of the 20th Century Review: This is the modern standard of novel writing.
Rating: Summary: Woefully Underrated. Review: If the customer-reviewers of Amazon.com are guilty of anything, it is overrating books. I cannot believe how many people are giving Gatsby 3 or 4 stars--or even less. That's an absolute outrage! Whereas many novels written by cooks, architects, and other amateurs garner largely 5 star ratings??? And one reviewer even criticized Fitzgerald's writing style??? Are you kidding? Gatsby is the enduring American work of the 20th century--despite its limited Jazz Age milieu--and is the standard to which modern novels should be compared. My vote is for 5 stars. I would give it 10 if I could.
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