carlycormier_'s review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it... It faced-or seemed to face-the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.”
During quarantine, I've taken up reading again and I am very glad that I have. I am, however, upset that it took me as long as it did to read this brilliant little book! I flew through it in a day I was so hooked. I was reluctant to pick this one up out of fear that I would envision or compare it to the film (which I saw ages ago). Fitzgerald's superb writing is a big reason why I was able to separate the two and enjoy this more.
It’s a story of false hope, ego, disillusionment, hypocrisy, the idealization of love from naive eyes, romanticizing the mundane, unreliable narration, and the collapse of a rose-colored bubble. Fitzgerald fills this story with poetic imagery that dances across the pages, pulling you in deeper and deeper.
To annotate the book in this review would not do it justice. Simply spectacular and way better than any movie could hope to be.
It was as dazzling as you would expect it to be.
During quarantine, I've taken up reading again and I am very glad that I have. I am, however, upset that it took me as long as it did to read this brilliant little book! I flew through it in a day I was so hooked. I was reluctant to pick this one up out of fear that I would envision or compare it to the film (which I saw ages ago). Fitzgerald's superb writing is a big reason why I was able to separate the two and enjoy this more.
It’s a story of false hope, ego, disillusionment, hypocrisy, the idealization of love from naive eyes, romanticizing the mundane, unreliable narration, and the collapse of a rose-colored bubble. Fitzgerald fills this story with poetic imagery that dances across the pages, pulling you in deeper and deeper.
To annotate the book in this review would not do it justice. Simply spectacular and way better than any movie could hope to be.
It was as dazzling as you would expect it to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racial slurs, Death, Car accident, Alcohol, Classism, and Murder
aia_r's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
A book with beautiful writing that sounds like poetry with a story that is both confusing and intriguing.
2023, October 3rd
/// a review i wrote for an English assignment that i'd like to share.
2023, October 3rd
/// a review i wrote for an English assignment that i'd like to share.
New York City in the ‘20s, hot summer nights, tumultuous parties, alcohol, affairs, secrets, love, a hit-and-run and a murder; The Great Gatsby is intense - one of the most excellent books ever written.
I got The Great Gatsby as a gift last summer from my uncle, who, like me, likes to read. I read some reviews on it online and many claimed to not like the book, so I did not have too high expectations. Since then, it’s been sitting on my bookshelf as I waited for an opportunity to read it. The opportunity came in the form of an English assignment. The Great Gatsby is American, dare I say, literature, at its finest. F. Scott Fitzgerald was a master at the written word. The prose with which he wrote was smooth, a perfect vivid description of the emotions of the 20s. His writing is truly beautiful unlike any I’ve ever read before. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” That itself sounds like poetry. It was a pleasure to read it. With the 20s upon us once more and a moral destitution parallel to that of The Great Gatsby, people living in today’s day and age should read this. It is an exemplary saga that we all should recognise, remember and take notice of.
The Great Gatsby, narrated by Nick, is about Jay Gatsby, a ridiculously rich man and also a WW1 veteran living in a mansion on Long Island in the 1920s. He’s exceedingly in love with Daisy. Daisy fell in love with Gatsby as well but not to the same extent as Gatsby did. Leaving for the Great War, their relationship ended and when Gatsby returned, Daisy married Tom Buchanan. I believe that Gatsby fell in love with the idea of Daisy, the wealth she represented, and not her as a person. He held on to this idea and it slowly transformed into a persona that was not Daisy; an individual Daisy never could measure up to be. It’s intriguing, confusing, an ill-fated love story. A tragedy, yes, but a beautiful one. The plot was relatively slow sometimes but I believe it added to the conditions and atmosphere of the book. It is in those slow, seemingly meaningless moments we, the reader, can see how the majority of the characters lack spirit and liveliness in their lives. They worked on weekdays and attended tumultuous parties on Saturdays at Gatsby’s house, they merely existed but there was nothing deeper than the surface for them. As mentioned earlier, a reason why I think many do not like the book is because they don’t like the characters, but that shouldn’t be the case. I believe that the shallow characters and their imperfections permit the reader to see their own imperfections. For example, I could relate to Nick in his observing and non-judgemental manner. Another reason people dislike this is the end. It wasn’t a happy one and that bothers them. I disagree and think that the tragic ending adds to the excellence of the story. Through the book’s tragic ending, Fitzgerald makes us see where a materialistic life will lead us. Another thing I noticed is the symmetry between the story and the 1920s. What I mean is that in the majority of the book’s content, it was soaring high, jolly and gay, imitating the “Roaring 20s”. And in true symmetry, the 20s and The Great Gatsby both ended in a crash.
