Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Great Gatsby by Sean Connolly, F. Scott Fitzgerald

49 reviews

ashley_1206's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

3.75⭐️

guys i liked the great gatsby and i definitely think this a classic people should read. it was intriguing and had symbolism that you WANTED to discover the meaning for. i don’t regret reading this book at all!!

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sky_lar's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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lizzye33's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

4.25

At first, I wanted to read this because I had lost the opportunity to read this with the other students in my school when I moved. I have always looked forward to what is to come, especially in education, looking forward to when I would learn and create what others would ahead of me but in my own way. When we read Romeo and Juliet, though it was painful for all the others, I fell in love with literature far more deeply than I already had begun; especially set in a time when romanticism seemed more tangible than most can perceive in everyday life in the present. Though I had been warned it was not a story for me with some content less than charming, I have been left with a feeling I can only compare to leaving the theater feeling hope as if given to you by the character and the author themselves in their stead with hope for your own story. You walk in bliss and deep thought and see the world a little brighter, not as it is, but as it could be. 

Though there were moments it was harder to understand or feel moved in the right ways, a writer has left me with their poet's heart that has moved mine so brilliantly that fireworks try to meet it but fool themselves that they can. I have always had a great appreciation for Fitzgerald, and though this is his first novel, I am certain I will continue enjoying his work. I love when I find a novel that moves so brilliantly with twists you may see coming but still move in a more powerful way that you can predict and even still surprise you. I love that it is told from Nick's perspective about a man written so perfectly that I wanted to meet him in person. 

I am happy that I am older. I can overlook some of the content that would have been harder for me when I was younger, the first two chapters involving the characters getting drunk and smoking and other less-than-Christian activities that would have made me close the book never to pick up again, but I would have missed a story, unlike any novel I have yet to read. 

It angers me a bit that the reason why students are to read it is to dissect the culture of the time, the perceptions like Tom had, the races, and monetary discipline, to contrast with greed, which, yes in the end, plays a part, but they miss the whole point when they look at it that way. The love story is a side angle to that regard, and I feel saddened for people who only would remember it as such because this story has a very beautiful tragic undertone which can only be enjoyed by the happy few that come about this on their own who wish to enjoy great literature as it should be. 

I recommend this book, but only to those who will acknowledge the preface, do not take it too seriously, and can be prepared to see the world differently than they know now and even quite different than anyone might otherwise be prepared for. 

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leahb88's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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 like the writing style - there was some really beautiful, poetic phrases, but it was mostly descriptive passages that was relatively easy to read (unlike some classics that I simply cannot get through). I somehow missed this in my high school English classes and I’m glad I made the effort to read it now. Yes, relevant themes on capitalism, consumption and class, yes lots of symbolism. Just honestly wasn’t all that invested, didn’t find myself wanting to pick it up.

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a_sleepy_berry's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0


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mushureads44's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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

2.0


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maggiegirouard's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I think this book is overrated. I think it is weird how people romanticize Daisy and Gatsby. I don’t think they should be an example of a good relationship, or that they were intended to be.
She never knew who he really was, and left him to die and be blamed for a crime she committed without even giving him a clue. he was in love with an idea of Daisy that never really existed. he was obsessed and creepy.
The plot was decently exciting, but it took more than half the book to get there, then ended. I can say that the writing was good. But I think some of the things the book was centered on were not good, like false love, “reinventing” yourself by lying about your past, etc. And I know it was an old book but it was certainly misogynistic. Overall not really a fan but I’m glad I read it and know what people are talking about now. I would recommend to people interested in classics as a sort of you should read it just to know what it is thing. 

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meganpbennett's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I remember reading The Great Gatsby in high school; I was not impressed. I didn't know much about the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, organized crime, or the First World War to understand a lot of what was going on. There's a lot of subtext to the story, and the pop culture knowledge that readers would have had when the book came out is very different than what current readers have. 

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muffinmanreal's review against another edition

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inspiring reflective sad fast-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

4.5

Good book. There's a reason they teach it as "intro to symbolism" in high school.

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jakeaboi's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.0

This book is gorgeous, and the writing style is absolutely phenomenal. There is something incredibly enchanting about every paragraph in this book, that carries the mystery and marvel of the emotional story. The twists and turns of this book are brutal, and the characters are believable and at times beyond relatable. However, the ending does leave a lot to be desired for me, as it didn't feel quite as impactful as the rest of the book. The ending also felt weirdly worded and structured as compared to the rest of the book as well. Obviously this does not drag the book down by much, but it does keep it from being absolutely perfect.

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