F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in 1896, lived through World War I, and witnessed the Great Depression. While The Great Gatsby was first published in 1925, it didn’t become popular until after his death in 1940. In fact, it wasn’t widely recognized until it was distributed to American GIs during WWII—cementing its place as one of the greatest American novels.
This book was sent to me from a good friend, Andy. Andy has always been there for me especially in the toughest of times. I want to thank Andy and his lovely wife Lindsay for sending this to me for my birthday. I loved reading this book.
Now let’s get into it.
This story struck a deep chord with me, especially because I can see some of its themes reflected in my own life. If Romeo and Juliet is considered the classic love story (which I don’t really agree with), then The Great Gatsby is the realistic love story. It’s about longing, illusion, and the ache of chasing something you can never quite have.
The narrator is Nick Carraway, but he’s really just a lens for us to watch the true story unfold. Years before the events of the book, Jay Gatsby—a young soldier—falls in love with Daisy, a beautiful, wealthy woman from a high-society family. He wins her heart, but they can’t be together because Gatsby is poor. He promises to come back rich and worthy, and she promises to wait for him. Spoiler: she doesn’t.
Daisy ends up marrying Tom Buchanan—a rich, arrogant man—and lives a carefree life with him, traveling and doing whatever they want. Gatsby reinvents himself, makes a fortune (through some shady deals), and buys a mansion across the bay from Daisy. He throws massive parties every weekend, hoping she’ll show up or at least hear about him.
Eventually, Gatsby uses Nick—who is Daisy’s cousin—to arrange a reunion. Daisy falls for Gatsby again, or at least we think she does. But when Tom finds out, everything comes to a head. They all go into the city, and the tension explodes. Daisy won’t fully commit to Gatsby when Tom confronts her. On the drive back, tragedy strikes: Daisy, driving Gatsby’s car, accidentally hits and kills Tom’s mistress. Gatsby takes the blame.
The aftermath is brutal. The mistress’s husband finds Gatsby at his mansion and kills him, then himself. Daisy and Tom? They skip town. No note, no flowers, no regrets.
Nick realizes he was Gatsby’s only real friend. The rest were just hangers-on. The funeral is practically empty. It’s heartbreaking.
Daisy was a narcissist, incapable of real love. She floated toward whoever could give her the most comfort in the moment. Gatsby was obsessed with a dream, and he paid for it with his life.
It’s a sad story, but a powerful one. A warning, maybe, about chasing illusions and trusting the wrong people.Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 out of 5 stars)
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