Overall, The Great Gatsby is an excellent book by an excellent author, highly recommended. I had a marvellous time reading.
2023, October 15th
I got The Great Gatsby as a gift last summer from my uncle, who, like me, likes to read. I read some reviews on it online and many claimed to not like the book, so I did not have too high expectations. Since then, it’s been sitting on my bookshelf as I waited for an opportunity to read it. The opportunity came in the form of an English assignment. The Great Gatsby is American, dare I say, literature, at its finest. F. Scott Fitzgerald was a master at the written word. The prose with which he wrote was smooth, a perfect vivid description of the emotions of the 20s. His writing is truly beautiful unlike any I’ve ever read before. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” That itself sounds like poetry. It was a pleasure to read it. With the 20s upon us once more and a moral destitution parallel to that of The Great Gatsby, people living in today’s day and age should read this. It is an exemplary saga that we all should recognise, remember and take notice of.
The Great Gatsby, narrated by Nick, is about Jay Gatsby, a ridiculously rich man and also a WW1 veteran living in a mansion on Long Island in the 1920s. He’s exceedingly in love with Daisy. Daisy fell in love with Gatsby as well but not to the same extent as Gatsby did. Leaving for the Great War, their relationship ended and when Gatsby returned, Daisy married Tom Buchanan. I believe that Gatsby fell in love with the idea of Daisy, the wealth she represented, and not her as a person. He held on to this idea and it slowly transformed into a persona that was not Daisy; an individual Daisy never could measure up to be. It’s intriguing, confusing, an ill-fated love story. A tragedy, yes, but a beautiful one. The plot was relatively slow sometimes but I believe it added to the conditions and atmosphere of the book. It is in those slow, seemingly meaningless moments we, the reader, can see how the majority of the characters lack spirit and liveliness in their lives. They worked on weekdays and attended tumultuous parties on Saturdays at Gatsby’s house, they merely existed but there was nothing deeper than the surface for them. As mentioned earlier, a reason why I think many do not like the book is because they don’t like the characters, but that shouldn’t be the case. I believe that the shallow characters and their imperfections permit the reader to see their own imperfections. For example, I could relate to Nick in his observing and non-judgemental manner. Another reason people dislike this is the end. It wasn’t a happy one and that bothers them. I disagree and think that the tragic ending adds to the excellence of the story. Through the book’s tragic ending, Fitzgerald makes us see where a materialistic life will lead us. Another thing I noticed is the symmetry between the story and the 1920s. What I mean is that in the majority of the book’s content, it was soaring high, jolly and gay, imitating the “Roaring 20s”. And in true symmetry, the 20s and The Great Gatsby both ended in a crash.
Overall, The Great Gatsby is an excellent book by an excellent author, highly recommended. I had a marvellous time reading.
2023, October 15th
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Blood, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol
faith99's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Infidelity, Classism, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Racism, Physical abuse, and Car accident
Moderate: Grief and Alcohol
Minor: Murder and Gun violence
marenm's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
so sad and yet so good. given that i was reading this for school, it surprised me that i enjoyed it so much. loved the setting and nick and gatsvy’s relationship
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Body horror, Classism, Death, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Murder, Blood, Suicide, Antisemitism, and Grief
nataliapassos's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Classism, Racism, Alcoholism, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Physical abuse, Gun violence, and Murder
seapotatohowisitalrtaken's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Car accident, Blood, Gun violence, Racism, Murder, Classism, Death, and Infidelity
Moderate: Alcohol
fishreads's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Daisy was insufferable. Gatsby deserved better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Car accident
Moderate: Murder and Suicide
Minor: Racism
snackattackisback69's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this book and it's depictions of elitism. The symbolism was my favourite part, but the characters fell flat for me at times as they could feel more like narrative tools to enforce the themes rather than fleshed out people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Racism
robinie142's review against another edition
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder
happilyeveralli's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wowie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Car accident, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, and Murder
Minor: Antisemitism and War