carlycormier_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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.
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racial slurs, Death, Car accident, Alcohol, Classism, and Murder
tifftastic87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Nick, the narrator, reminds us so many times that hes one of the few honest men, that I fail to believe he is a reliable narrator at all.
Gatsby, whom we know so little about until the end, is honestly a man who is so stuck on the past when he "fell in love" with an 18 year old barely legal Daisy that he spent his whole life accumulating wealth to get her attention. He throws wild parties just to hope she'll come.
The women, Daisy and Jordan, are pretty much here for decoration and to be an object for the men to either fight over (Daisy) or be guided by (Jordan). The exception is Myrtle who is there to simply show you how horrible Tom is and for Nick to describe as fat and bossy.
She carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can.
Tom is a racist, white supremacist piece of garbage who cheats on his wife, abuses his mistress and just talks trash about everyone.
I disliked every single character in this book. I loathed every page. I am so glad I was never forced to read this in school.
Only giving it some credit for the accuracy in which Fitzgerald describes drunk people and the way he sets scenes.
Graphic: Fatphobia, Antisemitism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Car accident, Classism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
gretchenplz's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
2.5
However, I just don't vibe with this book. It has an air of pretentiousness that I cannot get with, like the author is dangling a secret in front of us on a string like a "gotcha" or an "I know something you don't."
I do understand and appreciate both the significance of the book and the message this book sends, and I feel that modern society would be smart to remember it, but that isn't the case. If anything, they glorify the very issues that Fitzgerald so desperately tries to convey.
Moderate: Murder, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship
saliwali's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Car accident
Moderate: Murder, Suicide, Gun violence, and Racism
Minor: Violence, Misogyny, Classism, and War
agatha_hopkins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Alcohol
Minor: Stalking and Sexual content
saturnpersonified's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Infidelity and Classism
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Racism, Violence, Physical abuse, Gun violence, and Domestic abuse
calamityin's review against another edition
- 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
1.5
Graphic: Car accident, Classism, Alcohol, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Violence, Mental illness, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Antisemitism, Grief, Addiction, and Incest
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"The Great Gatsby" follows a young man named Nick Carraway. Nick unknowingly moves into a modest house next to Jay Gatsby's mansion. Nick quickly befriends Gatsby and becomes one of his closest confidants. Nick also helps to reunite Gatsby and Daisy. Daisy is Nick's cousin, and she is married to another man, but she has a past with Gatsby that Gatsby has never gotten over.
"The Great Gatsby" explores how someone can be seemingly adored in life, everyone trying to be close to the shining star and get a taste of "the good life" but when it comes down to it, they were not "real friends". Gatsby built his fortune mysteriously and has surrounded himself with people who seem to love him, but they seem to use him for their own notoriety more than anything. I loved seeing how Gatsby had an electric personality that brought him everything he wanted, except the one true thing that would make him happy. Gatsby is also a morally gray character; you want to root for him, but you also do not agree with his decisions. His complexity makes him intoxicating.
This is a wonderfully written classic that is very approachable and easy to read.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Murder, Hate crime, Gun violence, Blood, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
rory_john14's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Misogyny, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Classism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, War, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Antisemitism, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, and Body horror
littlebookaddict's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Alcohol and Alcoholism
Moderate: Racism, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, and Gun violence