Everybody who is anybody is seen at the glittering parties held in millionaire Jay Gatsby's mansion in West Egg, east of New York. The riotous throng congregates in his sumptuous garden, coolly debating Gatsby's origins and mysterious past. None of the frivolous socialites understands him and among various rumours is the conviction that 'he killed a man'. A detached onlooker, Gatsby is oblivious to the speculation he creates, but always seems to be watching and waiting, though no one knows what for.
As writer Nick Carraway is drawn into this decadent orbit, Gatsby's destructive dreams and passions are revealed, leading to disturbing and tragic consequences.
This week marked Mr Jay Gatsby's 88th birthday but from all the hype this year's Hollywood adaptation of Fitzgerald's novel, Gatsby is still going strong. Admittedly an 88th birthday is a touch random and doesn't regularly meet people's requirements for a milestone birthday but whatever. To celebrate I thought a review was in order.
So I'm lying on the sofa at my neighbour's house, praying that their particularly obnoxious child doesn't reappear at the bottom of the stairs to try and persuade me yet again that her parents normally let her have a packet of crisps before bed. I have *looks at watch* approximately 2 hours 43 minutes to read the entirety of The Great Gatsby or else face the wrath of my English lit teacher the next morning. I read it. All. But, and this is a big reveal for me, being such a blur, I really wasn't entirely sure how the story ended.
Anyway, I shrugged it off feeling that I had weeks and weeks ahead of me to understand the ending. Oh no. First exercise? 'Please write the main plot points in reverse order.' WHO ASKS A CLASS TO DO THAT? Cruelty, I tell you.
Anyway, that minor trauma out of the way, I quickly fell completely in love with this book, as generations have done before me. The writing was some of the best I'd ever read - beautiful without being flowery, easy to read without being simplistic. Gatsby is completely messed up and you know how much I love a troubled soul. Everything was so exciting, the prohibition parties, the glitzy dresses, the mysterious Gatsby, the romance, the decadence. Fitzgerald then subtly contrasts this addictive 1920s world with the frightening, depressing sub-culture - a modern Wasteland, the decline of the American Dream, dashed hopes and all with T J Eckleberg's famous eyes hauntingly watching on.
For an English literature student, The Great Gatsby is a playground full of symbolism, motifs that Fitzgerald actually created rather than ones English teachers around the world have persuaded us to interpret. Arguably, though, this is completely ironic if you believe that one of the things Fitzgerald wants his readers to realise is the futile value and meaning the modern world puts on objects... Woah, this post is becoming a little too thematic. But, the result of these motifs is that The Great Gatsby is incredibly visual - not surprising there have been so many adaptations. I have to say, though, and this is just from the trailer admittedly, Baz Luhrmann's film due out next month looks to have finally captured the dark side. Plus the Jay-Z soundtrack is surely inspired, drawing parallels between all these themes and our own modern world.
Ok, excuse the English Literature student coming out in this one. I tried not to but I slipped a little in places.. couldn't help it. I loved this book and it remains to this day one of the few that I have re-read. 9/10
I will leave you with the latest of Baz Luhrmann's trailers:
I couldn't agree with you more, I absolutely LOVE this book. I've read it countless times now. I didn't appreciate it's true value once I'd left education though, you know, once I could appreciate it on a shallower level. We cut it to ribbons in our Lit classes!
ReplyDeleteI'm not watching the Baz Luhrmann's adaptation, I refuse it. I guess that's a story for another day though.
Yeah, it's a tricky one with the film adaptation! I'm quite looking forward to it in that I haven't read the book for a while and am always interested in new interpretations but never going to match the experience of the book!
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