Book Review: The Great Gatsby

So, about a month ago I posted a link to get The Great Gatsby audiobook for free. That week happened to coincide with a day full of plumbers in my house, so I spent my time knitting this headband and listening to the book. I finished the whole thing! 5 hours of having a book read to me, lol, who knows what the plumbers thought I was doing.

Most people my age are surprised to hear that I hadn't read The Great Gatsby before now as it is required reading here in 11th or 12th grade. Since I took AP English classes, I didn't have the same book requirements and I just never got around to reading it. I always knew the story vaguely, but I had never even watched the Robert Redford movie to know more than just generalities. This was my first ever audiobook as well as my first experience with F. Scott Fitzgerald, and I am happy to say it will not be the last.

The Great Gatsby is a story about the lengths a man will go to for the woman he loves. Gatsby gears his entire life around becoming rich so that Daisy, the girl who just couldn't marry a poor man when she was young, would see what she had missed out on. It's kind of a crazy idea to base your whole life around proving something to another person, but when you think about it this is not that uncommon of an occurrence. Case and point, how many people lose weight or pretend they have some fancy job to impress old friends or rivals from high school? Gatsby just takes this notion to the extreme, and it works out to his favor and detriment in the end. He changes his entire life to get the revenge he wants, and it effects everyone connected with him in the process.

Though it may not be the interpretation 12th grade English books drive home, I got an overwhelming sense of "Be Careful What You Wish For" when the reading was over. The story talks about the opulence of the 1920s, but the heart of the story is what a man will go through to get what he wants and how what you want comes at a serious price. I absolutely loved the writing style and look forward to the next F. Scott Fitzgerald book that I read. Now I am all set to see the new movie and pick it apart :)